Assurance - Risk Assurance - Senior Associate - UAE Nationals - UAE, Dubai

With offices in 152 countries and almost 328,000 people, we are among the leading professional services networks in the world. We help organisations and individuals create the value they are looking for, by delivering quality in Assurance, Tax and Advisory services.

PwC Middle East Overview

Established in the region for 40 years, PwC has around 8,000 people in 12 countries across the region: Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Oman, the Palestinian territories, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

Our regional team with its tailored solutions brings international experience, helping our clients meet the challenges and opportunities of doing business in the Middle East market and beyond.

Line of Service Overview

Our Middle East Assurance practice includes over 2,300 people based in 12 countries across the region and is part of PwC’s global network that is operating worldwide. PwC Middle East’s Assurance practice combines the right mix of human-led and tech-powered solutions to provide our clients with quality audits and other risk services that create confidence and impact in our region and across society.

Business Unit Overview

A career within Risk Assurance services will provide you with the opportunity to gain an understanding of an organisation’s objectives, regulatory and risk management environment, and the diverse needs of their critical stakeholders.

Our purpose is to build trust in society and solve important problems. Therefore, our Risk Assurance practice focuses on helping organisations review and strengthen every aspect of their business, from people to performance, systems to strategy, and business planning to business resilience.

Our Risk Assurance practice provides a wide range of services and business advice that is not limited to Internal Audit, Enterprise Risk Management, Policies and Procedures, Governance, Internal Control over Financial Reporting, Process Intelligence, Compliance, as well as Technology Risk.

Watani Programme

Watani, our award-winning Emiratisation programme, aims to empower Emirati job seekers to become the next generation of business leaders, by providing exciting growth opportunities and enabling them to transform their future.

It is steadfast in its objective to accelerate a sustainable national workforce in the professional services sector. This homegrown programme is focused on identifying and retaining top talent from the UAE. UAE Nationals who join PwC are matched with the right opportunities and offered the necessary development tools to grow.

What is expected from you?

As a Senior Associate, you will be reporting to Managers and higher grades, working as part of a team of problem solvers, helping to solve complex business issues from strategy to execution. Your job duties will include but will not be limited to:

1. Leveraging your skills and experience to become a trusted advisor to your clients on topics of risk & internal controls.
2. Engaging and dealing with diverse teams from the planning through the completion phase of the audit as well as closely following up on the progress of the requested tasks to ensure meeting the timeline and the firm’s internal KPI’s.
3. Working with clients to improve their internal control maturity and to help them in mitigating the risks they face by developing internal audit and risk management strategies to strengthen their existing controls and processes.
4. Identifying key risks, defining the audit methodology, and process improvement by understanding the client’s objectives, risks, control frameworks, systems, and regulatory environments.
5. Building and maintaining meaningful relationships with clients, and taking part in researching and identifying opportunities on new/existing clients.
6. Developing internal and external relationships and reflecting PwC values in your day-to-day work when working in diverse teams.
7. Managing the engagement budget and economics.
8. Managing teams and communication with clients/stakeholders; helping clients navigate an evolving risk landscape by developing and executing test plans, identifying control effectiveness and improvements, and reporting these to clients in an impactful way.
9. Providing on-ground support for the planning, implementation, and administration of the clients’ Internal Audit Plan.
10. Working on Internal Audit engagements focusing on compliance, financial, and operational related audits.
11. Conducting testing to evaluate the adequacy of the design and operating effectiveness of internal controls.
12. Drafting the audit findings, the related impact, potential risks, and recommendations.
13. Innovating & helping further develop our service offerings related to internal audit, risk & controls.
14. Planning and executing the engagements effectively to ensure completion of the projects within budgeted time and cost.
15. Assisting our clients in the deployment and development of their internal audit/internal control function.
16. Studying business functions, gathering information, evaluating output requirements and formats.
17. Reviewing the work of the associate levels and providing them on-job training, coaching, and constructive feedback to help them grow.
18. Ensuring adherence to compliance, quality, and independence matters.

Commitment to continuous education and digital upskilling

Performing other procedures as necessary to support the issuance of the assurance deliverables.

What will you bring?

You are ambitious and you utilise opportunities to grow and develop. In addition, you recognise yourself in the following characteristics:

1. A UAE national with family book.
2. A degree in Accounting, Finance, Risk Management, Governance, Industrial Engineering, or any related discipline.
3. Completed or pursuing a professional qualification, such as CIA, CPA, CRMA, CFE, CGRCP, PMP, or CMA is a plus.
4. Progressive experience at the Senior Associate level or at least 3-6 years working in internal audit preferably in one of the big 4 professional services firms.
5. Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills that allow you to thrive in a team environment.
6. Strong report writing and analytical skills.
7. Bilingual proficiency in Arabic and English (oral and written).
8. Business development and client relationship building skills.
9. Willingness to challenge the ‘norms’ and to create a cohesive and effective working team.
10. Demonstrating strong technical knowledge and having the ability to research issues, present alternatives, and conclusions to client/Manager.
11. Having a background in governance, risk management, and compliance; an up-to-date understanding of issues facing businesses and how to influence client conversations.
12. Experienced in assessment and testing of design and effectiveness of business controls.
13. Project management skills and ability to lead engagements from end to end and working directly with the partner and manager on the account.
14. Knowledge of any Audit technologies, and experience using Data Analytics tools is a plus.
15. Commitment to valuing differences and working alongside diverse people and perspectives.
16. Ability and willingness to travel frequently within the Middle East and worldwide where the project dictates.

The skills we look for in future employees

All our people need to demonstrate the skills and behaviours that help us deliver our business strategy.

The PwC Professional framework plays a significant role in outlining the capabilities needed by our people to flourish, learn, and develop together as leaders at every level. The framework exists to support the development and career progression of our people, helping them to meet the expectations of our clients, colleagues, and communities in today’s changing global marketplace.

Why you’ll love working for PwC

We’re a business that leads with the heart and we prioritise our people. Led by our value of care, we find ways to help our people, our clients, and one another. With PwC, you will ignite a meaningful career and will be provided with a range of financial and non-financial rewards and benefits designed to encourage your growth, like:

1. A competitive remuneration plan in which you will be rewarded for your success and acknowledged for the value you provide to our company.
2. We encourage an inclusive and diverse culture where people can be themselves, are valued for their strengths, and are empowered to be the best they can be.
3. A flexible work frame to encourage work-life balance.
4. We care about our employees' mental health and well-being by providing specialists to offer advice, as well as meditation, yoga, and other relaxation online sessions.
5. Limitless opportunities for continuous learning and digital upskilling.
6. A friendly atmosphere that encourages innovative mindsets, relationship development, and assisting others in growing and working in ways that bring out their best.
7. A competitive Schooling allowance and insurance packages (As per PwC policy).

If you’re looking for a place that fuels your ambition to make a difference, that matches your curiosity with continuous learning opportunities, and reimagines ways of working to enable you to lead a more balanced life, then you’re a future PwCer.