Principal Trainee Auditor (Annex 21) MIAA

Job overview

You will be supported to complete a professional audit/accountancy qualification with one of the following professional bodies: IIA, ACCA, CIPFA, etc. You will receive a full study package to ensure that you successfully complete your professional qualification. This includes time off to study, attend college and complete online courses.  We support all of our trainees with a blended approach to training and development including professional study, 1:1 coaching and soft skills training.

Whilst training, pay will be modified in line with the following:

• More than three but less than four years prior to completion of training: 60% of the pay band  maximum for the qualified rate is £28,870.
• More than two but less than three years prior to completion of training: 65% of the pay band maximum for the qualified rate is £31,276.
• More than one but less than two years prior to completion of training: 70% of the pay band maximum of the qualified rate is £33,682
• Up to 12 months prior to completion of training: 75% of the pay band maximum of the fully qualified rate is £36,088

Entry to the next pay point is dependant upon successful completion of professional exams and demonstration of skills and competencies required.

Role 1: Hybrid working –  work across Merseyside and Warrington clients.

Role 2: Hybrid working –  work across Wirral, Cheshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, and North Wales clients.

Role 3: Hybrid Working –  work across Lancashire, Cumbria and Greater Manchester clients.

Main duties of the job

Perform a broad range of audit assignments of a complex/ad-hoc and non-financial nature in addition to a broad range of routine audit assignments.

Apply risk management and governance principles to the planning and delivery of audit assignments at both an operational and strategic client level.

Overtime and supervise and coach junior staff.

Respond to a broad range of sensitive and complex queries from clients and staff.

Support Audit Managers with a wide range of operational requirements, client queries and support.

Using the latest approaches, this post provides a real opportunity to develop your career with one of the best-regarded internal audit teams within the public sector.

Working across Merseyside Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Wirral Cheshire, Staffordshire and Shropshire - 4 office locations (Manchester, Liverpool, Darwen and Chester)

As the role involves work directly at our client sites, the ability to travel will be an essential part of the role.  We have a hybrid working model, so as a trainee you will split your time between working from office, client sites and home when required or studying for your professional exams.

We want driven people who think creatively about their work, embrace challenges and can resolve complex problems. This role will suit a dynamic and ambitious graduate looking to attain a professional qualification and gain wide experience of Internal Audit within the NHS and Public Sector.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Discussions with senior and non-finance staff  concerning contentious and complicated financial, control and governance issues at a corporate level. Negotiating with external agencies. Communication of audit findings and advice.

Work is managed rather than supervised, with the jobholder working within procedures, broad policies and guidelines as defined by the Quality System, but having the freedom to act with autonomy. The nature of the work necessitates a thorough and concentrated focus on the gathering, testing and evaluation of evidence whilst balancing competing priorities. There is extensive scope for decision making in respect of planning and organising the personal work schedule, managing priorities, forming judgments on the adequacy and effectiveness of systems, and producing recommendations to deliver improvements. These decisions will be based upon detailed analysis and evaluation of complex systems issues and options across a range of systems. Such analysis will incorporate an assessment of potentially conflicting and multi-layered information e.g. option appraisals, serious disciplinary cases.

Over time, there will be a day-to-day supervisory role in respect of staff in the function encompassing work scheduling, coaching, and individual/ team training, and assignment review. This will include coordination of resources across competing priorities in order to achieve agreed objectives.

The Agency operates in a unique competitive trading environment requiring a professional customer-focus at all times and a range of commercial skills of the post-holder. This trading environment creates a business model that requires income to be secured in open competition against multinational consulting and accountancy firms. Income needs to be secured on a regional and national basis to maintain operational and strategic viability.

There is a requirement to adapt to a range of working conditions at different client sites that will also involve frequent travel.

A substantial element of the job involves utilising a number of office based and client computer systems to evaluate systems and produce the audit outputs. Those outputs, usually reports, are generated from input and manipulation of financial and other data in word processing, spreadsheet, presentations and database applications.

Performs all elements of a risk-based audit assignment over the range of routine internal audits across a number of clients as well as a broad range of complex/ad hoc audits often of a non-financial nature. Produces work to final report stage, setting out key control issues and recommendations. Discusses issues with client staff and produces final reports that can be personally taken to Audit Committee and Board level.

Takes a lead responsibility for supporting Audit Managers in the operational management of allocated audit plans. This could include deputising, or attendance in own right, at Audit Committees and related Committees. It will also involve contributing to drawing up and monitoring the function’s budgets as expressed through delegated audit plans.

Conducts research on behalf of the function and the Agency to develop approaches to emerging auditable areas.

Makes recommendations as appropriate often-involving significant proposed changes to working practices and procedures following policy implementation. These routinely will involve contributing to service redesign and providing benchmarking information in own area of activity and across many NHS bodies.

Regularly undertakes complex system reviews that conclude upon the adequacy of the control environment, physical security of cash and the safeguarding of assets.

Reviews the adequacy of risk management, governance and assurance systems established.

Responds to, and often anticipates, queries from clients, which may be of a sensitive and confidential nature, and investigates and reports as necessary to the satisfaction of the client. These queries may relate to complex issues requiring a detailed understanding of client risks, NHS/Wider public sector systems and existing guidance.

Plans and organises work schedule to ensure weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual timetables are delivered. Undertake the majority of routine tasks with minimal management oversight. Coordinates and supervises the work of junior staff over time.

The overall work schedule that is planned will be made up of a number of complicated and sometimes conflicting elements requiring ongoing adjustment of plans.

Builds effective client relationships across the function’s clients

Adheres and contributes to the continuous improvement philosophy to ensure we continue to provide a valuable service focused upon client’s needs.

Fully complies with all aspects of the confidentiality policy.