The Urban Unit has just announced a single job opening - Chief Internal Auditor - and if you’re a CA, ACMA, CIA, or have a strong audit track record with an MBAin Finance, this is the kind of role you can build your career upon. You’re looking at leading the internal audit function for the Punjab government’s urban planning and data management agency. The deadline is 8th March 2026, so you have a little under two weeks to get your application together.
The interesting thing about this position is the sheer level of responsibility. You’re not just carrying out audits - you’re building the internal audit function, reporting directly to the Audit Committee, handling risk assessment for the entire organisation, and making sure financial controls are being implemented properly across projects worth hundreds of millions. The Urban Unit manages critical urban data infrastructure for cities across Punjab - your work actually matters at scale.
Let me break down what the position needs, what you’d actually be doing in the role, and if it’s even worth applying.
Position Overview
📌 Department: The Urban Unit, Planning & Development Board | 📍 Location: All Pakistan (likely Lahore-based) | 📋 Type: Contract Position
Who Can Apply – Qualification Paths
The Urban Unit has laid out three distinct qualification paths for this position, and you need to meet one of them completely. Here's what they're looking for:
Critical Additional Requirement: Regardless of which path you take, you must have 5 years of relevant audit experience AND hold one of these professional certifications:
✓ Member of a recognized body of professional accountants (ICAP, ICMAP, etc.)
✓ Certified Internal Auditor (CIA)
✓ Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE)
✓ Certified Internal Control Auditor (CICA)
So even if you have an MBA in Finance with 5 years of audit experience, you still need one of those professional certifications to qualify. This is a non-negotiable requirement.
Salary Expectation
The ad does not give a salary. However, considering remuneration offered for similar Chief Internal Auditor roles at other public sector organisations in Punjab, and the seniority of the position, I would expect something in the range of Rs. 200,000 to Rs. 300,000 per month on a contractual basis. This range takes into account the requirement for professional certifications and 5 years of experience.
Of course, the actual wage offered would depend on your particular credentials. A CA with CIA certification and strong public sector or urban planning experience could likely command a salary towards the upper end. An MBA in Finance plus 5 years of experience would place you in the lower-middle range. In general, the Urban Unit offers competitive market packages to attract qualified professionals, especially for specialised roles like this.
Being on a contract, the position would not carry the pension benefits associated with permanent government positions. However, a performance bonus is likely, along with renewal options contingent upon satisfactory performance. Typically, contracts are for one year up to three years, and may be extended.
How to apply:
You must apply through The Urban Unit’s official portal. Applications must be submitted through their careers portal. Go to https://www.urbanunit.gov.pk/Careers and find the posting for Chief Internal Auditor. You will need to download the application form, complete it in full, and submit it and your documents through their portal.
Documents to include: CNIC, copies of educational credentials (Bachelor’s, Master’s, professional qualification), HEC attestation, professional certification (CA/ACMA/CIA/CFE/CICA), experience letters from past employers that detail your work in Internal Audit or related roles, and recent passport-size photographs.
If you are submitting audit experience from private sector organizations, ensure your organizations are registered. Public sector experience from government departments, public corporations, or semi-autonomous organizations will also be accepted and is preferred.
Deadline: March 8, 2026. Given that this is a phenomenal opportunity and a senior role, you should anticipate a grueling selection process with a written test regarding audit methodology and accounting standards, a technical interview with members of the audit committee or senior management, and potentially a presentation or case study exercise.
Check with the Higher Education Commission at https://hec.gov.pk/ before applying, to confirm that your degree is recognised. Also, make sure that your professional certifications are up-to-date and valid. You can visit the main website https://www.urbanunit.gov.pk/ to learn more about The Urban Unit, its various projects, and organisational structure.
If you are interested in other, similar senior-level finance and audit positions in the public sector in Punjab, you may want to look at https://www.jobalertspakistan.com/2026/02/punjab-government-contract-jobs-planning-officer-assistant-computer-operator-lahore.html or more general government recruitment, at https://www.jobalertspakistan.com/
Chief Internal Auditor – The Urban Unit
Apply Online Now⏰ Deadline: March 8, 2026
Contract Position | Expected Salary: Rs. 2-3 Lac
What You'll Actually Be Doing
This job isn’t just about going through invoices and writing reports. You won’t be handed a set of audit files. As Chief Internal Auditor, you are setting up and running the internal audit function from top to bottom. Here’s what that really looks like.
You’ll be drafting the internal audit charter – basically the document that sets the audit scope, authority, responsibilities, etc. – together with management and the Audit Committee. You’re also the Audit Committee secretary, so you’ll be preparing meeting agendas, taking notes, and ensuring proper follow-up on committee decisions.
Your main job is coming up with a risk-based annual audit plan and then executing it. That means identifying the riskiest functions, activities, and projects across The Urban Unit – financial controls, procurement, project management and implementation, data collection and security, contract management, etc. – and deciding what to audit using a risk-based materiality filter.
You’ll be overseeing audit assignments from planning, to fieldwork, to reporting, leading an audit team. This means ensuring independence and objectivity standards are met, and coming up with well-written reports that are insightful and actionable. Your reports are delivered to top management and the Audit Committee.
A key part of the job is risk assessment. Every year, you will evaluate risks throughout the organisation. This can reveal weak controls, inefficient processes, and potential fraud. You will then create audit procedures to confirm whether the existing controls are effective.
Financial reporting controls are very important. The Urban Unit receives a lot of funding from both the government and development partners. You will test important financial controls to check for accuracy, completeness, and compliance with accounting standards and donor requirements.
You will also work with external auditors. During annual financial audits, you supply documentation, explain internal controls, and assist in resolving findings. Quality internal audit work ensures smoother external audits and minimises surprise findings.
Why Consider The Urban Unit
The Urban Unit is not like your typical government department. They are highly technical, use modern GIS and data systems, work with international partners, and in general have professional standards which are closer to those of the private sector than to the traditional bureaucracy.
As Chief Internal Auditor, you will be in direct contact with senior management and the Audit Committee. Your recommendations are not just suggestions, but are actually implemented because the Urban Unit is constantly exposed to external scrutiny from donors and development partners who demand high standards of internal controls.
The environment is professional. You will be working with urban planners, GIS specialists, data analysts, and development professionals rather than just accountants and administrators. So you get cross-functional exposure beyond just audit work.
Career-wise, it is a good position to be in. Having led internal audit at a large semi-autonomous organisation looks great on a CV and can open doors for similar or higher positions at other public corporations, development authorities, or other development organisations operating in Pakistan.
Final Thoughts
This is a single-position recruitment, and this will mean stiff competition between competent candidates, so don't waste your time if you're not meeting all the requirements. If you don't have the professional certifications or 5 years of audit experience, the Urban Unit will check your credentials.
This means you need to prepare seriously for the selection process. Read up on audit standards (IIA Standards, INTOSAI guidelines where relevant) and review risk assessment methodologies and think about how you'd build an internal audit function from scratch. They'll likely ask you scenario questions on how you'd handle conflicts of audit, report findings of fraud, and manage management's resistance to audit recommendations.
The deadline is March 8, 2026. That is less than two weeks from today. So gather your documents, check your certifications are up to date, and prepare a strong application, highlighting your audit leadership experience, and submit before the deadline. This is a Chief Internal Auditor in a well-functioning semi-autonomous organisation – chances like this don't happen too often.
If you're prepared to take on that level of responsibility and you meet the qualifications, then you should take this seriously.
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