Senior It Auditor

Are you an experienced IT auditor who thrives on making a difference and passionate about ensuring public services are run properly for the people of Scotland? If so, we can offer you the chance to take an exciting new step in your career with the opportunity to lead IT audit work which supports our financial and performance audits of organisations across Scotland’s public sector including the Scottish Government, NHS bodies, councils, and colleges.

Overall purpose of the role

Our Innovation and Quality (I&Q) business group comprises four functions: professional support and learning; quality; digital audit; and organisational improvement. I&Q ensures that the quality of audit work across Audit Scotland is outstanding, innovative and at the forefront of the profession, and helps fulfil the vision and strategic objectives of the Auditor General for Scotland and the Accounts Commission.

Increasing our capacity in IT audit is a key element of our Audit Modernisation project. You will play a key role in delivering high quality audits across a range of public sector bodies. You will ensure that Audit Scotland has the capacity and expertise to assess areas of risk from an IT/digital perspective.

Our audited bodies are investing in new IT systems and technologies to address the challenges they face; replacing legacy systems with more cloud-based architecture. Cyber security threats continue to increase and have an impact on public sector bodies and their supply chain. The increasing risks and complexities, and increased requirements of the International Standards of Auditing, means that there is more emphasis on IT audit within our financial audits. This includes, understanding and testing General IT controls, automated and manual controls and system migrations.

You will play a key role in supervising and supporting our financial and performance auditors, including our digital audit champions, to build their understanding and expertise of IT environments and advancing technologies.

Although it is preferred, previous IT Audit experience is not essential for this role. We are happy to consider candidates with a technology background keen to specialise in audit. For example, the successful candidate can come from a 1st line technology or a data analytics background.

What you will be doing

You will work within the Digital Audit team of the I&Q group, with specialist professionals, to lead and support our audit teams to deliver their audits. You will understand the end-to-end processes and data flows of the IT applications and environments that the organisations we audit use and how they are controlled. This includes understanding the processes and risks associated with third party and shared service arrangements, and software/system development and implementation projects.

You will conduct and manage different aspects of IT audit work that support our financial and performance audits. Your role will be both client and internal facing. You will be capable of engaging with finance and IT professionals within the organisations we audit.

You will also be responsible for drafting reports and guidance for auditors and responding to technical queries from our audit teams.

You will use your technical expertise and judgement to assess, or assist our auditors to assess:

• an organisation’s IT applications, digital environment, associated risks and the effectiveness of controls.
• an organisation’s governance arrangements including cyber security and business continuity arrangements
• the effectiveness of an organisation’s IT/Digital strategies
• significant IT/digital projects/programmes within an organisation. For example, to implement a new ERP or other corporate systems.

You will also work alongside specialist colleagues in the Digital Audit team to extract, validate and analyse key financial data from the bodies we audit. You will work across the team to gain an understanding of our data analysis tools and identify opportunities for how they can be used to improve our IT audit methodology.

Specific responsibilities may include, but are not limited to:

• Assisting senior colleagues in designing and implementing efficient audit approaches and methodologies to be adopted by our Audit Services Group (ASG) that comply with professional standards and meet the objectives of the Auditor General and Accounts Commission
• drafting for review by senior colleagues clear, authoritative, and concise guidance, reports and other outputs that supplement the Code of Audit Practice and/or that support audit colleagues in applying the audit approaches and methodologies
• guide and support audit teams and our digital audit champions in identifying IT related risks to their audit and assess the extent of reliance that can be placed on IT controls/functions, interfaces, reports, segregation of duties, automated calculations, new system implementations / migrations and third-party reports
• use your professional judgement to effectively summarise and communicate IT audit findings and risks and the potential impact on the organisation and/or on its financial statements and draft practical recommendations.
• establishing and developing productive professional relationships with colleagues in other business groups and with external stakeholders, including audited bodies and other audit agencies
• collecting, analysing and interpreting information and applying experience, technical knowledge, and professional judgement to draw reasonable conclusions in designing solutions to complex problems
• providing specialist advice to colleagues in response to enquiries.
• using experience and judgement to identify potential new auditing and other technological developments that are relevant to public audit and our audited bodies and draw attention to senior colleagues. Where appropriate draft tailored briefings that clearly explain the key point for audit colleagues, and consider, with senior colleagues, any impact on audit approach and existing guidance
• assisting in maintaining the online repository of technical reference material including identifying and adding latest relevant developments in a timely fashion
• designing and delivering technical training to audit colleagues as part of our professional learning programme.

Knowledge and experience

You will be professionally qualified through a relevant professional body (e.g. CISA or equivalent) and have demonstrable Digital/IT audit experience or of working as an IT professional. You will have practical experience of delivering high-quality IT audits, ideally in a public sector environment. Those without audit experience will be expected to build up their audit skills as a key part of the role.

You’ll undertake professional and personal development to maintain technical expertise, meet CPD requirements and enhance your career prospects at Audit Scotland.

Self-aware in your own abilities, you can plan and manage your own work. You will have well developed auditing, and analytical skills. You will have the ability to convert your analysis into clear judgements backed up by clear recommendations for improvement. You know how to work seamlessly within and across audit teams and help to bring out the best in your colleagues, mentoring and coaching where necessary.

You will also have:

• high levels of self-awareness and emotional intelligence, and excellent project management and time management skills
• skills and experience that give you an expert perspective on IT audit and financial auditing matters, allowing you to efficiently develop and recommend innovative and practical solutions
• strong verbal and written communication skills and sound judgement
• the ability to present complex information in a balanced, influential and persuasive manner with accuracy, clarity and conciseness.
• experience of dealing confidently with stakeholders, including senior staff at audited bodies.

You may also have experience of:

• have broad experience of the public sector including sound knowledge of public finances, policy and audit

As your career develops you will:

• Demonstrate significant audit experience of complex areas across the public sector.
• Possess an awareness of key on-going activities across the organisation, covering both audit and non-audit work.
• Gain experience of dealing with difficult situations in a professional and effective manner.

Person specification - specific knowledge and experience

Essential:

• You are a Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), or equivalent and/or have demonstrable Digital/IT audit experience or of working as an IT professional. (S/I)
• You have high levels of self-awareness and emotional intelligence (S&I)
• You have excellent project and time management skills (S&I)
• You have experience at developing working relationships with internal and external stakeholders at all levels (S&I)
• You have the skills and experience that give an expert perspective on IT environments and auditing matters (S&I)
• You have strong verbal and written communication skills and sound judgement (S&I)
• You have the ability to present complex information in a balanced, influential and persuasive manner with accuracy, clarity and conciseness. (S&I)
• You think laterally and creatively to research and analyse complex problems (S&I)

Desirable:

• Fully qualified accountant (e.g. CIPFA, ICAS, ACCA or equivalent). (S/I)
• Good level of expertise in Excel and in using IT audit and data analysis packages (S/I)
• Experience of the public sector including knowledge of public finances and/or digital transformation programmes and policies (S&I)

*S = Shortlisting criteria I = Interview criteria A = Assessment / Exercise

Interested? Next Steps:

Click apply to submit an application.

The closing date for applications is 14th April 2024 at midnight.

Audit Scotland

Our vision is that public money is well spent to meet the needs of Scotland's people.

To achieve this, we support the Auditor General for Scotland and the Accounts Commission to provide clear, independent and objective assurance on how effectively public money is being managed and spent. Our work covers about £57bn of public spending, almost 300 public sector accounts, and the services and projects that affect all people and communities in Scotland.

As well as what we do, how we do it is integral to delivering our vision and critical to our wellbeing and our organisational success. We put our organisational values of equality, independence, innovation, integrity and respect at the heart of everything we do.

We employ around 340 staff in a wide variety of roles, working from our main offices in Edinburgh and Glasgow, and through a network of regional offices across Scotland.

There has never been a more interesting or important time to join us. We offer a rewarding place to work, a supportive and open culture and a wide range of professional development opportunities. Benefits include 42 days of annual leave including public holidays, an attractive local government pension scheme with 19.4% employer contributions, personal development allowances and flexible working hours. We’ve also been named one of the top 25 workplaces in Scotland and the UK’s tenth best accountancy workplace in the 2023 Best Companies awards.

Diversity and Inclusion

We value the unique perspective a diverse workforce brings to what we do. Therefore, we’re keen to increase representation in our workforce and support progression of minority ethnic groups. We are also a proud disability confident employer.

Reasonable Adjustments

Audit Scotland’s recruitment process may include various stages and activities including application forms, online assessments, and interviews, to assess whether you meet the requirements of the role

As a Disability Confident employer, we are committed to providing inclusive and accessible recruitment where everyone is supported to perform at their best

When applying for a job with Audit Scotland, you will be asked in the application form if you need an adjustment at any stage of the recruitment process. Please include the reason you require an adjustment and details of what adjustment/s might help.

Some examples of adjustments that have been given to candidates include changing the time, location or format of interviews and providing additional time in any assessments and interviews. This is not an exhaustive list, and we will consider any adjustments that you might need.

As part of our commitment to equality and diversity, our equality network groups would be delighted to offer an insight into Audit Scotland’s culture of inclusivity. If you consider yourself to have a visible or hidden disability and wish to hear more about life at Audit Scotland or wish to speak with someone about the possibility of any adjustments, please contact Careers@audit-scotland.gov.uk or call 0131 625 1500 for further information and a member of the HR team will be in touch.

How we work

We employ around 340 staff in a wide variety of roles. They work flexibly at home and in the office as well as from audit sites across Scotland. This isn’t your typical work from home or work from office type job. We’re flexible about working patterns and we’ve transformed how we deliver high-quality public audit. We support you to work in the ways that achieve the best results for you, your team and the business, including your physical location and how you manage your hours. Put simply, we trust you to do your job, and want you to have the ability to have a rewarding work-life balance and best support your individual circumstances, be that childcare, adult carer responsibilities or managing disabilities.

We welcome applications from across the UK. Some travel to our offices or client sites will be necessary at times, but you don’t need to live in Scotland to work for us.

Other conditions

Audit Scotland is committed to ensuring that:

• We minimise our impact on the environment in accordance with Government policy affecting public sector organisations.
• We uphold the principles of equality, fairness & diversity.
• We all work within a safe environment and adhere to good standards of health & safety.
• All information is protected and managed appropriately.
• We maintain independence and political neutrality.