Audit Manager

NWSSP Legal & Risk Services; Cardiff; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 57,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Agile working environment

Job summary

NWSSP Legal & Risk Services is seeking an Internal Audit Manager in Audit and Assurance Services to support the development and delivery of audit plans across NHS Wales. You will manage a portfolio of assignments, assess governance, risk and financial controls, and deliver high-level audits with practical recommendations.

The role requires expertise in public sector internal audit standards, governance frameworks and healthcare knowledge, with flexibility for agile working and Welsh language

Qualifications

• Qualified accountant or auditor with post-qualification experience.
• Continuing professional development demonstrated.
• Extensive knowledge of public sector internal audit standards and governance.

Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of audit assignments across NHS Wales organisations.
• Deliver high-level reviews of risks, governance and financial management.
• Develop and deliver audits plans and provide assurance recommendations.
• Support estates assurance requirements and project governance.

Skills

Audit planning

Report writing

Stakeholder management

Analytical thinking

Education

CCAB qualified accountant or MIIA

CPD (continuing professional development)

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Word

PowerPoint

Job description

Main area Audit and Assurance Grade Band 7 Contract Permanent Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Flexible and Agile Working) Job ref 043-AC109-0626-A

Site Companies House Town Cardiff Salary £50,129 - £57,365 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 06/09/2026 23:59

If you are looking to join NWSSP, please see the additional information below that may be of interest to you: -

Our “Benefits” video has been created to highlight and showcase some of the benefits of working for the NHS and NWSSP:- https://youtu.be/zX3x046SDhg

The “Tops Tips – Be Yourself” video has been designed to support candidates applying for roles with NWSSP. We have outlined 8 key steps to help candidates articulate their capabilities and experience when completing applications with NWSSP. https://youtu.be/qe3ibY8b6m4

Applicants are invited to apply in Welsh. Any application submitted in Welsh will not be treated less favourably than an application made in English.

The salary scale for a Band 3 has been adjusted as part of the NHS Agenda for Change pay award for 2026/2027 and will be implemented in August 2026 backdated to 01 April 2026 where applicable.

Job overview

Previous applicants need not apply again.

Audit and Assurance Services is a division of NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership (NWSSP). We deliver professional internal audit, assurance and consulting service across the NHS in Wales, consisting of 12 Health Boards/Trusts, and a number of Special Health Authorities, operating with a budget in excess of £8bn.

A continuously changing and evolving risk landscape, particularly following the Covid pandemic, means that the NHS in Wales faces new and unfamiliar challenges. While the NHS is often ready to respond to these challenges, the support provided by internal audit helps give Chief Executives, and Boards the assurance that their risk management, control processes and governance arrangements are ready to meet these demands and support the delivery of quality patient services.

We have 60 skilled staff delivering over 400 reviews annually, across all organisations that form NHS Wales, supporting organisational governance and improvement. You should be an individual with the attributes to thrive as an internal auditor in this challenging, varied, and complex environment.

As a self-motivated individual, you should embrace our vision of delivering excellence and value for money.

Main duties of the job

The Internal Audit Manager role within the Specialist Services Unit provides the opportunity to work across a range of NHS Wales organisations and be responsible for supporting the development and delivery of audits plans and managing a portfolio of project and estates assurance audit assignments, as well as delivering complex high-level reviews of risks, strategies, and governance structures, Quality & Safety Arrangements, financial management and service provision within directorates.

You should be an individual with the attributes to thrive as an internal auditor in this challenging, varied and complex environment. As a self-motivated individual, you should embrace our vision of delivering excellence and value for money.

We believe this is a great opportunity for the right candidate, and the recent external quality assessment of our service by the Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors demonstrates that we are delivering a quality service to all of our clients.

We work in probably the most high-profile public service in Wales, and this is a great time to join NHS Wales.

The ability to speak Welsh is desirable for this post; Welsh and/or English speakers are equally welcome to apply.

Working for our organisation

At NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership we expect everyone to embrace our values of Listening and Learning, Working Together, Taking Responsibility and Innovating.

Our organisation encourages an agile working approach and we pride ourselves on being a learning organisation motivated by continuous improvement.

We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace that values equality, diversity and inclusion, focussing on the wellbeing and belonging of our people.

Excellent customer service is something we strive for, for both our internal and external customers.

Offering a comprehensive benefits package, there is something for everyone. To find out more about working for us, the benefits we offer and guidance on the application process please visit https://nwssp.nhs.wales/working-for-us/

NWSSP work in an agile way where possible, all posts will have a contractual base but as part of agile ways of working that may mean working from home and other locations. We also look at how we balance flexibility with community, and how to manage opportunities to learn from each other.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

You will be able to find a full Job description and Person Specification attached within the supporting documents or please click “Apply now” to view in Trac.

Person specification

Qualifications and Knowledge

• Relevant professional qualification (CCAB qualified accountant or MIIA qualified auditor) with post qualification experience or equivalent knowledge and competence.
• Evidence of appropriate continuing professional development
• Highly specialist knowledge of: a) Public Sector Internal Audit Standards b) Risk Management and Assurance Frameworks c) Corporate Governance d) Controls Assurance e) Control Frameworks f) Stewardship & Probity g) Healthcare Standards
• Knowledge of healthcare
• Knowledge of NHS finance
• Knowledge of Capital Project Development and Estates Assurance requirements

Experience

• Extensive experience of internal audit, public sector audit and/or NHS experience.
• Audit Management Experience including management of junior staff.
• Experience of auditing across a range of different clients.
• Experience of staff training.
• Producing complex audit reports including making recommendations for enhancements to procedure and controls.
• Advanced specialised knowledge and experience of internal audit and risk management.
• A proven track record of dealing with complicated situations and the delivery of challenging objectives.
• Knowledge of various contract forms e.g. NEC, JCT, ICE, MIM and their application.
• Experience of working with NHS Infrastructure and Investment requirements through all stages of project/programme development
• Presentation of complex and potentially sensitive information where management are resistant to findings.
• High level of experience of Auditing of the Healthcare Standards.
• In depth specialist knowledge of internal audit, financial and risk management aspects of NHS legislation and NHS policies.
• Experience of attending and presenting reports at Audit Committee.
• Specialist Knowledge of a) Construction contract management b) Capital and alternative funded projects c) NHS Estate Infrastructure, Facilities Maintenance and Management d) NHS construction and project procurement regulations and guidance e) Prince 2 Practitioner
• Experience of auditing major projects.

Skills and Attributes

• Ability to plan, control and carry out audit assignments
• Production of complex audit plans and assignment briefs
• Ability to identify systems weaknesses and to use initiative/internal control knowledge to provide management with practical solutions
• Ability to work to professional standards under circumstances of stress/pressure
• Excellent report writing skills supervisory and communication skills
• Excellent IT software and keyboard skills
• Highly developed analytical, interpretational and comparative skills capable of dealing with highly complex and sensitive information
• Ability to work autonomously and equally effectively as part of a multi-disciplinary team
• Demonstrable ability to work on multiple complex tasks simultaneously and produce high quality work within tight deadlines and within resource constraints
• IT literate with practical computer application skills covering Microsoft products including Excel and Word
• Demonstrable project management skills including work planning, organisation and prioritisation
• Ability to think innovatively and develop new ways of working, continuously striving to improve systems and performance
• Ability to communicate with all staff groups and have good presentational, interviewing and interpersonal skills
• Highly committed and self-motivated, with high professional standards
• Effective team building skills
• Ability to influence key stakeholders
• Possess strategic vision
• Emotionally resilient and able to respond to difficult circumstances
• Ability to work under pressure and under own initiative
• Ability to plan and prioritise workload for yourself and your team
• Need for intense concentration over a sustained period of time when multi-tasking
• Ability to work flexibly
• Ability to interact with patients and the general public
• Welsh Language Skills are desirable levels 1 to 5 in understanding, speaking, reading, and writing in Welsh.

Other

• Deliver excellent customer service to our internal and external customers, helping us to maintain the customer service excellence standard
• Ability to travel extensively between organisations and sites for meetings

We are committed to flexible working and equal opportunities.

If you are short listed for interview you will be contacted by email using the email address with which you registered. Please ensure that you check your email account regularly.

Prior consideration for this vacancy will be given to staff awaiting redeployment. We therefore reserve the right to withdraw this advert at any stage.

When applying for this post it is essential that you read the Job Description and Person Specification (where available) and demonstrate how your skills, knowledge and experience meet the requirements of the person specification. Only candidates who clearly demonstrate how they meet the person specification will be shortlisted.

To work in the UK, all candidates who are not UK or Republic of Ireland (RoI) nationals require sponsorship to obtain either a Health and Care visa or Skilled Worker visa , unless you have permission to work via another route. Non UK / RoI candidates wishing to apply should self-assess the likelihood of obtaining a Certificate of Sponsorship by visiting Work in the UK . If you are eligible for the Health and Care visa, application costs are lower and you do not need to pay the annual Immigration Health Surcharge.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.