Internal Audit Specialist in Edinburgh

About Aberdeen
Aberdeen plc is one of Europe’s largest investment companies, built on a long-standing culture of caring about the future and making a positive impact. Together we invest for a better future to make a difference to the lives of our clients and customers, our employees, society, and our shareholders. Our business is structured around three distinct areas focused on our clients' changing needs: Aberdeen Investments, Aberdeen Adviser, and interactive investor.

About the Department
Internal Audit is a key independent function supporting Aberdeen in maximising sustainable, high-quality returns for clients, customers and shareholders while effectively managing the risks faced by the business. The team provides insight, assurance and challenge across business and functions teams, focusing work on the highest risk areas and promoting good audit practice across the Group. It is an ambitious, innovative function where colleagues are encouraged to share ideas, build deep business knowledge and support one another’s development. Through clear, constructive audit work, the department helps enable our clients to be better investors.

About the Role
As an Internal Audit Specialist, you will play a key role in driving audit delivery across the Internal Audit function. Working at Specialist career level in the UK region, you will be aligned to a business or functions team while also contributing to audits in other areas when needed, giving you a broad view of Aberdeen and meaningful development opportunities. You will support audit planning, deliver high-quality audit work, validate issues and build effective stakeholder relationships, helping the business understand risk and take action where it matters most. This is an opportunity to invest in your tomorrow by developing your audit expertise in a purpose-led, forward-thinking environment where your judgement, curiosity and communication skills will make a real impact. The role has no line management responsibility and is offered on a blended working basis with 3 days a week expected in the office.

Key Responsibilities

• Support development of the audit plan by researching audit universe entities, contributing insight from stakeholder engagement and proposing audit ideas focused on key risks.
• Build and maintain effective relationships with stakeholders, Audit Managers, Senior Managers and Heads of Audit, including contributing to governance committees and forums where appropriate.
• Plan, scope and perform audit work to support delivery of the Audit Plan, taking the Audit Lead role on audits where appropriate.
• Analyse issues to identify root causes, communicate findings clearly and constructively to senior business stakeholders, and complete timely follow-up activity.
• Complete issue validation to expected methodology and quality standards, identifying where closures are inadequate or further work is required.
• Role model Internal Audit’s vision, culture, strategy and plan, supporting colleagues, sharing innovative ideas and helping audit teams deliver work on time and to the expected quality.

About the Candidate

Essential skills and experience

• A good understanding of IIA standards and internal audit working practices.
• Experience in a relevant role such as accounting, audit or risk.
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to diagnose issues, trace root causes and assess underlying implications methodically.
• Clear written and verbal communication skills, with confidence presenting information, ideas and findings in one-to-one and group environments.
• Strong stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to influence effectively and build trusted relationships at different levels.
• Sound understanding of laws, regulations, standards, governance and compliance requirements relevant to financial services, risk or audit.

Desirable criteria

• Confidence making decisions at pace when situations are ambiguous or conflicting.
• A strategic mindset, linking Aberdeen’s long-term priorities to day-to-day audit activity.
• A collaborative approach and willingness to support different Internal Audit teams as priorities evolve.

We are proud to be a Disability Confident Committed employer. If you have a disability and would like to apply to one of our UK roles under the Disability Confident Scheme, please notify us by completing the relevant section in our candidate questionnaire. One of our team will reach out to support you through your application process.

Our Benefits
There's more to working life than coming home with a good salary. We have an environment where you can learn, get involved and be supported. When you join us, your reward will be one of the best around. This includes 20 days’ annual leave, a 16% employer pension contribution, a discretionary performance-based bonus (where applicable), private healthcare and a range of flexible benefits – including gym discounts, season ticket loans and access to an employee discount portal.

An Inclusive Way of Working
Whatever way you like to work, if you have the talent and commitment to join our team, we’d like to hear from you. At Aberdeen we’ve adopted a ‘blended working’ approach. This approach combines the benefits of face-to-face collaboration, coaching and connecting in our offices with the flexibility of working from home. It enables colleagues to find a balance that works for their roles, their teams, our clients and our business.

An inclusive culture, where diverse perspectives drive our actions, is at the core of who we are and what we do. If you need assistance with your application, or a reasonable adjustment to your interview arrangements – for example, because you are neurodivergent, or have a physical, sensory, cognitive, mental, visible or invisible disability – please let us know and we’ll be happy to help.

We’re committed to providing an inclusive workplace where all forms of difference are valued and which is free from any form of unfair or unlawful treatment. We define diversity in its broadest sense – this includes but is not limited to our diversity of educational and professional backgrounds, experience, cognitive and neurodiversity, age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, religion or belief and ethnicity and geographical provenance. We support a culture that values meritocracy, fairness and transparency and welcomes enquiries from everyone.

If you need assistance or an adjustment due to a disability please let us know as part of your application and we will assist.