Internal Audit Manager

at  Applegreen Stores

Established in 1992, Applegreen is a leading convenience roadside retailer in the Republic of Ireland, the UK and the US in both large-scale Motorway Service Areas and Travel Plazas, as well as smaller petrol stations. The business has grown to over €4BN in annual revenue, operating 600 Motorway Service Plazas and forecourt sites internationally and employing over 18,000 people.
Applegreen is in a rapid growth phase and is seeking to onboard a Group Internal Audit Manager who will assist in the successful delivery of the Internal Audit programme across the Group. This role forms part of the Applegreen Group Risk and Internal Audit team and will report directly to the Group Head of Risk and Internal Audit. The successful candidate will be a confident people person who can fit into Applegreen seamlessly and adopt a hands-on approach to their role. The role presents an exciting opportunity for the right candidate to excel.

QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE & SKILLS

• Be a qualified ACA or ACCA with a minimum of 2-3 years post qualification experience, preferably having trained in a Big 4 firm.
• Previous experience in a PLC or FMCG environment will be an advantage.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office, SAP experience is desirable but not essential.

ADDITIONAL KEY SKILLS & ATTRIBUTES:

• Has strong leadership potential and management skills, who will be a role model for the people and culture at Applegreen.
• Have strong communication and report writing skills and be able to write reports that are understandable by all levels of the business.
• Be a self-starter who can work on own initiative and also be able to work collaboratively as a member of a highly interdependent team across many parts of Applegreen to ensure successful delivery of the Internal Audit Plan on time and budget.
• Be a critical and independent thinker with the ability to challenge the status quo.
• Be a proactive, solution-orientated and positive individual who can work through constraints and obstacles to articulate the benefits of recommended practical solutions.
• Possess well-honed influencing and collaboration skills, with the ability to build strong relationships with all stakeholders across the different parts of the business.
• Is resilient and calm under pressure or when juggling multiple priorities.
• Demonstrate strong analytical capability to interpret and challenge data with high attention to detail.
• A dynamic individual who adapts well to change and can thrive in a rapidly growing organisation that continues to evolve.
• A highly organised individual with ability to plan and prioritise workloads effectively for maximum impact and adapt around changing priorities as required.
• Excellent drive, enthusiasm and commitment and a keen interest in developing a career in Applegreen.
• Has strong commercial acumen and a focus on delivering value to the business.
• Be willing to travel regionally and internationally as the role requires.

As Applegreen expands, the responsibilities will evolve and change over time. The core responsibilities will centre around the following areas:

• Develops a thorough understanding of the Group’s operations in order to identify the risks facing the Group.
• Performing and leading high-quality audits across the Group in line with best practice, including audit planning, execution and the preparation of written reports with clear recommendations, delivering robust and value adding feedback to senior management.
• Performance of special projects and post-acquisition review work as requested by the Board and Senior Management.
• Using data analytics to create efficiencies in the audit process and providing insights to members of the business.
• Provide an advisory service with regard to internal controls, procedures and other risk related queries as required.
• Follow up with the business to ensure audit recommendations are addressed within agreed timeframes.
• Involvement in the drafting of quarterly/ monthly reports summarising activity compared to Annual Plan.
• Assisting the Group Head of Risk and Internal Audit in Board and Executive Risk Committee reporting.
• Motivate, coach and develop other team members to excel in the role and advance professionally.