Manager - Audit Risk Operations

Role and Responsibilities

This is a pivotal role in the Firm's Audit Risk Management team, supporting a team of senior managers and the Head of Audit Risk Operations in driving a step change in the efficiency and effectiveness of the core operational activities, whilst also supporting engagement teams with risk consultation queries across a range of topics and issues.
The role will support the wider Audit Risk Management team in consultations and queries from engagement teams and a wide range of project initiatives whilst certain responsibilities will be specific to each of the three areas noted above.

Consultations & queries

You will be part of the Audit Risk Operations team, managing risk consultations and approvals for audit engagement team in line with the Firm's policies and procedures.

Projects and change initiatives

- Provide support to a wide range of projects and change initiatives within and outside of Audit Risk, ranging from process improvement within Audit Risk to supporting Firm-wide change programmes.

Consultations and queries

- Handle approvals for and consultations with teams in the Audit Capability, applying judgment and making decisions within a framework for approval and escalation

Coaching & mentoring

- Provide coaching and mentoring support for junior members of the Audit Risk Management team.

Risk Operations

Consultations & queries
- Monitor and report on service levels for core services provided by audit risk management against key KPIs, identifying trends
- Implement opportunities for off-shoring within audit risk management processes including communicating policy and processes, training, briefing and coaching off-shore team members
- Project management implementation plans for identified quality and service level improvements in Audit Risk management

Accreditation
- Plan and direct the work of on-shore and off-shore team members to ensure adequate resourcing during times of peak demand and efficient use of resource
- Manage and oversee the work of on-shore and off-shore team members including communicating changes in policy and processes, training, briefing and coaching and approving accreditation decisions and correspondence
- First level escalation of more complex queries and consultations around accreditation requirements
- Create, review and approve guidance for audit teams on accreditation requirements and processes
- Use insights gained from MI over accreditation to make recommendations for both policy and improving processes.

Experience and Background

Essential
- Awareness of the different types of service delivered out of audit firms and the key differences between financial statement audit and key non-audit services
- Experience of managing audit or assurance engagements
- Decision making around engagement acceptance at manager level or above in an audit practice in audit or other professional services engagements
- Understanding and documenting policies, processes and controls, identifying weaknesses and making and implementing recommendations
- Identifying and reporting on trends in data
- Project management of multiple workstreams alongside unpredictable consultation workload
- Able to get to grips with technical content including law, regulation, assurance standards, contracts and policy and recommend how to apply to practical scenarios
- Confident in exploring opportunities with engagement leaders
- Awareness of the nature and effect of key clauses in professional services contracts
Desirable
- Experience of delivering a range of services at manager level or above within an audit practice, for example non-financial assurance, grant reporting and agreed-upon procedures
- Experience of drafting and agreeing scope of work, liability and release of report sections in professional services contracts and hold harmless agreements
- Experience of performing risk assessments, scoring risks and preparing risk registers

Qualification and Skills

- Recognised accountancy qualification desirable but not essential.
- Leadership
- Team working
- Project management
- Written and spoken communication
- Negotiation