Audit Manager

SW Group; Southampton; Hybrid; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

A professional services firm in Southampton is seeking an experienced Audit Manager to lead client audits and manage relationships. The ideal candidate should be a qualified accountant with significant external audit experience and strong communication skills. Responsibilities also include managing teams, ensuring high-quality service, and engaging in business development activities. The role offers a competitive salary and a hybrid working model.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Private medical insurance

Life assurance

Pension contribution

Hybrid working model

Generous holiday package

Option to purchase additional holiday

Shared parental leave

Fully funded training towards professional qualifications

Cycle to work scheme

Season ticket loan

Eye care support

Qualifications

• Significant external audit experience in professional services.
• Ability to manage client relationships and expectations.
• Experience in managing teams and delivering high-quality service.

Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of clients and engagement teams.
• Monitor and guide engagement quality and risk management.
• Take responsibility for performance appraisals and team coaching.
• Negotiate fees and manage billing across the portfolio.

Skills

Qualified accountant (ACA, CA, ACCA or other international qualification)

Strong communication skills

Experience in business development

Knowledge of accounting and auditing standards

People management experience

Job description

Job Description

We are seeking an experienced Audit Manager to join our fast growing Audit team of over 50 individuals based in our Southampton office. Our Southampton team supports a diverse range of businesses ranging from listed and PE backed businesses to privately owned entities as well as not for profit organisations. Our clients cover a range of sectors predominantly based around the South Coast.

What will you be doing?

In your role you will be responsible for a portfolio of clients, including managing the relationship between the client and the engagement team. Your focus is on engagement management and supervising others to deliver excellent client service and a high‑quality audit. If required, you will also assist with management of the team, department and potentially the wider firm. Where appropriate, you may become involved in non‑audit assignments on an ad‑hoc basis.

Responsibilities

• Monitoring and guiding quality and managing risk at the engagement level, whilst focusing on high‑quality service
• Ensuring client expectations are exceeded by connecting the right team members to key client contacts
• Contributing to effective management of resources across the department, monitoring workload and communicating openly
• Monitoring status of audit engagements, proactively communicating status and audit findings to clients and engagement Partners
• Taking responsibility for the performance appraisal processes, coaching and presenting as required
• Managing fees and billing across the portfolio, regularly forecasting cost to complete with margining impact and effectively negotiating overruns if necessary

Qualifications

• Qualified accountant (ACA, CA, ACCA or other international qualification) with significant external audit experience gained within professional services environment
• Experience of (and appetite for) business development activities such as targeting, preparation of proposal documents, proposal presentations and attendance of networking events
• Demonstrable working knowledge of accounting and auditing standards (FRS 102 and IFRS), industry specifics and their application
• Strong communication skills in order to liaise with clients, Partners, staff and other professionals
• Previous experience of people management and motivation of staff to ensure best performance through effective communication

Additional Information

As a colleague here at S&W you will have access to benefits that include

Benefits

• Competitive salary
• Private medical insurance
• Life assurance
• Pension contribution
• Hybrid working model (role dependent)
• Generous holiday package
• Option to purchase additional holiday
• Shared parental leave
• Fully funded training towards professional qualifications
• Cycle to work scheme
• Season ticket loan
• Eye care support

We are proud to value the differences that a diverse workforce brings, representative of society and our clients. At S&W we have a wide range of highly active employee resource groups and we’re delivering multiple diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives across the organisation. It is our commitment to provide a workplace where all colleagues, regardless of identity, background, or circumstance, feel respected as individuals and feel that they can achieve their full potential and work in a safe, supportive, and inclusive environment.

We are happy to make any reasonable adjustments to accommodate for your needs throughout the application process. Please let your Recruiter know.