Head of Audit and Risk

As Head of Audit and Risk, you will be part of the Compliance and Funding Senior Management Team and play a pivotal role in identifying, managing, and minimising funding and compliance risk within Lifetime Training.

This senior-level position requires strategic thinking, effective leadership, and a strong commitment to ensuring compliance and funding risks are minimised via effective processes, controls, and funding assurance activity.

As a confident, professional, and effective communicator, you will have strong management experience and the knowledge and experience to review, improve and instil robust controls and best practice.

It is essential that you hold a full Accountancy (e.g. CCAB, ACA, ACCA) qualification, or membership of the Institute of Internal Auditors. 

You will have an excellent understanding of the ESFA apprenticeship funding rules and use this knowledge to ensure operating procedures and internal controls are compliant and funding risks are minimised.  You will keep abreast of changes to regulatory requirements and ensure that internal audit function activity is aligned.

You will lead a team to ensure that technology-led, risk-based funding assurance activity is completed via data analysis and internal funding assurance activity, quantifying and escalating any identified risks.

Working collaboratively within the department and across the business you will ensure that all corrective actions are completed, trends are analysed, and processes, controls and governance are enhanced to prevent reoccurrence of non-compliance and Risk.    

You will be someone who thrives on being organised but who can be flexible enough to keep up with developments in a dynamic landscape. An eye for detail, the ability to prioritise, and a strong working knowledge of compliance processes, procedures and principles are essential, together with excellent communication skills and the ability to build positive relationships with senior colleagues and external regulators.

What will you be doing? 

• Leading the continued development of the strategy and vision for Internal Audit to ensure that the function keeps pace with an evolving business and regulatory requirements

• Developing Internal Audit’s capability through strong leadership and coaching, supporting the training and development of the team to meet current and future needs

• Reviewing and challenging the planning and delivery of major change projects/programmes and operational changes in accordance with evidencing requirements

• Leading risk-based audits of functions and processes, ensuring the quality and timeliness of Audit and assurance planning, fieldwork, data analysis, audit working papers and reporting

• Coordinating with other process, control and monitoring functions e.g. finance, operations, and compliance

• Implementing strong standards and practice for the internal audit function

• Providing well researched reports on the overall system of governance, risk management, internal control and culture of specific processes

• Identifying gaps or weaknesses in processes or controls and developing and implementing remedial action commensurate with the nature and complexity of risk

What will you bring to the role?

• Accountancy Qualification or MIIA (Institute of Internal Auditors)

• Significant management experience at a senior level (i.e., Head of Function) within an Internal Audit service

• Experience of Audit planning at a strategic level involving the preparation of long-term audit plans utilising risk analysis

• Experience in driving technology-led process improvements and leading and managing complex projects

• Appreciation and understanding of a wide range of apprenticeship funding compliance requirements and the Audit and assurance issues arising from these

• Confidence and ability to successfully manage the Internal Audit function and utilise available resources to maximum effectiveness

• Confident, approachable, and professional manner, with the ability to effectively impact on Directors to ensure that recommendations arising from audits are monitored and implemented as necessary

• Well-developed communication skills (both written and oral) including effective liaison with senior colleagues and external agencies and the ability to write clear, concise reports and recommendations

• Able to present reports and information in a variety of formats including graphical/statistical analysis

• Able to work under pressure, capable of responding to situations and managing conflicting priorities

• Detailed knowledge and experience in organising, managing and controlling a wide range of funding assurance activity, and maintaining comprehensive control information

• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and lead change initiatives effectively

• Experience of delivering results through others, via collaboration across business units and external organisations

Giving back to you – our Group Benefits

• 25 days' holiday rising with service and your birthday off.

• Holiday purchase scheme for those life changing trips and moments.

• Long service reward and recognition

• Enhanced Pension

• Group Life Assurance – 3 x Annual salary

• Unlimited access to six Smart Health services including a 24/7 virtual GP

• Health Cash Plan

• Access to curated wellbeing content and our Employee Assistance Programme

• Perkbox

• To support your work/life balance we give you the opportunity of flexibility within our core working hours (9.00 – 5.30).

• Enhanced sick pay

• Enhanced Maternity/Shared Parental and Adoption packages leave

• A reward programme and recognition programme and annual awards event

Who are Lifetime Training?

Lifetime Training is part of the Lifetime Training Group. As a Group we are passionate about learning and creating life changing opportunities for our learners.  We are made up of four unique businesses, two of which focus on apprentice training across a range of professions, one that focusses on awarding qualifications, and one which develops the awarding software.  

We are at the forefront of innovative training and awarding and as a larger group network we can offer a broad range of development opportunities, great benefits and a people focussed reward and recognition offering

At Lifetime Training Group, we are committed to broadening the diversity of our workforce and creating a sense of belonging for all. In this way we will better represent our learners and partners to greater understand and fulfil their needs. 

Your experience is invaluable to us, and we are committed to fostering an inclusive and equitable recruitment environment for all candidates. We welcome any feedback on how we can enhance our approach to an inclusive process, please feel free to share your ideas with us here:  Your feedback