Audit Manager (Performance Audit and Best Value)

Audit Scotland; City of Edinburgh; Hybrid; GBP 35,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job description

We’re looking for people with a range of backgrounds and experiences so we can combine the very best expertise across various disciplines to support our audit work.

Of course, experience of performance, best value or financial auditing is valuable, but not everyone needs to have this before they join us – we offer excellent opportunities for learning and development once you’re here.

You can find more information about Audit Scotland’s work on our website.

We are Audit Scotland. We're Scotland’s public sector auditor, independent of government. Together we ensure that the Scottish Government and public-sector bodies throughout Scotland are held to account for the proper, efficient and effective use of public money. We employ around 340 staff in a wide variety of roles, working from our main offices in Edinburgh and Glasgow, and through a network of regional offices across Scotland.

Overall purpose of the role

Our Performance Audit and Best Value Group (PABV) delivers audit products on issues such as the affordability of public services, health and social care integration, digital transformation, community empowerment, inequalities, skills and training, economic development, and climate change. Our Best Value audits of councils look at important issues like how well they perform in delivering services to their communities. Our work programme is dynamic and refreshed on a regular basis to ensure it responds to changing circumstances.

Our work involves identifying audit risks affecting the Scottish public sector, scoping audit work to ensure it focuses on what matters, developing audit methodologies, gathering and assessing evidence (quantitative and qualitative), forming judgements and conclusions, and writing clear, evidence-based reports for the public and Scottish Parliament, that include recommendations for improvement to public bodies.

You will conduct and manage complex audit work, make audit judgements and oversee and manage the work of the team to deliver our audits to a world-class standard. Your work will provide assurance to the public and Scottish Parliament, help support improvement, and focus on what’s important for audited bodies and stakeholders.

What you will be doing

• Make risk-based decisions about the audit approach and breadth and depth of auditing required in proportion to the circumstances.
• Make complex audit judgements, and lead the team to make audit judgements and strategic recommendations based on all the evidence collected.
• Draft and finalise audit outputs and be responsible for the content of the finished products.
• Be responsible for planning and delivering audits to time, cost and quality standards. This includes responsibility for all elements of managing an audit, including resourcing, cost and risk monitoring (and taking appropriate action), impact work and supporting media enquiries.
• Identify, build and maintain relationships with internal and external stakeholders, and proactively use these networks to add value to our work and reputation.
• Provide leadership, build capacity and resilience in the team; and motivate, support and develop people to achieve their full potential.
• Line manage colleagues, actively managing their development and addressing performance issues.
• Maximise the impact of our work, including presenting and promoting audit outputs and findings at the highest client and stakeholder levels, e.g., the Scottish Parliament, Accounts Commission, governing boards, audit committees, conferences.
• Identify lessons learned to improve audit quality and efficiency and, where appropriate, share these across the organisation.
• Lead on distinct areas to support the development of Audit Scotland’s work programme.
• Contribute to the management of Audit Scotland through participation in corporate activities.

Person specification - specific knowledge and experience

• You are educated to a degree level and/or have demonstrable, relevant experience (e.g., audit, research, scrutiny, managing public service, performance management).
• You have strong communication and interpersonal skills, and are confident in building and maintaining effective relationships with senior stakeholders.
• You have excellent project management skills, including experience of delivering work to time, within cost and to quality standards.
• You can analyse complex problems and use your judgement to present balanced findings and persuasive recommendations.
• You can write, edit and review reports and findings in a clear and concise way.
• You bring out the best in a team, overseeing the work of others and coaching and supporting colleagues to help them develop in their roles.
• You are comfortable leading discussions with senior staff in a range of organisations and you can deal with difficult situations in a calm, professional and effective manner.
• You have sound knowledge and understanding of the Scottish public sector, including public finances and policy, how it works and the issues it is facing.
• You have experience of developing methodologies for evaluating performance and improving services.
• You have a financial qualification (CIPFA, ICAS, other CCAB, CIMA or equivalent).

*S = Shortlisting criteria I = Interview criteria A = Assessment / Exercise

Our application deadline is Sunday 4th May at midnight. Interviews will take place 19th to 21st May and will include a presentation and written exercise.

Audit Scotland

Our vision is that public money is well spent to meet the needs of Scotland's people.

To achieve this, we support the Auditor General for Scotland and the Accounts Commission to provide clear, independent and objective assurance on how effectively public money is being managed and spent. Our work covers about £59bn of public spending, almost 300 public sector accounts, and the services and projects that affect all people and communities in Scotland.

As well as what we do, how we do it is integral to delivering our vision and critical to our wellbeing and our organisational success. We put our organisational values of equality, independence, innovation, integrity and respect at the heart of everything we do.

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, an attractive local government defined benefit pension scheme with 17.6% employer contributions, personal development allowances and flexible working hours.

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.

Reasonable Adjustments

Audit Scotland’s recruitment process may include various stages and activities including application forms, online assessments, and interviews, to assess whether you meet the requirements of the role.

As a Disability Confident employer, we are committed to providing inclusive and accessible recruitment where everyone is supported to perform at their best.

When applying for a job with Audit Scotland, you will be asked in the application form if you need an adjustment at any stage of the recruitment process. Please include the reason you require an adjustment and details of what adjustment/s might help.

Some examples of adjustments that have been given to candidates include changing the time, location or format of interviews and providing additional time in any assessments and interviews. This is not an exhaustive list, and we will consider any adjustments that you might need.

As part of our commitment to equality and diversity, our equality network groups would be delighted to offer an insight into Audit Scotland’s culture of inclusivity. If you consider yourself to have a visible or hidden disability and wish to hear more about life at Audit Scotland or wish to speak with someone about the possibility of any adjustments, please contact [e-mail] or call 0131 625 1500 for further information and a member of the HR team will be in touch.

How we work

We employ around 340 staff in a wide variety of roles. They work in a hybrid environment, covering time in the office, at home as well as at client sites across Scotland. 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.

Other conditions

Audit Scotland is committed to ensuring that:

• We minimise our impact on the environment in accordance with Government policy affecting public sector organisations.
• We uphold the principles of equality, fairness & diversity.
• We all work within a safe environment and adhere to good standards of health & safety.
• All information is protected and managed appropriately.
• We maintain independence and political neutrality.