At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead high-profile audits and improve operations in a global manufacturing environment.
- Company: Join DS Smith, a leader in sustainable packaging solutions.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, bonus, 25 days holiday, and employee discounts.
- Other info: Hybrid role with opportunities for travel across EMEA.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on operational excellence and sustainability.
- Qualifications: Proven audit experience, degree educated, and strong leadership skills.
The predicted salary is between 56250 - 68750 £ per year.
About the role
Are you looking to lead high-profile audit engagements within a major global manufacturing environment? We have a unique opportunity for a Senior Manager – Internal Audit to join our Internal Audit function at our London head office, providing independent, objective assurance designed to add value and improve the organisation’s operations. Reporting into audit leadership, this role plays an essential part in bringing a systematic, disciplined approach to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of risk management, control, and governance processes across our EMEA footprint. You will manage complex financial, operational, and compliance audits, supervise engagement teams, and partner with senior stakeholders to shape our annual audit plan and methodology. A successful candidate must be a proven audit leader with a strong background in financial reviews and internal controls, who is comfortable navigating complex environments and delivering clear, impactful insights to executive management.
Key responsibilities include:
- Audit Leadership & Execution: Oversee the planning, execution, reporting, and follow-up of complex financial, operational, and internal control audits across EMEA, reviewing workpapers and reports to ensure professional standards are met.
- Planning & Strategy: Lead the development of the annual financial audit plan based on rigorous risk assessments, defining engagement scopes, objectives, testing strategies, and sampling approaches.
- Control Evaluation: Evaluate the design and operational effectiveness of financial controls and business processes, supporting internal controls over financial reporting.
- Stakeholder & Co-Source Alignment: Build strong working relationships with senior management, control owners, and external auditors, coordinating activities with co-source partners to ensure efficient audit coverage.
- People Management & Coaching: Supervise, mentor, and develop audit team members, fostering a collaborative, high-performance culture and contributing to department capability-building initiatives.
- Continuous Improvement: Drive the adoption of data-driven audit techniques, data analysis tools, and quality assurance processes to continually elevate department methodologies.
So, if you are a Senior Internal Audit Manager looking for a new challenge in a business which prioritises operational excellence and encourages you to make a difference, or an Internal Audit Manager looking to step up — then we might be looking for you!
About you
- Proven experience of working in a finance, compliance, or internal audit role or similar.
- Degree educated with a professional qualification (CIA, CPA, or ACCA) highly preferred.
- Strong expertise in financial controls, risk assessment & data analytic skills.
- SOX & GAAP experience is advantageous.
- Proven ability to coach, manage, and develop audit teams while delivering multi-project plans.
- Sharp business acumen and professional skepticism, with the communication skills to influence senior management effectively.
- Willingness to travel.
Benefits
- Competitive salary.
- Discretionary bonus.
- 25 days holiday plus bank holidays.
- Pension scheme, life assurance and income protection.
- Employee Assistance Programme.
- Employee Discounts.
- Cycle to work scheme.
Location: This is a hybrid role, split between the London Paddington office (3 days) and home (2 days) – however flexibility will be required at times including business travel across EMEA.
About us
We are DS Smith, together with International Paper, we are a global leader in sustainable packaging solutions and other fibre-based products. We believe a better, more sustainable tomorrow is possible with the right people, who challenge and support one another to enact positive change. We employ more than 65,000 colleagues in North America and Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), who are experts in innovation, manufacturing, design, sales, sustainability, supply chain, and much more. Together with our customers, we make the world safer and more productive, one sustainable packaging solution at a time. Become part of a world-leading organisation and do your best work with us!
Fair recruitment at DS Smith
To fulfil our purpose of redefining packaging for a changing world, we aim to build a diverse, motivated, and engaged workforce. Our goal is to create a culture of inclusion where everyone is treated fairly, differences are valued, and everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed. Our people come from diverse backgrounds, bring different perspectives, ideas, and experiences to generate unique solutions focused on present and future sustainability challenges. We welcome all candidates to apply, even those not meeting all criteria.
Senior Manager Internal Audit in City of Westminster employer: DS Smith
DS Smith is an excellent employer, offering a supportive work culture that prioritises safety and employee well-being in the vibrant location of Livingston, Scotland. With opportunities for personal growth and development, alongside competitive benefits such as 25 days holiday and a pension scheme, employees can thrive in a dynamic environment while contributing to meaningful production processes.
