Senior Auditor (Performance Audit & Best Value) in Edinburgh

We are currently looking to recruit Senior Auditors to our PABV business group, roles will be offered on a 12-month, fixed-term basis. We welcome applications from internal and external candidates. We have up to four potential vacancies, a maximum of two of those vacancies can be offered to external candidates.

Audit Scotland provides the Auditor General and Accounts Commission with the services they need to carry out their duties. Together we ensure that the Scottish Government and public‑sector bodies throughout Scotland are held to account for the proper, efficient and effective use of public money. We employ around 350 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.

Overall purpose of the role

Our Performance Audit and Best Value Group (PABV) delivers audit products on issues such as the affordability of public services, health and social care integration, digital transformation, community empowerment, inequalities, skills and training, economic development, and climate change. Our Best Value audit work in councils looks at important issues like how well they perform in delivering services to their communities. Our work programme is dynamic and refreshed on a regular basis to respond to changing circumstances.

Our work involves identifying audit risks affecting the Scottish public sector, scoping audit work to ensure it focuses on what matters, developing audit methodologies, gathering and assessing evidence (quantitative and qualitative), forming judgements and conclusions, and writing clear, evidence‑based reports for the public and Scottish Parliament, that include recommendations for improvement to public bodies.

As a Senior Auditor in PABV, you will help deliver high‑quality performance and best value audit work and support the development of our work programme through conducting complex audit work. You will make audit judgements and oversee the work of other team members to deliver our audits to a world‑class standard. You will build relationships and liaise with audited bodies and stakeholders, providing assurance that helps support improvement.

What you will be doing

• Work with colleagues to decide the breadth and depth of auditing required in proportion to the circumstances, including the audit methodology.
• Play a key role in planning and delivering audits to time, cost and quality (and may have lead responsibility for this depending on the size and risk‑profile of the audit/work).
• Make professional, evidence‑based judgements and identify potential recommendations.
• Draft clear, authoritative and concise audit outputs.
• Support senior leadership in promoting our work externally.
• Establish and maintain relationships with officers at audited bodies and appropriate stakeholders to support the effective delivery of audit work.
• Coordinate the work of staff across the audit to manage peak period workloads.
• Undertake supportive conversations with colleagues in your team and positively challenge where necessary, including providing on‑the‑job training and coaching.
• Support the development of Audit Scotland’s work programme by sharing intelligence, whether based on local audit knowledge, monitoring key public sector issues or by developing stand‑alone briefings.
• Collaborate with colleagues across Audit Scotland to support our one organisation ambitions and maximise the impact of our work.

Knowledge & Experience

Educated to degree level, or with demonstrable, relevant experience, you will be self‑aware with well‑developed analytical skills. You are confident dealing with both qualitative and quantitative data and can apply your skills to analysing the complex problems public services are facing. You can convert your analysis into clear and balanced judgements backed up by persuasive recommendations for improvement. You have project management experience and good time management skills and can plan and manage your own work on time and within cost. You are also confident in supporting and deputising for your manager and overseeing the work of other team members. You know how to work seamlessly within a team and help to bring out the best in your colleagues, mentoring and coaching where necessary. You have strong written and verbal communication skills and can deal confidently with colleagues and stakeholders, including staff in other organisations. You can draft audit outputs using clear and concise language that is accessible to a range of audiences. You also have experience preparing material for high profile presentations to groups such as boards and committees, or at conferences.

Increasingly we are incorporating the voice of public service users in our audit work and we would like to hear from people who have experience with community engagement involving people who use public services. You have a plan that includes your own continuous development, inspiring others and helping Audit Scotland be a world‑class organisation. You will undertake professional and personal development to maintain technical expertise, meet CPD requirements and enhance your career prospects at Audit Scotland.

Person specification - specific knowledge and experience

• You are educated to degree level or have demonstrable, relevant experience of working in one or more of the following areas: audit and scrutiny, research, strategy and policy, data analytics, service delivery, or business management.
• You have good project and time management skills, and experience of planning and managing your own work.
• You are data‑literate and have strong research and analysis skills, including experience with data analysis tools (either code‑based, interactive, or otherwise).
• You can analyse complex problems and identify practical and realistic solutions, balanced findings, and persuasive recommendations.
• You have strong written and verbal communication and inter‑personal skills and can build relationships with colleagues, audited bodies and stakeholders.
• You have experience supervising, coaching and developing people to help get the best out of a team.
• You have experience of using methodologies for evaluating performance and analysing financial information.
• You have experience communicating your findings in an engaging way using visualisations, BI tools, or other appropriate means.
• You have knowledge and understanding of the Scottish public sector, how it is funded, how it works and the challenges it faces.
• You have or are working towards a financial qualification (CIPFA, ICAS, other CCAB, CIMA or equivalent).
• You have experience of community engagement, public participation and/or involving service users in policy development, monitoring and evaluation.