Internal Audit Manager

Job title: Internal Audit Manager

Location: Singapore

Hiring Manager: Internal Audit Director

About the job

At Sanofi, we are united by one purpose: we chase the miracles of science to improve people’s lives; and one strategy: Play to Win. We are focusing on growth and portfolio prioritization, bringing transformative therapies to patients, accelerating efficiency, creating a culture where everyone is in position to play to win and can bring the best of their whole self to work.

Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer and the Audit Committee, the mission of Sanofi Internal Audit (SIA) to provide independent and objective reasonable assurance regarding the group’s ability to control its operations according to the Institute of Internal Audit (IIA) international standards.

The Department is organized around 6 areas of expertise: Global Business Units (Specialty Care, General Medicines and Vaccines), R&D, Manufacturing & Supply, Corporate Functions, Asia Pacific and China, and Information Systems, and is supported by Audit Operations and Digital Transformation activities.

Based primarily in three locations: US (Cambridge and Morristown), France (Paris) and Singapore, our people work on transversal assignments for all activities and functions and contribute to projects that span the globe. Additionally, to best serve our APAC region, we have evolved our presence by adding a fourth location in China (Shanghai).

With a strong focus on integrity, objectivity, confidentiality, and the competency of our people, we ensure that:

• We recruit and develop our professional audit staff, with the right knowledge, skills and certifications to complete the Audit Plans with high quality standards.
• We maintain the highest level of expertise and audit proficiency.
• And we do our work in accordance with the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) standards.

Role Summary

We handle all auditing activities, including:

• Executing the yearly Audit Plan and ensuring it progresses against agreed milestones and identified risks.
• Running the internal audit assignments, including drafting the audit reports, based on which Sanofi management defines action plans to remediate findings.
• Monitoring the progress of management’s action plans, to ensure that audit findings are addressed, and the associated risks are appropriately mitigated.
• Participating to Centers of Expertise, joining task force and actively contributing to the dynamic environment of our department.

This position offers significant growth opportunities.

As part of our team, you will:

• Work in a truly international environment, sharing your expertise with fellow Sanofians, and mastering the full spectrum auditing activities, including culture check-up.
• Be exposed to, and gain insights into each phase of the product lifecycle, from the initial Research & Development (R&D) efforts, through to the Manufacturing & Supply (M&S) and commercialization of our products across 3 different Global Business Units (GBUs).
• Support the evolution and transformation of the organization, including corporate and digital functions. A trusted business partner, our team fosters a Risk Management Culture within Sanofi and drives changes within Sanofi processes, governance, and culture.

Main Responsibilities

• Work collaboratively with audit teams to perform planned operational, compliance and integrated-IT audits across different functions and sites (with a focus on China)

• Conduct planning activities to identify relevant risks and develop appropriate risk-based audit procedures

• Interview key personnel to assess business processes and the strength of the control environment

• Lead meetings involving various levels of management to effectively communicate audit status, align on significant audit issues and recommended corrective actions

• Coordinate the day-to-day activities of audits and auditees interactions, ensuring efficient information flow from your auditees to the audit team

• Prepare clear, detailed audit documentation evidencing the results of actual testing procedures in accordance with Sanofi Internal Audit and the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) standards.

• Prepare audit reports, including clearly written recommendations that effectively communicate identified issues and their related corrective actions to help auditees and senior management strengthen and improve operations, including opportunities (as appropriate) for cost savings or efficiency gains

• Demonstrate and maintain working knowledge and staying current on developments in audit literature' including those specific to our industry

• Participate in and take on additional departmental projects as assigned (e.g., audit lessons learned, training, continuous improvement, etc.).

About you

Education and Work Experience

• University major/minor:

• Pharmacist
• Business, Accounting, Finance, Biology or Engineering

• Knowledge of IIA standards is preferred but not required
• SAP knowledge would be an asset
• Strong knowledge of Excel/Word/PowerPoint
• Data Analytics experience (specifically with visualization tools such as PowerBI, QlikView, and Tableau) is preferred but not mandatory
• Excellent spoken and written English is essential
• International exposure and/ or experience working with a diverse team preferred.
• Experience in pharmaceutical/ healthcare industry is or life-sciences business acumen (R&D, Medical, Industrial Affairs, Market Access etc.) is preferred but not mandatory.

Professional Skills and Attributes

• Minimum of 6 years prior public accounting or internal/external audit experience, internal control, business support Finance, including experience in managing financial, operational or compliance audits preferably in a large, multinational publicly traded company.
• Alternatively, minimum 5 years working experience in a pharma company in a commercial, marketing, business operations and support, manufacturing, supply chain, medical or R&D role and willing to discover internal audit.

• Fluent English (spoken and written) and preferably Chinese (spoken and reading)

• Ability to work transversally and within a highly matrix environment.

• Self-driven and proactive with a willing attitude to learn and patience to guide inexperienced team members.

• Inquisitive and persuasive with a global mindset and able to recognize and respond to diverse thinking styles, learning styles and cultural sensitivities.

• Demonstrated ability to interact with and influence senior level stakeholders

• Strong project management and communication skills. Effective in prioritizing work and following through on commitments.

• Maintain the highest standards of ethics and integrity as well as respect for confidentiality of sensitive matters.

• Operate with a collaborative mindset.

• Acute attention to detail with strong qualitative and quantitative analytical skills.

• Ability to take large volumes of complex data and/ or information and present it in a clear and concise manner.

• Strong analytics skills with the ability to collect, organize, analyze, and disseminate information with attention to detail and accuracy

• Strong verbal and written communication skills

• Ability to travel approximately 30-40% of the time, including international travel for up to three weeks at a time

Why Join Us?

If you’re looking for place to get exposure to a complex, dynamic business and grow your career, then this is the team for you. The work you’ll do has a real impact on the business and organization. You’ll be directly contributing to Sanofi’s ability to execute its strategy and achieve its business goals and ambition to transform the practice of medicine. By joining us, you’ll get the best of both worlds: expand your auditing skills and career, while getting to know a diverse pharma business, that will allow you to grow your career all the way up to managerial or Subject Matter Expert roles.

This role is an exceptional training ground for future executives, which also provides unique opportunities to:

• Learn the different activities of Sanofi and the pharmaceutical business environment
• Gain exposure to diverse audit assignments, ranging from Commercial Operations, Manufacturing and Supply to specific thematic audits (i.e., 3rd party management, R&D, Digital, Sales Force Management, Culture Review, etc.)
• Increased visibility and network across different stakeholders, including senior management and executives
• Work in a multi-cultural team environment and identify value-added recommendations to drive business process change
• Acquire project and team management skills