Governance and Assurance Manager

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 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.

Are you an experienced governance, risk, assurance or information governance professional looking for your next leadership challenge?

We're seeking someone with strong analytical skills, sound judgement and the ability to influence senior stakeholders to lead a diverse portfolio of governance, risk, compliance and organisational resilience activities. If you enjoy driving improvement and developing a collaborative and high-performing function, we'd love to hear from you.

Overall purpose of the role

The Governance and Assurance Manager leads Audit Scotland's governance, assurance and information governance functions, ensuring the organisation has effective frameworks, oversight and controls to support accountability, compliance, informed decision-making and organisational resilience. The role provides professional leadership across governance, risk, assurance, information governance and public accountability services, while contributing as a member of the Performance and Corporate Governance management team to the development of an integrated, flexible and resilient corporate support function.

What you will be doing

Governance, assurance and risk management

• Lead the development, implementation and continuous improvement of Audit Scotland's governance, risk and assurance frameworks, ensuring they remain effective, proportionate and aligned to organisational priorities.
• Oversee corporate governance policies, registers and compliance arrangements, including standing orders, schemes of delegation, terms of reference and statutory reporting requirements, ensuring arrangements remain effective, up to date and support organisational accountability.
• Lead the annual assurance process and oversee internal audit arrangements, including internal audit procurement, development and delivery of the internal audit programme, relationships with the internal audit provider and monitoring of recommendations, ensuring assurance activity is integrated and supports informed decision-making.
• Provide specialist advice and support for governance, risk and assurance reporting to the Executive Team, Board and committees, attending governance forums as required.
• Lead the development and continuous improvement of Audit Scotland's corporate risk management arrangements, including the corporate risk framework, risk appetite, risk reporting and integration of risk, governance and assurance activities to support effective organisational oversight and decision-making.
• Oversee arrangements for externally provided internal audit and legal services, including procurement and contract management as required, ensuring these services effectively support organisational governance, assurance and decision-making.

Information governance and organisational resilience

• Oversee Audit Scotland's information governance, records management and data protection arrangements, including oversight of information governance and data protection incidents, ensuring compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements and supporting safe, effective and responsible use of information, technology and AI-enabled tools.
• Support the Data Protection Officer in fulfilling their statutory responsibilities, providing senior professional oversight of data protection arrangements and deputising for the DPO where appropriate.
• Lead the development, review, testing and continuous improvement of business continuity and organisational resilience arrangements, ensuring learning from exercises and incidents strengthens organisational preparedness.
• Ensure effective compliance monitoring, assurance reporting, audit readiness and engagement with regulators, auditors and external oversight bodies.
• Promote good practice and a culture of governance, assurance and information governance compliance through guidance, training and awareness activity, supporting colleagues and Information Asset Owners to fulfil their responsibilities and adapt to emerging information governance, technology and AI-related risks.

Public accountability and statutory compliance

• Oversee delivery of public-facing casework services, including FOI, EIR, complaints, DSARs and correspondence processes, ensuring statutory obligations and service standards are met.
• Ensure effective management of organisational compliance and public accountability processes, protecting Audit Scotland's reputation and supporting transparency.
• Manage relationships with regulators and external organisations on matters within the team's remit.

Leadership and organisational contribution

• Lead, manage and develop colleagues within the Governance and Assurance function, building capability, resilience and succession pathways across the service.
• Contribute as a member of the PCG management team, supporting collective leadership, shared ownership of outcomes and flexible deployment of resources across service areas.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues across Executive Office, Planning and Performance and wider Corporate Services functions to deliver integrated services and organisational priorities.
• Lead and support governance, assurance, information governance and organisational improvement initiatives, helping to modernise services through proportionate adoption of technology, automation and AI-enabled solutions.

Person specification - specific knowledge and experience

• Experience of leading governance, risk, assurance, information governance or compliance activities within a public sector or similarly regulated environment, including the development, implementation or oversight of frameworks, policies and controls. (I)
• Experience of information governance, records management, data protection, information rights and organisational resilience activities, including the application of relevant legislation, management of information governance risks and oversight of compliance arrangements. (S/I)
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with experience of assessing complex issues, applying professional judgement and providing practical recommendations to support informed decision-making.

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