Manager/ Senior Manager- Audit R&Q

Horizon Nexus Partners; City of Melbourne; On-site; AUD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Horizon Nexus Partners is expanding its Audit practice and seeks an experienced Manager or Senior Manager - Audit Risk & Quality to strengthen, harmonise and evolve our quality, risk and technical foundations.

You will shape audit methodology and guidance, lead root-cause analyses, and provide practical, commercial guidance to Partners and audit teams across geographies.

Qualifications

• Significant post-qualification external audit experience.
• Experience in a technical, quality, risk or methodology role within a Big 4 or mid-tier environment.
• Strong working knowledge of ASQM 1, ASQM 2, Australian Auditing Standards, APES 110 and Corporations Act audit requirements.

Responsibilities

• Maintain and continually improve HNP’s Audit Quality Management System across geographies.
• Own and develop audit methodology, guidance and supporting tools.
• Lead or support root-cause analysis arising from internal file reviews and external inspections.
• Provide practical advice to Partners and engagement teams on technical, ethical and risk matters.
• Design and deliver technical, quality and risk training for audit professionals at all levels.
• Support onboarding and technical development as the Audit team grows.

Skills

Audit risk

ASQM 1/2

Independence

Stakeholder management

Big 4 experience

Tools

GRC software

Job description

Horizon Nexus Partners (HNP) is growing its Audit practice, and we’re looking for an experienced Manager or Senior Manager - Audit Risk & Quality to help shape the quality, risk and technical foundations that will support that growth.

Audit is now one of HNP’s four core service lines, alongside Private, Tax and Deals Advisory. Our clients include large privately owned businesses, private equity-backed portfolio companies, Australian subsidiaries of multinational groups, not-for-profits and self-managed superannuation funds.

This is a unique opportunity to join at an exciting stage of the practice. Many of our quality, independence and technical risk frameworks are already established - your role will be to strengthen, harmonise and evolve them as the Audit practice continues to grow across geographies.

You’ll suit this role if you enjoy both working within established frameworks and improving them - spotting gaps, solving problems and turning technical requirements into practical processes that work for audit teams and clients.

What you’ll do

Quality & Methodology

• Maintain and continually improve HNP’s Audit Quality Management System (QMS) across geographies.
• Support alignment with ASQM 1, ASQM 2 and applicable Australian Auditing Standards.
• Own and develop audit methodology, guidance and supporting tools.
• Help harmonise existing materials and processes across HNP’s different locations.
• Tailor methodology and guidance to the firm’s diverse client base, including private groups, PE-backed businesses, multinational subsidiaries, NFPs and SMSFs.
• Lead or support root-cause analysis arising from internal file reviews and external inspections.
• Develop and monitor remediation plans to address quality findings.

Risk, Independence & Ethics

• Manage client and engagement acceptance and continuance processes.
• Conduct and oversee conflict checks, independence assessments and engagement risk ratings.
• Maintain and monitor compliance with the firm’s independence policies.
• Provide practical advice to Partners and engagement teams on technical, ethical and risk matters.
• Support higher-risk and first-year engagement acceptance processes.
• Identify emerging risks and help translate them into practical guidance for the Audit team.

File Reviews & Technical Support

• Perform pre-issuance (hot) and post-issuance (cold) file reviews across a portfolio of engagements.
• Report findings and recommendations to Audit leadership.
• Provide real-time technical consultation to audit teams on accounting and auditing judgements.
• Monitor developments in Australian Auditing Standards, AASB pronouncements and ASIC guidance.
• Assess the impact of regulatory changes and translate them into practical policies, processes and training.
• Provide technical input on emerging areas, including AASB S2 sustainability reporting, where relevant.

Training & Practice Development

• Design and deliver technical, quality and risk training for audit professionals at all levels.
• Support onboarding and technical development as the Audit team grows.
• Work collaboratively with Audit leadership to embed a strong culture of quality and professional scepticism.
• Contribute to the ongoing development of the Audit practice, including identifying opportunities to improve systems, processes and ways of working.

What you’ll bring

We’re looking for someone with strong technical foundations who can combine technical judgement with a practical, commercial approach.

You’ll ideally bring:

• Significant post-qualification experience in external audit.
• Experience in a technical, quality, risk or methodology role within a Big 4 or mid-tier environment, such as National Office, Quality & Risk or Audit Technical.
• Strong working knowledge of ASQM 1, ASQM 2, Australian Auditing Standards, APES 110 and Corporations Act audit requirements.
• Experience working with, maintaining or improving an Audit Quality Management System.
• Strong technical accounting knowledge across relevant AASB standards.
• Excellent judgement and the confidence to challenge and influence Partners and senior stakeholders when required.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate complex technical requirements into clear and practical guidance.
• A proactive approach and the ability to balance technical rigour with commercial realities.

It would be great if you also have:

• Experience working with large privately owned businesses, PE-backed organisations or multinational groups.
• Exposure to listed entities and complex reporting environments.
• Experience participating in or supporting an ASIC or CAANZ audit inspection.
• Experience harmonising processes across multiple offices or geographies.
• Exposure to emerging areas such as sustainability reporting.

Why HNP?

This is an opportunity to join an Audit practice that is still being built.

You won’t simply be maintaining a large, established framework. You’ll have the opportunity to influence how quality and risk are managed as the practice grows, work closely with senior Audit leaders and help build a function that is fit for the future.

For the right person, the role can grow with the practice - with scope, title and remuneration aligned to your experience and contribution.

If you’re looking for a role where your technical expertise can shape something bigger, we’d love to hear from you.