Senior Auditor

Job Details:

Job Reference: HCC621739

Salary Range: £39,382 - £43,679 per annum 

Work Location: Elizabeth II Court, Winchester (Hybrid Working)

Hours per week: 37

Contract Type: Permanent 

Early applications are encouraged as interviews will commence as and when suitable candidates are identified.

Are you a motivated and enthusiastic individual looking for an opportunity to develop your career in internal audit? If so, this could be the role for you.

The Southern Internal Audit Partnership (SIAP) provide internal audit and consultancy services to a wide and growing portfolio of public sector partners and clients in the South of England. We pride ourselves on delivering an innovative, customer focused service aligned to the business needs of our clients and to achieving improved outcomes.

This is supported through our External Quality Assessment conducted by the IIA that confirmed our compliance against all aspects of the Public Sector Internal Audit Standards (PSIAS) and more recently our self-assessment against the Global Internal Audit Standards in the UK Public Sector that came into effect from April 2025.

SIAP offers a range of progression paths. Through continued support and developmental opportunities, you will be able to progress in your Audit career.

The Role:

In joining the team, you will be responsible for the delivery of assignments using a risk based audit approach across a portfolio of clients. You will work closely with both internal audit and client managers to establish potential risks and their corresponding control mechanisms; evaluate your findings and report the outcomes to the client.

What you’ll do:

Auditing:

• Direct and lead in the delivery of internal audit reviews to a variety of partners/clients across the South of England
• Using a risk-based approach, review risks facing the client and design a programme of work to review, evaluate and test the internal control framework in place to manage the risks. Analyse findings to assess the impact on the risk environment
• Form an opinion on the adequacy and effectiveness of the control framework currently in place to provide assurance to senior managers, Chief Officers and Members
• To negotiate on required actions to address identified weaknesses and agree timescales and responsibilities
• Undertake and supervise (where required) the completion of work in the audit certification of grant claims and ensuring compliance with grant instructions
• Contribute to the development of the audit practice by designing audit programmes and implementing new approaches to audit work

Team Working and Management:

• Plan and co-ordinate workloads to ensure that the audit plan is achieved within the agreed timescales and to high standards
• Manage your day to day work and that of the team for those assignments on which you lead
• Coach staff to help them develop in their role and ensure that the team performs to high quality standards

Planning and Reporting:

• Individual audit assignments are scheduled, planned and agreed with clients to ensure that they can be completed in the agreed timescales
• To ensure that audit findings are clearly documented to provide adequate audit evidence supporting a clear opinion on the control framework
• Draft audit reports following the completion of fieldwork in line with quality standards

Communication:

• Communicate promptly and appropriately with clients to ensure that they understand the purpose of the audit and that the audit meets their needs
• Feedback audit findings to clients promptly and clearly so that they understand the impact of the findings on their business objectives and the level of risk involved. Ensure that key risks are highlighted

Participation:

• Contribute to the continued development of the Partnership by attending and actively participating in meetings and section briefings and demonstrate a commitment to providing high quality services consistently

Corporate and Statutory Initiatives:

• Maintain an awareness of corporate and departmental policies and procedures and apply them in the day to day requirements of the job.

What we’re looking for:

As a Senior Auditor, as a minimum you will be a qualified Internal Audit Practitioner (or equivalent relevant qualification (Level 4) with significant experience. You will have significant experience and a good understanding of the risk based approach to internal audit to enable you to assess controls, devise testing strategies and prepare reports to a high standard. You will also demonstrate success at managing and controlling audits to professional and quality standards and within budgeted deadlines.

You will be eager to learn, determined and adaptable and have excellent interpersonal and communication skills – both oral and written. With the ability to absorb information quickly, you will also be able to identify and analyse problems in a logical and effective way. Above all, you will share our passion to support our partners and clients to ensure they have effective risk management, governance and control mechanisms in place.

Why join us?

Hampshire County Council is recognised nationally as one of the highest performing local authorities in the UK. A modern, forward-looking local authority, it offers a pleasant, supportive, and collaborative working environment, flexible working opportunities, an excellent work/life balance, a strong emphasis on training and development, professional challenge and variety and a central and well-connected Head Office location in the heart of the city of Winchester.

Our benefits package includes details of the holiday entitlement, pension scheme, flexi-time scheme, family friendly policies and interest free travel loans and discounts. We offer a flexible, motivating and inclusive workplace. We have created an environment that you can look forward to being a part of, where you are empowered to be your best and a workplace built on teamwork where people can grow and develop in their roles. 
To maintain a healthy work/life balance you will have the flexibility to work from home or from the office (whilst meeting business needs) in the delivery of your portfolio of work.

We support flexible working patterns (whilst meeting business needs) to enable employees to best shape their working week.

Hampshire County Council is also a flexible employer interested in making the most of your skills and offers a great work life balance.

Additional Information:

Senior Auditor Candidate Pack

Vetting Requirements:

This post is subject to a Criminal Records Check and Non-Police Personnel Vetting. Further information about this process will be provided to successful candidates.

Contact Details for an Informal Discussion:

Iona Bond, Deputy Head of Southern Internal Audit Partnership on iona.bond@hants.gov.uk or 07784 265293 or Antony Harvey, Deputy Head of Southern Internal Audit Partnership on antony.harvey@hants.gov.uk or 07784265289.