Quality Assurance Auditor

The Quality Assurance Auditor is responsible for assessing, enhancing, and ensuring the quality and consistency of Internal Audit activities in accordance with the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) Standards, the International Professional Practices Framework (IPPF), and the Bank’s Internal Audit Methodology. The role drives continuous improvement, embeds leading practices, and supports the audit function in maintaining high levels of professionalism, governance, and conformance.

Job Profile (Downloadable)

Expertise & Technical Competencies

Minimum Qualification

• A Bachelor’s Degree in Internal Audit, Accounting, or a related field.

Minimum Experience

• A minimum of 8 years’ experience in internal auditing or quality assurance within a financial services or regulatory environment.
• Demonstrate advanced knowledge of internal audit standards, quality assurance methodologies, and related audit tools.
• Extensive experience in embedding and reviewing against the International Professional Practices Framework (IPPF – IIA).
• Experience in conducting Quality Assurance Reviews (QARs) in line with IIA standards.
• Drive a hands on implementations of recommendations from QARs
• Proven ability to assess audit documentation for compliance, completeness, and conformance to methodology.
• Experience supporting auditor development and continuous quality enhancement.
• In-depth working knowledge of audit tools, report writing, and quality assurance templates.
• Understanding of risk management, governance, and control frameworks (e.g., Committee of Sponsoring Organisations of the Treadway Commission (COSO), BASEL III).
• Experience coordinating external QA reviews and liaising with professional bodies.

Desirable Requirements

• Certification in Internal Auditing or equivalent (e.g., CIA).
• A Postgraduate Degree in Internal Audit, Accounting, or a related field.
• Quality Assurance qualification.

TECHNICAL COMPETENCIES

Audit

• Understands internal audit standards and the needed procedures expected in conducting assignments.
• Contributes to the planning of specific audit assignments.
• Prepares medium-in-complexity audit reports to specified standards, including format, style and timelines with the need for minimal editorial changes.
• Provides advice and recommendations on the establishment of plans, training and/or manuals for ensuring compliance with regulations.
• Able to conduct audits in accordance with audit guidelines and departmental guidelines.

Detail Orientation

• Identifies multiple sources/approaches of information to ensure that details are addressed.
• Reviews the work of others for accuracy and thoroughness.
• Follows up to ensure tasks are completed and commitments met by others.

Solution Focus

• Identifies complex problems based on a broad range of factors, many of which are ambiguous or difficult to define.
• While remaining guided by organisational values, identifies optimal solutions, thinking first in terms of possible approaches and flexibilities in the system vs. blind adherence to rules or procedures.
• Evaluates the effectiveness and efficiency of solutions after they have been implemented and identifies needed changes.

Policies and Procedures

• Has a detailed understanding of relevant policies and procedures and interprets these according to operational circumstances to ensure compliance.
• Understands the business context sufficiently to recommend improvements and modifications to existing policy.
• Is able to write new procedures.

Reporting

• Designs / customises reports to meet user needs.
• Prepares complex or tailored reports, gathers information from a variety of sources, analyses and includes in a report.
• Keeps standard reports under review and proposes improvements to meet user needs.

Learning and Development

• Abreast of best practice in learning and development.
• Ability to lead training needs analysis and design of training/learning and development calendar.
• Ability to advocate the service value of learning and development in DBSA.
• Regularly shares expertise with team members to support continuous learning and improvement.
• Helps team members develop their skills and abilities.
• Works with employees and teams to define realistic yet challenging work goals.
• Advocates and commits to ongoing training and development to foster a learning culture.

*The KPA’s, competencies and relationships listed in this document, are not exhaustive, and the incumbent will be expected to undertake additional duties within their capacity to meet the needs of business and/or the business unit.

Required Personal Attributes

LEADERSHIP/BEHAVIOURAL COMPETENCIES

Analytical Thinking

• Analyses and interprets multiple complex causal links: several potential causes of events, several consequences of actions, or multiple-part chains of events in order to prioritise and develop a plan of action.

Attention to Detail

• Monitors the quality of others’ work.
• Checks to see that procedures are followed by others.
• Keeps clear, detailed records of own and/or others’ activities.

Integrity

• Takes pride in being trustworthy, serves all equally, respects others and embraces diversity.
• Is honest in all relations (internal/external relations).
• Is capable of challenging senior management (appropriately and respectfully) in order to act on espoused values.

Strategic and Innovative Thinking

• Experiments with new approaches, tests scenarios, questions assumptions and challenges conventional thinking.
• Creates new concepts that are not obvious to others, leveraging internal and external sources of information, to build incremental revenue and growth opportunities.

Driving Delivery of Results

• Sets challenging goals that will have a significant impact on the business or support the organisational strategy.
• Commits significant resources and/or time to ensure that challenging goals are achieved, while also taking action to mitigate risk.

Teamwork and Cooperation

• Openly praises others who have made contributions to the group’s efforts.
• Empowers others, making them feel valued, strong and important.
• Encourages others after a setback.

Developing Others

• Gives directions or demonstrations with reasons or rationale as a training strategy.
• Gives practical support or assistance to make the job easier for the other individual.
• Asks questions, gives tests, or uses other methods to verify that others have understood the explanation or directions.

Internal Audit Quality Assurance Reviews

• Execute the annual Quality Assurance and Improvement Programme (QAIP) plan, covering ongoing monitoring, periodic internal assessments, and external QA readiness.
• Plan, execute, and report on Quality Assurance Reviews (QARs) to assess conformance with Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) Standards and the Bank’s Internal Audit Methodology.
• Identify audit process gaps and areas for improvement, recommending enhancements to strengthen audit quality and consistency.
• Ensure QARs are conducted objectively and documented in accordance with professional standards.
• Coordinate and support readiness for external Quality Assurance Reviews in line with IIA guidelines.
• Act as liaison between external reviewers and internal audit teams, consolidating evidence and documentation.
• Ensure timely and accurate responses to external quality assurance queries and recommendations.
• Apply technical expertise to assess complex audit engagements, offering insights that enhance audit delivery and innovation.
• Keep abreast of industry trends, emerging risks, and regulatory developments to uplift internal audit quality practices.
• Assess that QA reviews and audit engagements align with the organisation’s risk management framework.
• Identify systemic control weaknesses and emerging risks through QA insights and escalate them appropriately.

Methodology and Standards Compliance

• Monitor compliance with the IIA Standards, QAIP, International Professional Practices Framework (IPPF), and the Internal Audit Charter across all audit engagements.
• Maintain, update, and enhance audit methodology, templates, guidance documents, and tools to align with global best practice.
• Provide professional guidance to audit teams on consistent and effective application of the methodology.
• Provide training and coaching to internal auditors on quality standards, methodology, and documentation requirements.
• Promote a culture of quality, excellence, and accountability within the internal audit function.
• Support onboarding and continuous development of audit staff through structured learning initiatives.
• Maintain a repository of quality review results, best practices, and methodology guidance.

Reporting and Monitoring

• Analyse audit results, performance metrics, recurring findings, and trends to inform quality improvement initiatives.
• Prepare and present QA reports to the Internal Audit teams and DBSA committees.
• Track and report on the implementation status of quality-related recommendations and improvement actions.
• Reporting and Governance
• Consolidate quality review findings and key management insights and contribute to the preparation of reports for governance bodies.
• Maintain comprehensive documentation of audit procedures, evidence, and conclusions in accordance with internal standards.
• Ensure timely and accurate submission of audit inputs required for quarterly reporting to the Social and Ethics Committee (SEC) and Audit and Risk Committee (ARC).
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date information within the audit management system, ensuring data integrity and
  alignment with governance standards.
• Monitor adherence to internal audit policies, procedures, and relevant regulatory requirements, and recommend improvements to strengthen governance and control processes.

Combined Assurance Coordination Support

• Support the coordination and alignment of assurance activities across the lines of defence.
• Ensure a move from Assurance Silos to Assurance Ecosystems.
• Rethinking Combined Assurance for Converging Risks.
• Validate the adequacy, consistency and quality of assurance provided by management, risk, compliance and other assurance providers.
• Provide support in maintaining the Combined Assurance map and identifying assurance gaps and overlaps.
• Support preparation of consolidated assurance reporting to EXCO and the Audit and Risk Committee.

Stakeholder Management

• Build and maintain effective relationships with management, business units, and key stakeholders to facilitate open communication and audit cooperation.
• Engage professionally with Risk Management, Legal Services, External Audit, Regulators, and other assurance providers.

Key Measurements of Outputs

• Number and quality of Quality Assurance Reviews (QARs) completed
• Level of conformance with IIA Standards and internal audit methodology across engagements
• Number of audit process improvements identified and implemented
• Accuracy and completeness of QA documentation and reporting
• Effectiveness of training and coaching provided to audit teams
• Frequency and quality of updates to audit methodology, templates, and tools
• Management of team performance, talent development, and succession planning using the performance management system