Contract type: Permanent


Location:
London or Newcastle. London/Newcastle. Our new ways of working will include a mix of time at your assigned office, time at client sites across the UK as required and working from home.
Salary ranges: £65,266 - £83,484 p.a. (London)
£58,798 - £73,091 p.a. (Newcastle)
Full time/Part time: We have a number of positions available and strongly encourage individuals wishing to work with us on a part-time basis to apply and take advantage of our flexible working arrangements
Financial Audit Managers at the NAO take the lead for a large central government department or a range of public organisations operating in the same sector, managing and motivating financial audit teams to deliver audit work that is both high quality and delivers insight to help improve public services.

We are seeking experienced Audit Managers who can support the delivery of high-quality audit work, adding value to the bodies we audit through the insight our work brings, acting as Performance Coach for a range of qualified and in-training staff and contributing corporately to internal business management processes and internal and external quality review arrangements.

Typically, our Audit Managers work as part of a small team focussing on a specific government department, reporting to an NAO Director (equivalent to an engagement partner).

We are particularly interested in candidates who have previous experience of auditing in the public sector, or who have specialised in Media/Broadcasting or Property focussed audit work, or individuals with Responsible Individual status (or on the pathway to achieving Responsible Individual status).

It is hard to think of a more interesting time to be involved in public audit. NAO auditors are involved in responding to the new and complex audit risks arising from Covid-19; governments ambitions to achieve Net Zero emissions by 2050; brokering new trading arrangements globally; and working domestically to level up.

The work we do makes the headlines. For example, our recent report on accounts highlighting the significant financial loss incurred by the Department for Health & Social Care on personal protective equipment, or our reports on the levels of fraud and error in Covid loans offered by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, made impact. Further information can be seen in our Annual Report.

Alongside this, we are transforming the way we deliver our audits in response to the requirements of ISA 315 and continuing to develop our audit methodology in response to the quality expectations of Parliament and other stakeholders.

Would you be interested in contributing to this important and interesting work as a Financial Audit Manager?

Our work auditing £1 trillion of public expenditure and income gives us great insight into how government manages its money. Our ambition is to make greater use of this insight to help improve the management of public finances and risks to delivering public services. You will work with your Director to draw on the NAOs knowledge hubs and centres of expertise to identify opportunities to add real value for the organisations in your portfolio.

Our values reflect who we are as the NAO, how we work together and with those outside the NAO, to achieve our purpose and priorities. We're looking for people who believe in and exemplify our values to help the NAO be a great place to work. We act with courage and integrity were honest, open and challenging of ourselves and others to achieve better outcomes.?We are inclusive and respectful, treating our people and stakeholders with courtesy and understanding. Our ambition is to be an exemplar organisation for Diversity & Inclusion, one that others look to learn from.

Are you interested?

To apply please visit our website and provide the following:
An up-to-date CV
Covering letter setting out briefly why you are suitable for the role (word limit: 1,000 words)

Those successful at sifting stage will be invited to interview. Our intention is that the interviews will be held in-person at our London or Newcastle Offices. Those that are successful at interview stage will be asked to undertake a short technical assessment exercise to inform our decision. Should in-person interviews not be possible we will conduct using MS Teams.

Nationality Requirements:
UK nationals
Nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
Nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with (or eligible for) status under the European Union Settlement Scheme
(EUSS)
ResponsibilitiesThe main expectations of an NAO Financial Audit Manager are:

Demonstrate strong people management skills including the ability to lead, develop and motivate diverse teams and support all colleagues to deliver great work and achieve their potential.
Work in accordance with the NAOs values and champion our diversity and inclusion strategy.
Demonstrate a strong commitment to their own self development, to delivering the NAOs strategic objectives, and keep themselves up to date on office initiatives and information relevant to their work and specialism.
Support and manage their teams to ensure the delivery of high quality audit work across a range of clients to competing deadlines.
Work collaboratively and flexibly to ensure the office achieves its objectives and to support the wellbeing and development of colleagues.
Use professional judgement and scepticism to assess the quality and validity of audit evidence, challenge where greater assurance is needed and support their teams to do so.
Work closely with colleagues in Hubs and other client teams to ensure we get the most value from our work and expand our knowledge and expertise.
Contribute to the development of our approach to financial audit, supporting improvements in our audit methodology, audit software, use of financial data, and operational working practices.
Create recognition and impact from our work by developing strong and influential relationships with external clients and stakeholders.
Comply with corporate responsibilities and support others to do so.
Skills and ExperienceEssentialCCAB (ACCA,CAI,CIPFA,ICAEW,ICAS) qualified, or international equivalent
Professional qualification relevant to the nature of the role (e.g. CCAB or international equivalent) with recent post-qualification experience in delivering external audit in line with ISAs
Exceptional audit project management skills, able to deliver high quality audit work across a range of clients to competing deadlines while protecting the welfare of our people
Strong relationship management and influencing skills to maximise the influence of our work with external clients and stakeholders
Collaborative, communicates and engages well with colleagues at all levels, and invests in their development and the wider success of the organisation.
Strong people management skills including the ability to lead, develop and motivate diverse teams and support all colleagues to deliver great work and achieve their potential
A strong commitment to their own self development and to delivering the NAOs strategic objectives
Experience of designing, developing and implementing initiatives to improve audit quality.

Desired
Responsible Individual status, or the ability to acquire RI status within one year
Experience of public sector or charity audits, or audits in the media or property sectors
Experience in implementing and embedding transformational change in financial audit methodologies, software and use of data