Data Analytics Manager

Our client is a multinational financial services firm, with a significant international footprint. Based in either Nairobi or Kuala Lumpur, this role will play a critical role in supporting their internal audit activities by providing insights through the analysis and correlation of data extracted from various systems across the business. Through advanced data analytics techniques, the role will enable the audit team to identify control failures, assess risks, and provide independent assurance to senior leadership that risks are being managed effectively and remain within the organization’s approved risk appetite.

Key analytical activities include:

• Data profiling: Generating statistics to provide context and background on business processes.
• Reperformance testing: Re-performing calculations to validate transactions (e.g., payroll, claims), metrics from management information reports, and analytics models.
• Exception detection: Identifying instances where known restrictions, policies, or guidelines have not been followed.
• Anomaly detection: Detecting unusual or unexpected patterns of behaviour through data analysis.
• Root cause analysis: Identifying and quantifying the factors contributing to control failures and providing actionable insights.

The role also supports the internal audit leadership team in assessing the overall effectiveness of risk management practices.

Scope of the Role

As part of the regional audit resource pool, the Data Analytics Manager will be responsible for:

• Applying data analytics tools such as SQL and Python to support audit teams across the full audit lifecycle, from planning through closure.
• Detecting symptoms of control failures by analyzing operational data and providing insights to audit leads.
• Developing and maintaining continuous auditing dashboards using visualization tools such as Tableau or Power BI, providing clear visibility of control effectiveness across business units.
• Identifying trends and emerging themes that support the development of opinions on the organization’s overall control environment.
• Supporting leadership in delivering continuous improvement initiatives and meeting stakeholder reporting requirements.
• Collaborating with internal teams, including IT and Compliance, to facilitate efficient data sourcing for audits and analytics initiatives.

Key Accountabilities

• Build and maintain strong working relationships with audit directors, internal audit leadership, and operational management teams.
• Deliver analytics outputs in line with internal methodologies and audit timelines.
• Provide audit leads with timely, accurate data-driven insights during fieldwork.
• Present audit findings to senior management, ensuring that appropriate responses are obtained for each identified issue.
• Manage analytics projects effectively, taking ownership of deliverables from start to finish.

Core Competencies

• Strong technical skills with SQL and Python (Pandas Library) for data analytics.
• Proficiency in visualization tools such as Tableau and/or Power BI.
• Advanced knowledge of Python/R for text analytics, NLP, predictive analytics, or machine learning is highly desirable.
• Excellent stakeholder management, communication, and presentation skills.

Knowledge & Experience

• Hands-on technical experience mining, cleaning, and analyzing data using databases and analytics tools.
• Strong working knowledge of SQL in a relational database environment.
• Solid experience using Python for data analysis and automation.
• Experience with machine learning and predictive analytics is advantageous.
• Background in financial services preferred, ideally with exposure to insurance or investment management sectors.
• Experience working within an audit or risk management environment is highly desirable.
• Exceptional attention to detail and logical problem-solving abilities.
• A collaborative team player with the ability to build and maintain professional respect within the team and across departments.