Title:  Sustainability Controls Specialist

Job Purpose

We are seeking a Sustainability Controls Specialist to join Group Governance and Controls Division within the Group Governance and Policy Department in Saudi Aramco.

The Group Governance and Controls Division acts as Saudi Aramco’s primary representative for setting a consistent standard of governance and systems of internal controls, known as Controller’s Governance and Controls Framework. The organization has a centre of excellence which coordinates governance activities across the Group entities enabling visibility over the Group’s governance and control framework and centrally monitoring compliance. The organization also assess and monitors compliance on Internal Controls over Sustainability Reporting (ICSR) including material topics related to  Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG).

You will possess significant experience in ICSR and other compliance and operational controls, with that experience desirably being in the energy sector. You will have the ability to establish personal credibility with both internal and external clients, demonstrate excellent interpersonal skills, and work well with fellow team members while planning, prioritizing, and coordinating their workload to ensure meeting critical deadlines. You will be able to add value by delivering high quality work and be able to proactively overcome issues and challenges to ensure timely delivery.

Responsibilities

• Monitor latest trends in sustainability related guidance and requirement by policy makers and regulators.
• Assess the impact of any sustainability related regulation on Aramco and its Group entities, and provide controls improvement recommendation to ensure compliance with sustainability reporting standards.
• Undertake Group ICSR compliance activities including metric prioritization and scoping.
• Ensure timely completion of the ICSR testing per the annual internal controls cycle.
• Identify process gaps and accordingly provide recommendations in areas requiring improvement based on industry best practices.
• Conduct and oversee process and control walkthroughs including test of design and operating effectiveness, and suggest controls to improve the internal control framework.
• Review testing workpapers in line with defined standards and quality benchmarks.
• Challenge the status quo by undertaking control rationalization & standardization for business processes.
• Monitor changes in standards such as COSO framework, and standards published by ISSB, EFRAG, SEC. etc. and align the internal controls programme to the revised standards/ guidelines.
• Develop team member skills through on-going mentoring and feedback (written and verbal). Mentoring/ feedback would be in relation to the completion/ quality of work performed, interaction with process stakeholders, meeting timelines/ budgets, managing multiple tasks, etc.
• Monitor resource utilization and allocation as well as motivate the team to perform as per stakeholder expectations.
• Organize and conduct learning sessions developing knowledge sharing forums with other functions within the organization.

Education & Experience Requirements

A minimum of ten years of relevant experience is desirable in relevant industries, which may include experience in financial statement consolidation, financial analysis, financial statement preparation, accounting research, mergers and acquisitions, taxation, process/change management, and strategy/management consulting. Specific operational experience in energy related activities, infrastructure, utilities (public and/or private), joint ventures and subsidiaries, government sector, non-profits, and public administration would be desirable. Specific corporate business integration experience would also be desirable (startup experience and related activities).

The candidate should demonstrate the ability to perform walkthroughs, test controls, identify gaps and effectively communicate findings and recommendations for control redesign to key stakeholders and senior management. Proficiency in major ERP tools is essential, along with a strong working knowledge of established control frameworks such as COSO and key sustainability related regulations like S1&S2, ESRS, Ipieca, GHG Protocol, GRI, SEC and PCAOB guidelines.

In addition, the candidate should have a deep understanding of ESG topics and related metrics reported on the annual sustainability reports. An in-depth familiarity with environmental topics such as climate change, GHG emission, water management, waste management is highly desirable.

Experience in drafting and reviewing policy and procedure documents related to governance and the delivery of internal control programs is also highly valued. Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, are crucial, and the candidate should be comfortable working independently with minimal supervision. Proficiency in managing cross-functional teams and building strong relationships is critical for success in this role.

The candidate should also possess strong analytical thinking skills, including the ability to research and comprehend complex processes and effectively communicate them to relevant stakeholders and team members. Attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously are key attributes for this position. If you meet these qualifications, we invite you to apply and become a valuable part of our dynamic team.