Top dimensions:

Geography: India

Direct reports: NA

Complexity of the role (Optional): High

Matrix Reports: NA

Type of Role: Individual Contributor

Primary Stakeholders (Optional): functional owners

What are the Key Deliverables in this role ?

Overview: The Associate Manager of Internal Audit for Sales and Distribution is responsible for conducting internal audits, identifying risks, and ensuring effective controls across sales and distribution domains. This role supports the lead in executing internal audits, focusing on trade promos, sales channels, and maintaining a healthy control environment. The role also involves developing risk analytics, executing special assignments, and implementing control frameworks for market anomalies.

Key Responsibilities:

Financial Outcomes:

• Responsible for execution and driving internal audits in sales and distributor domains and contribute in elevating process maturity around the area of audit coverage in line with organizational goals.
• Support the Lead by executing and timely completing the Internal audits covering the Sales & Distribution across all the channels for India and International business.
• Focus on Trade promos, consumer promo’s, trade programs, incentives program, different sales channels etc.  
• Identifying areas for regular sensitization to promote and maintain a healthy control environment.
• During the audit execution assess the process design and control effectiveness in achieving business objectives. Identify, document weaknesses, and findings with evidence.
• Co-ordinate in developing risk analytics and dashboards for sustainable improvement and business partnering.
• Support in executing special assignments based on outcomes of a audit, business need/request to help organization in strengthening controls, improve processes.
• Develop and implement a control framework for market anomalies identified through market audit programs.

Customer Service:

• Proactively identify and highlight challenges and conflicts during audits execution.
• Work with audit lead and business on pending audit actions to ensure timely implementation of audit recommendations and agreed action plans.
• Engage with low to middle management for business in aligning the audit observations, taking their inputs to enhance correctness and quality of observation.
• Provide industry-based insights to the stakeholders, during the discussion for better clarity on process gaps, observations, issues etc.

Internal Process:

• Draft quality reports with clear recommendations, specific action plans, and concise reporting.
• Work alongside with co-sourcing and in-house teams to deliver the engagement.
• Embed audit inputs from CIA and audit lead, ensure comprehensive audit coverage, robust test procedures, and quality observations.
• Ensure audit progress in line with agreed scope document to execution and provide regular updates.
• Proactively highlight challenges for timely audit completion in line with agreed timelines.
• Propose practical and value-added recommendations to address control weaknesses and/or process inefficiencies. Ensure factual accuracy of observations and alignments with business.
• Plan and conduct meetings with auditee at the end of fieldwork, providing clear explanations.
• Assist in benchmarking processes with peer FMCG companies to identify improvement areas and best practices.

Innovation and Learning:

• Support and develop need-based analytics on TGO platform for Internal audit as well as for business on control related aspects.
• Attend the trainings suggested by the audit leads and focus on professional development agenda.
• Collaborate with other audit leads to share best practices and improve audit quality.
• Foster a culture of training to enhance knowledge on covered domains and risk factors.

What are the Critical success factors for the Role ?

1. At least 2-3 years of work experience, preferably in the FMCG industry or other large global organizations.
2. A minimum of 1 years dedicated to entry-level roles in commercial Finance/sales finance or Internal Audit.
3. Possession of a reputable accounting or business degree, such as Chartered Accountant (CA) or Master of Business Administration (MBA) from a leading business school.
4. Proficient in carrying out process audits across functions of sales, marketing and channel partners.
5. Excellent communication skills for articulating complex concepts.
6. Commitment to professional development and staying abreast with changes in the market.

What are the Desirable success factors for the Role ?

1. Awareness and knowledge about FMCG industry best practices across business process areas.