Internal Auditor

The Firm
HFW is a leading global law firm in the aerospace, commodities, construction, energy, insurance, and shipping sectors. We have 700 lawyers, including 185 partners, based in 21 offices across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia Pacific. We pride ourselves on our deep industry expertise and our entrepreneurial, creative, and collaborative culture.

This is an exciting time for HFW. We are one of the fastest-growing law firms in the market, with a clear strategy that seeks to establish HFW as the world's number one sector-focused law firm.

The Department
The Internal Audit Department (three members of staff in the London office) was established in 2015. The conduct of the audit process is overseen by the Audit Committee and the Risk Committee (both reporting to the Management Board) to ensure that coverage is in line with the needs of the business, and that findings and recommendations are implemented.

The Role
The key objectives include providing an objective and independent assessment of the firm's operations and internal controls as well as ensuring compliance with SRA Principles and Accounts Rules.

Key Responsibilities

Internal Audit
• Effectively complete audit planning, fieldwork and reporting for operational, financial and compliance reviews of 20+ locations worldwide.
• Prepare audit reports that accurately summarise the most significant control weaknesses, unmitigated risks and resulting impacts to the firm, and co-ordinate development of action plans with management to address these.
• Follow up the clearance of audit findings with central management, local office heads and accountants.
• Identify improvement opportunities in business processes, proposing changes and working with applicable departments to implement.
• Lead role in firm-wide risk assessment to identify audits for inclusion in annual plan by meeting with senior management to understand business changes and identify risk areas.
• Monthly review of the Financial Compliance checklists submitted by HFW offices, liaising with the international finance managers to understand/resolve any submission deviations.
• Support external-led reviews of IT and Cyber risks.
• Assist in maintenance of firm's risk register and internal policies and procedures.
• Help to build and maintain Internal Audit's presence and reputation across the firm.

Other
• Monitor the management of client money within the framework of the SRA Accounts Rules (“the Rules”), review breaches registers and ensure adequacy of reporting and corrective action. This applies to all HFW offices.
• Conduct regular reviews of adherence to the firm's procedures for administration of client money and that all balances are properly maintained. Making recommendations for improvement.
• Follow-up infringements of the Rules directly with partners and staff responsible.
• Provide support during the external annual audit as necessary.
• Other ad hoc duties as may be required.

Key Skills & Experience Required

Mandatory
• A minimum of two years of audit experience – either operational, financial or legal compliance – in an accountancy practice and/or internal audit department.
• Part-qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA), or legal qualification with some fee earning or risk experience.
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written.
• Advanced Excel.

Preferred
• Open to HFW international office secondment if such opportunity arises
• Law practice experience
• Practical experience of working with data analytics

Key qualities
• Proactive self-starter
• Ability to command confidence and work with people in difficulties / distress
• Takes accountability and ownership for own work
• Team player
• Relationship builder
• Investigative, diligent and detailed
• Professional scepticism
• Willing to travel

Additional Information
This position requires approximately up to 10% annual travel to HFW international offices.

Kindly note, this job description is not contractual. It will be reviewed periodically and may be amended or altered to meet the needs of the firm.

HFW aims to ensure equality of opportunity, and we are actively working towards improving the diversity of our staff. All applications will be considered only on merit and the applicant's suitability to meet the requirements of the role.

Only those candidates shortlisted for interview will be contacted.

HFW operates a Preferred Supplier List (PSL). Recruitment agencies should not submit CVs unless they are part of the PSL and have been engaged regarding this specific vacancy.

HFW collects and processes personal data relating to job applicants to manage its recruitment process. The firm is committed to being transparent about how it collects and uses that data and to meeting its data protection obligations. For information on how the firm will process your data, please see our Privacy Notice on our website, in the section “What we collect and how we use it”.