AFS Senior Associate - Registration team in Birmingham

The Financial Reporting Council (FRC)’s mission is to serve the public interest by setting high standards of corporate governance, reporting and audit and holding to account those responsible for delivering them. We are the UK Competent Authority for statutory audit. We also set the UK Corporate Governance and Stewardship Codes as well as the UK standards for accounting, auditing and actuarial work, and monitor and take action to promote the quality of corporate reporting and operate independent enforcement arrangements for accountants and actuaries. Further information about our role can be found at www.frc.org.uk.

Audit Firm Supervision (AFS) is one of three supervisory teams for the largest UK audit firms, working closely with the Audit Quality Review and Audit Market Supervision teams. AFS is responsible for forward-looking supervision of the audit firms that audit Public Interest Entities (PIEs), drawing together the results of work undertaken across the FRC. There are four main areas that AFS lead on:

• Supervision of the audit firm registered with the FRC
• PIE Auditor Registration of audit firms and individuals
• Restructuring oversight of audit firms registered with the FRC
• Scalebox (working with smaller firms in the PIE audit market)

The PIE Auditor Registration regime has been operating since December 2022 to make registration/removal decision about the audit firms and individuals (RIs) who audit PIEs, and can put measures on firms’ and RIs’ ongoing registration.

The Role:

The role holder will be responsible for:

• Working alongside the Head of Registration and other Registration team members, providing administrative, analysis, data manipulation and research support.
• Assisting with the processing of applications from firms and individuals to join the PIE auditor register, and the ongoing monitoring of registered firms and individuals by gathering the requisite evidence.
• Monitoring dedicated email inboxes to determine the appropriate route for communications.
• Assisting with maintaining the accuracy and completeness of the Registration team databases and the PIE auditor register.
• Assisting in drafting management information for the Registration team, the AFS team and the Supervision Division.
• Communicating with external stakeholders at an administrative level, particularly with PIE registered audit firms.
• Building and developing relationships with internal stakeholders, including other AFS teams and other teams in the Supervision Division, to facilitate the appropriate sharing of information.
• Supporting with Registration team project work.
• Supporting the Director of AFS, and other AFS staff in project work.
• Supporting other Supervision Division activities on an ad hoc basis.

The Person:

This role will suit a highly motivated individual, the ideal candidates will have:

• Strong IT skills (particularly microsoft applications).
• Strong organisation, prioritisation, and administrative skills.
• Experience of analysing large amounts of information and undertaking research.
• Good written and oral communication skills. Including the ability to generate and communicate innovative ideas to develop and support the operation of the team.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Strong project management skills and a demonstrable ability to plan and execute tasks in a logical manner.
• Supporting the routine and project work being undertaken by the Registration team and the wider AFS team.
• Ability to communicate effectively within AFS and across the FRC, particularly in relation to the work being conducted by the Registration team.
• Ability to communicate effectively with external parties, particularly audit firms, to facilitate the work of the Registration team.
• Ability to:
• manage and prioritise a diverse workload effectively
• develop and execute solutions to issues facing the Registration team and AFS, particularly regarding data
• gather, compile and summarise large amounts of detailed information to focus on what is relevant and omitting what is not relevant
• analyse and select courses of action to obtain relevant information for AFS, Registration and other work.
• An awareness of the UK audit regulatory environment and/or how audit firms operate would be an advantage but is not essential.

Rewards and benefits

• The FRC offers remuneration packages, including 30 days annual leave, ability to buy extra leave.
• Generous employer pension contribution of 10%.
• Staff Employee Assistance Programme including confidential counselling and work life services.
• The FRC offers staff the opportunity to save at least 25% on the purchase of a new bike through the Cycle to work scheme.
• The FRC has a strong work/life balance ethos.

The FRC believes that equality of opportunity and diversity is important in the work that we do and we are strongly committed to being an inclusive employer. Our values of being fair and independent supports this commitment. Equal opportunities monitoring is an important means of demonstrating and implementing our commitment to promoting equality of opportunity and diversity. Completing our diversity form will assist the FRC to identify any barriers that prevent access to employment and career development for certain groups of people, and to develop solutions, such as action plans, new policies and practices. The FRC operates a hybrid working arrangement, with a expectation that 40% per month of a person's working time will be located at one of our offices, with precise arrangements to be agreed between the employee and the line manager