Head of Internal Audit

Vista Group is a financial services holding company whose objective is to become a world-class pan-African financial institution and to participate in economic and financial inclusion across Africa.

Vista has established partnerships with several international financial institutions in order to implement its growth strategy in the MSME sector (SME banking services, leasing, factoring, microfinance, women's banking services, etc.), trade and supply chain financing, corporate banking as well as bancassurance.

Vista Group is ambitious in seizing all opportunities in its markets in order to become a leading financial institution through innovative banking and insurance products. 

About Vista Bank Gambia:

Pan-African Ambition Driving Growth. A leading player in the Gambian banking sector, Vista Bank leverages a strategic network and strong momentum fueled by major national infrastructure projects. Driven by cutting-edge digital innovation and unique customer proximity, the bank is the partner of choice for corporates, SMEs, and individuals. Joining us means integrating an ambitious pan-African group within a transforming market, offering an agile environment and large-scale development prospects.

Vista Bank Gambia is present in nine (9) locations across the country.

• Vista Bank has a full suite of products and services for all the segments of the market: Corporate Banking,

• SME (Small & Medium Size Enterprises) Banking and Consumer Banking.

Our Digital Banking Services include Mobile Banking, Internet Banking and SMS Banking.

Our Card Services proposes Visa Debit Cards (Classic, Gold and Platinum) with a network of eight (8) ATMS.

For more information, we invite you to visit our website : https://vistabankgroup.com

The Head of Internal Audit is responsible for overseeing and coordinating all internal audit activities of the bank, under the supervision of the Audit Committee and the Group’s General Inspection & Audit function. Together with his team of auditors, they assess risks, ensure process compliance, and evaluate the effectiveness of risk management systems. They also provide recommendations to enhance operational efficiency and strengthen internal controls, in line with professional standards and regulatory requirements.

1.   Ensure planning and management of internal audit activities

   • Develop a comprehensive risk map and conduct regular risk assessments to identify areas of significant exposure.

   • Design a multi-year audit plan based on the risk map, ensure its validation by relevant stakeholders, and update it regularly to reflect evolving priorities.

   • Prepare materials and documentation for the Bank’s Audit Committee meetings; support the coordination of these meetings under the supervision of the Committee Chair.

   • Liaise with the Group Audit function to ensure alignment of practices, consistent reporting of key information, and harmonisation of audit plans, methodologies, and deliverables.

2. Ensure audit assignments

   • Plan, organise, and conduct audit assignments across the Bank’s entities and departments, ensuring adherence to agreed timelines and quality standards.

   • Define the scope and methodology for each assignment and develop tailored work programs in compliance with internal audit standards and relevant regulatory requirements.

   • Identify control weaknesses, non-compliance issues, and potential anomalies, assessing their impact on the Bank’s risk profile.

   • Formulate relevant, actionable, and pragmatic recommendations to address identified issues. 

3.      Ensure the quality of reports and the presentation of audit findings

   • Draft clear, structured, and well-substantiated audit reports that outline key findings, associated risks, recommendations, and suggested best practices.

   • Present audit conclusions and recommendations to stakeholders, including management and business line heads, in a clear, constructive, and collaborative manner.

4. Contribute to team management and audit resource management

   • Supervise, mentor, and support the professional development of audit team members.

   • Monitor individual and team performance to ensure efficiency and high-quality output.

     Ensure follow up on audit recommendations

   • Monitor the implementation of audit recommendations and perform validation checks to ensure corrective actions have been effectively applied.

   • Close recommendations only after confirming that identified issues have been appropriately addressed.

5. Ensure that audit topics are identified and communicated

   • Prepare and contribute to the production of internal and regulatory reports as required.

   • Support external auditors and regulators during their reviews by providing necessary documentation and clarifications.

Education

• Bachelor’s/ Master’s degree in Audit, Finance, Banking, Accounting, Internal Control, Risk Management, Law.

• ACCA, CIMA, ICAEW, CPA or equivalent.

Experience

• Minimum of 8 to 12 years of experience in audit, internal control, inspection, risk management, or compliance.

• Significant experience in the banking or financial sector is strongly preferred

• Experience in team management and coordination of complex assignments is considered a major asset.

 Hard skills

• Understand the business environment and have deeper knowledge of the different business units’ operations.

• Understand customer value proposition and key value drivers for the bank.

• Ability to interpret financial statements

• Understand banking e.g. credit management, risk assessment, general banking operations and treasury management.

• Knowledge of IFRS reporting.

Soft skills

• Managing audits

• Integrity, objectivity, and rigor

• Strong leadership and team management abilities

• Excellent analytical, conceptual thinking, and synthesis skills

• Strong written and spoken English

• Good report writing skills.