Role purpose

The Audit and Finance Committee (AFC)

The AFC is one of three Standing Committees of the Global Fund Board. The purpose of the AFC is

to:

• provide oversight of the financial management of the Global Fund’s resources;
• provide oversight of the internal and external audit, as well as investigation functions of the Global Fund; and
• ensure optimal performance in the corporate and financial operations of the Global Fund.

Refer to the Charter of the AFC: www.theglobalfund.org/en/board for more information.

As set out in the AFC Charter, the committee shall be formed by:

•  Six voting representatives of constituencies from the implementer group;
• Six voting representatives of constituencies from the donor group;
• One non-voting independent member with financial audit expertise;
• One non-voting independent member with forensic investigations expertise;
• One non-voting, neutral Chair;
• One non-voting, neutral Vice-Chair; and
• Two representatives of the non-voting, ex-officio members of the Board, one of which shall be the World Bank, with each such individual acting in a non-voting, ex-officio capacity.

Independent Financial Audit Expert (IFAE) and Forensic Investigations Expert (FIE)

The Global Fund is seeking two highly qualified and experienced experts, one in financial audit and one in forensic investigation to fill two vacancies to serve as a non-voting, independent members on the Audit and Finance Committee (“AFC”). The successful individuals will serve the 2025 – 2028 term from the point of their appointment (tentatively May 2025).

The independent member with financial audit expertise and the independent member with forensic investigations expertise, will join 12 other AFC members who have been selected from the Global Fund Board’s voting constituencies, 2 representatives of the non-voting, ex-officio members of the Board, as well as the non-voting, neutral Chair and Vice-Chair of the AFC.

The independent members will serve in their personal capacity and therefore shall not seek or accept instructions in regard to their performance on the AFC from any constituency of the Global Fund, including any government, organization or other authority, other than through action by the Board.

The independent member will be required to comply with the Global Fund Code of Conduct for Governance Officials which provides requirements that Global Fund Governance Officials must abide by, as well as expectations they are encouraged to meet in the course of their official roles, duties and functions at the Global Fund.

The independent members are expected to enable and ensure that the Committee decides, recommends and oversees matters after consulting broadly, by welcoming and considering substantive comments from constituencies.

Committee Participation

The time commitment to AFC activities will be concentrated around two-day in-person meetings, which generally occur three times per year in Geneva, Switzerland. The commitment includes preparation for these meeting (e.g., reading background documentation distributed approximately two weeks prior to the meeting) as well as meeting participation. Inter-sessional work between AFC meetings may entail participation in conference calls or requests to revise relevant documentation. In addition, the independent members may participate in AFC executive sessions, calls or meetings relating to sensitive audit-financial matters, as needed upon referral by the Office of the Inspector General (“OIG”).

An honorarium is available, in addition to travel expenses and per diems for in-person meetings.

The AFC carries out its work within the framework of the decision-making authorities of the Global Fund’s Board and Bylaws, the AFC Charter, and the Operating Procedures of the Board and Committees.

More information on the Global Fund’s governance structures is available at: www.theglobalfund.org/en/board

To be considered as an independent member of the AFC, individuals must satisfy the independence criteria set out at Appendix I of the Charter of the AFC.

Required Competencies for the IFAE and FIE

• Must meet the Criteria for independent members of the Audit and Finance Committee as per the AFC charter.

• Knowledge of the development and global health landscape would be helpful background however this is not mandatory.

• Should have at least 15 years of experience in their respective fields, most recently at the executive level

• Knowledge of the development and global health landscape would be helpful background

• Experience in the banking, accounting and financial sectors.

• Experience in preparing, auditing, analyzing or evaluating financial statements.

• Experience with setting, approving, and monitoring annual budgets that present issues of comparable breadth and complexity to those presented by the annual budgets of the Global Fund and other major international financing institutions.
• Designed, implemented or executed fundraising strategies for public- and private-sector donors.
• Experience in managing human resource strategies, policies and procedures.
• Experience in setting and monitoring internal operations of large organizations comparable to those carried out at the Secretariat
• Academic and professional qualifications or certifications in the field of accounting, business, finance or management.
• Previous responsibility or oversight in regard to financial audits and/or forensic investigations of financial expenses, internal controls, or other oversight duties.

Applications are welcome from prospective candidates who may also already be serving as a member of another organization’s independent Audit/Financial committee, subject to assessment of relevant considerations relating to independence and declaration of interest.

Further criteria for independence are set out in the AFC Charter. The selected independent committee members will be required to sign a (i) declaration of independence and (ii) certification of compliance with the Code of Conduct for Governance Officials, as well as complete and submit a declaration of interest to be cleared by the Ethics Officer of the Global Fund.

Terms of Appointment

Committee Members shall serve coinciding three year terms, or until the appointment of their respective successors.

Role Location

This role is remote with travel for two-day in-person meetings, which generally occur three times per year in Geneva, Switzerland.

How to Apply

To apply for this position, please ensure you complete the Application Form provided below by 05 January 2025 (23:59 hrs, GMT +1.) It is essential that you submit your CV in English, specifically in Microsoft Word format (.doc/.docx), not exceeding 10MB.

Applications in other languages or formats will not be considered.

Rest assured, all information will be handled with the utmost confidentiality.

SRI Executive is exclusively retained by The Global Fund to undertake this assignment.