Auditor

Portsmouth City Council; Farnborough; Hybrid; GBP 33,000 - 40,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Job summary

Portsmouth City Council is seeking an Auditor to join its internal audit team. The role covers planning, testing and reporting on controls across council operations, with potential work at PCC's external clients. The post involves travel and progression to higher band as competencies grow.

The successful candidate will have a degree or strong audit experience, be proficient in Word and Excel, and demonstrate analytical, communication and independent working skills to meet deadlines.

Qualifications

• Degree level qualification or audit experience.
• Strong IT skills, especially Word and Excel.
• Excellent communication and ability to challenge and persuade.
• Ability to work independently and meet deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Identify scope and risk for audits; plan work and test controls.
• liaise with Directors and external auditors; provide technical advice.
• Conduct operational audits for PCC and external clients; travel may be required.
• Progress to higher pay band once required competencies are met.

Skills

Attention to detail

Analytical thinking

Communication skills

Independent working

Education

Degree level qualification

Tools

Microsoft Word

Excel

Job description

Auditor

Salary: Band: 7 - 8 depending on experience, £33,119 - £40,443 per annum.

Band 7:£33,119 - £37,562 per annum

Band 8: £37,562 - £40,443 per annum

Pay band and salary will be dependent on experience. Band 8 are expected to have a degree level qualification or previous audit experience and additional abilities which will need to be demonstrated in your application as listed in the who is the person on the job profile.

Please indicate on your application the post you are applying for.

37 Hours per week

Your New Role

Internal audit fulfils a statutory requirement to advise, alert and assure the Council on the effectiveness of its systems of internal control.

This means focussing on key risks that prevent objectives being achieved. We test the controls needed to mitigate the risks, and how effectively the controls are working. Being an auditor is not all about finance and numbers. The breadth of a Council's activities ranges from Libraries and Museums to multi-million pound redevelopment projects.

If you have a keen eye for detail, a desire to understand how things work and a methodical approach then you have the skills to be an auditor.

You will be responsible for specific audits relating to operations along with any work as at the direction of the Audit management. For each area to be reviewed you will identify the scope, risk assess, plan the work, carry out the testing and evaluate controls, reporting on findings. You will liaise and collaborate with some levels of management including Directors and external auditors; give sound technical advice and may get involved with ad hoc investigations. You will also conduct operational audits at PCC's external clients which may involve some travel. The role is spread over two pay bands which means once certain competencies are met the candidate can progress to the higher band.

The team has progression opportunities and professional training may be offered should the successful candidate show promise within the role.

Who is the person summary:

We are looking for a highly motivated individual with a good educational standard or experience in a compliance background. You will have excellent communication skills and a good understanding of customers' needs but still be able to challenge and persuade positively. With good analytical and report writing skills you will be able to use your initiative to analyse problems to enable you to reach agreement on solutions whilst managing your workload and working to deadlines. In addition, you will have excellent IT skills especially with Microsoft Word and Excel. In addition, for the Band 8 role you will need to be educated to degree level or have previous audit experience and be able to identify and prioritise organisational risks without relying on established audit programmes. You will demonstrate professional judgement that influences audit conclusions, research complex operational services, assess governance and risk beyond control testing. You will have the ability to work independently with minimal managerial direction, manage resistance and challenging client conversations, and evaluate risks across unfamiliar service areas.

For full details, please review 'who is the person' on the job profile below attached.

About Portsmouth City Council

Portsmouth City Council is a unique organisation, committed to making a difference, and is guided by core values that set who we are as people, what we stand for, and how we act.

We are committed to our values of respect, integrity, collaboration, inclusivity and being people-focussed. These values set out how we can contribute to the success of the council and our own success as individuals. Learn more about our values and behaviours .

Local Government Reorganisation (LGR)

As part of Local Government Reorganisation, current plans will see Portsmouth City Council combine with the district and borough councils of Fareham, Gosport and Havant and parts of East Hampshire and Winchester district councils to form a new, larger unitary authority for south east Hampshire.

We are working towards an implementation date of 1st April 2028, known as vesting day, subject to Parliamentary approval. Until then, we remain focused on maintaining continuity, supporting our workforce, and continuing to deliver excellent services to our residents throughout the transition to the new unitary authority.

This is an exciting time to join us, offering the opportunity to contribute to organisational transformation, develop your career, and help shape future services for our communities.

More information about Local Government Reorganisation can be found on our website: https://www.portsmouth.gov.uk/services/council-and-democracy/your-council/devolution-and-lgr/

Additional Information

Please ensure that you read the job profile for full details on the post. We offer hybrid working with the expectation to attend the office minimum 2 days a week this remains flexible, depending on the role and subject to business needs. Please ensure you can fulfil this prior to submitting your application.

We are not able to offer sponsorship for this position.

Our recruitment process

Full information about our recruitment process can be found on our support for applicants' page: Support for applicants - Careers portal

You must demonstrate why you are suitable against each of the points described in the 'Who is the Person' points on the Job Profile using examples from your experience or transferable skills. This might be through qualifications or descriptive examples from your work / personal experience, which clearly illustrates what you did and the effect it had.

We are a disability confident employer and Armed Forces Covenant gold standard. More information can be found at Equality, diversity and inclusion - Careers portal

You will need to demonstrate that you have the Right to Work in the UK. No post will be offered without it.

Read more about working at Portsmouth City Council and our benefits on our career's portal homepage: Careers Portal - Find jobs with Portsmouth City Council

Should you require any support in completing the application form please contact [e-mail] or call the recruitment team on 023 92 616 800.