Senior Audit Manager

Location : Our offices are based in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Inverness however we welcome applications from across the UK 

Type : Permanent role 

Salary : £59,712 to £66,887 per annum, plus competitive benefits.  

Hours : 36.25 hours

Are you an experienced qualified external auditor who thrives on making a difference and passionate about ensuring public services are run properly for the people of Scotland? If so, we can offer you the chance to lead audit teams and contribute to the leadership of Audit Scotland. You will help to create a better Scotland through leading financial, performance and Best Value audit work and our wider engagement with public services.

We are Audit Scotland. We're Scotland’s public sector auditor, independent of government. We employ more than 300 talented professionals who know that their work helps ensure the efficient delivery of public services in Scotland. We believe that public money (around £57 billion a year) should be spent wisely.  

There's plenty of change ahead. We want to make sure Scotland makes the very best of the opportunities and that change is delivered well – transparent financial reporting and delivering value for money are key to this. 

There has never been a more interesting or important time to join us. We offer a rewarding place to work, a supportive and open culture and a wide range of professional development opportunities. Benefits include 42 days of annual leave including public holidays, personal development allowances and flexible working hours. We’re in the Sunday Times’ 100 Best Not-For-Profit Organisations to work for and ‘One To Watch’ according to 2019 Best Companies. 

Overall purpose of the role

You will lead multiple audit teams to make complex audit judgements over of a portfolio of large and/or complex audits. The portfolio will be drawn from Scottish central government bodies, local authorities, NHS boards and further education colleges. You will audit their accounts and how well they manage their finances and performance. 

How you can help us

As one of our senior audit managers, you will play a pivotal role in leading audit teams and the strategic planning and execution of our work. You will:

• promote the development and delivery of high-quality audits and improve our audit

processes to conclude to time and meet financial and other performance targets.

• use your experience, professional and technical expertise to challenge and support audited bodies to be accountable, to demonstrate sound governance and to achieve continuous improvement.

• encourage and support your team to deliver a complex portfolio of high-quality financial, performance and best value auditing work to time and budget, and to a world-class standard. 

• lead dialogue about the important issues and risks facing public sector organisations,  

• manage relationships with key stakeholders at the highest levels and build understanding to develop our forward work programme,

• have a key role in reporting our findings to public bodies’ audit committees, the Scottish Parliament and the Accounts Commission.

Importantly, you will create the right environment, culture and ways of working that allow people to flourish. 

Specific knowledge and experience

You will be a fully qualified accountant (CIPFA, ICAS, other CCAB, CIMA or equivalent) with the ability to exercise sound judgement, in an independent and impartial manner on issues which can be politically sensitive, contentious and technically complex and be of interest to the public.

You will be an experienced external auditor, who has a track record of leading successful audit teams.

You are likely to have:

• extensive experience of working at a senior level within or with the public, or third sectors.

• in-depth knowledge of the Scottish and UK political landscape along with a good understanding of how public service performance can be effectively managed and scrutinised, and the methodologies associated with evaluating service performance and supporting continuous improvement.

• a practical understanding of, and commitment to the accounting, financial management and ethical standards expected of Scottish public bodies.

• the ability to present balanced findings and convincing and persuasive recommendations, analyse complex problems and deliver practical, realistic and workable solutions.

• excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to build and maintain effective relationships with stakeholders. 

• refined project and self-management skills. 

You take responsibility for your own personal development and set an example to others around you.

Interested? Next steps 

Click the apply button to complete an application form. If you wish, you can also share your CV. We offer a range of benefits, please visit our careers page for more information. 

Our application deadline is Monday 8 March at midnight. We’ve reserved week commencing 22 March for virtual interviews to take place. 

Diversity and Inclusion 

We value the unique perspective a diverse workforce brings to what we do. Therefore, we’re keen to increase representation in our workforce and support progression of minority ethnic groups. We are also a proud disability confident employer. 

How we work 

 We employ more than 300 staff in a wide variety of roles, based at our offices in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Inverness, at sites across Scotland and working from home.  

This isn’t your typical work from home or work from office type job. We’re flexible about working patterns and we’ve transformed how we deliver high-quality public audit. We support you to work in the ways that achieve the best results for you, your team and the business, including your physical location and how you manage your hours. Put simply, we trust you to do your job, and want you to have the ability to have a rewarding work-life balance and best support your individual circumstances, be that childcare, adult carer responsibilities or managing disabilities.  

We welcome applications from across the UK. Some travel to our offices or client sites will be necessary at times, but you don’t need to live in Scotland to work for us.