About the Role A leading, fast-growing multinational group within the pharmaceutical and healthcare sector is seeking a Group Internal Audit Manager to provide independent, objective assurance over governance, risk management, internal controls, and compliance across its local and international operations.This is a senior, high-impact role reporting directly to the Group CEO/Founder , with a dotted line to the Audit Committee . The successful incumbent will operate with full independence and unrestricted access to all Group entities, systems, and personnel.The role is strictly assurance-focused and does not involve operational decision-making, control design, or implementation.Key Purpose To provide the Audit Committee and Executive Leadership with assurance that financial, operational, regulatory, and systems controls are appropriately designed and operating effectively across the Group.Key Responsibilities Internal Audit Planning Develop and maintain a risk-based annual internal audit plan Continuously reassess audit priorities based on emerging risks Financial & Operational Controls Review revenue, procurement, expenditure, inventory, and working capital controls Assess AP, AR, and reconciliation processes across Group entities Treasury & Cash Management Evaluate bank governance, payment controls, segregation of duties, and liquidity management Review cash forecasting and treasury processes Compliance & Regulatory Assurance Audit operational processes including sales, supply chain, HR, and shared services Provide assurance over regulated quality systems (e.g. GMP/GDP environments) Systems & IT Controls Review ERP access controls, segregation of duties conflicts, and privileged user access Assess system change management, data integrity, and cybersecurity controls Tax & Statutory Compliance Review accuracy, completeness, and timeliness of tax submissions and reconciliations Fraud Risk Management Maintain fraud risk assessments and perform targeted fraud testing Investigate control weaknesses and anomalies Governance & Risk Identify and assess segregation of duties conflicts across systems and processes Provide insights into enterprise risk exposure R&D and Intellectual Property Governance Review R&D spend governance and stage-gate approval processes Assess controls over intellectual property, patents, trademarks, and confidential data Reporting Deliver clear, evidence-based audit reports with risk ratings and recommendations Track remediation actions and escalate unresolved issues to the Audit Committee Minimum Requirements 812+ years experience in internal audit, external audit, or enterprise risk Experience working in a group or multi-entity environment (essential) Exposure to regulated industries (pharmaceutical, healthcare, FMCG, manufacturing preferred) Professional qualification: CA(SA), CIA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent Strong understanding of:Internal controls and audit methodologies ERP systems (SAP, Oracle or similar) Financial and operational risk Compliance frameworks Fraud risk and governance structures Strong analytical, reporting, and stakeholder engagement skills High integrity, independence, and professional scepticism Role Constraints No operational involvement or decision-making No responsibility for designing or implementing controls Pure independent assurance and reporting function