Deputy Director Audit Policy

The post holder will support the Director of Audit Policy in the development and direction of audit policy by the Audit and Assurance Policy (AAP) Team. This will include:

• Responsibility for all aspects of policy relating to ethical frameworks for audit and assurance practitioners.
• Developing of AAP Team strategy.
• Providing authoritative technical expertise to internal stakeholders, most notably to Supervision and Enforcement.
• Engaging with senior external stakeholders, including on ethical and technical matters.
• Development of UK audit and assurance policy.
• Working closely with the Head of Assurance Technology to ensure that the FRC remains on the cutting edge of audit and assurance related technology developments.
• Deputising for the Director of Audit Policy when required to represent the AAP Team internally within the FRC, and to external stakeholders.
• Providing strategic leadership on projects to ensure that outputs are of high quality, coherent and aligned with the FRC’s objectives.
• Playing a leadership role in the development of UK audit and assurance policy, with the aim of developing innovative approaches which keeps the FRC at the forefront of influencing both in the UK and internationally.
• Taking responsibility for all aspects of the ethical frameworks applicable to audit and assurance practitioners, including fee waiver applications.
• Keeping the strategic landscape for audit policy under review to ensure timely, proportionate responses to emerging risks and opportunities.
• Oversight of the projects being undertaken by the AAP team.
• Helping manage the team’s portfolio of projects, assuming some line management responsibilities and provision of technical advice and support for Project Directors within the team.
• Collaborating with the AAP’s Head of Technology Assurance to ensure that technology is appropriately considered within the project portfolio.
• Representing the work of the AAP team within FRC governance structures.
• Liaising with other teams within the FRC to support their work, as well as to position the work of the AAP team within the overall work of the FRC.
• Engaging other national and international stakeholders where appropriate, including audit firms, other UK financial regulators, professional bodies, and international standard setters and regulatory forums.

Knowledge & Expertise

• A CCAB qualification as well as experience working with and drafting technical audit-related standards and guidance are required.
• Strong leadership aptitude, comprising an ability to articulate a clear vision of the AAP Team’s strategy combined with the project management ability to support the realisation of the strategy.
• A strategic vision which includes the relationship between effective and proportionate regulation to support growth in the UK economy.
• Excellent in-depth knowledge of the FRC’s suite of auditing, assurance and ethical standards.
• An excellent understanding of the regulatory framework for audit, both within the UK, and internationally.
• An understanding of contemporary developments in audit and assurance, including the role of technology, the development of sustainability assurance, and the role of private equity in audit firms.
• Strong people skills, including proven line management experience and commitment to supporting the development of self and others in the team.
• Strong interpersonal skills, with an ability to manage both internal and external stakeholder relationships, and to quickly establish credibility and influence at senior levels.
• Confident and articulate communicator with the confidence to speak publicly, and manage meetings with senior stakeholders.
• Exceptional report writing skills, able to express issues in a clear, balanced and concise manner.
• Enthusiastic and energetic, passionate about improving assurance to better meet needs of all stakeholders.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with an ability to develop innovative solutions and combine technical rigour with proportional outcomes that support public interest considerations.
• A supporter of innovation.
• First-class technical skills (ability to provide legally sound, clear and constructive advice).
• Exceptional project management skills, including the ability to oversee a portfolio of projects being delivered by a team.
• A process of engagement with assurance professionals and wider stakeholders that is appropriate and provides effective mechanisms for developing standards, guidance, and communication best practice.
• To manage the delivery of assurance technology and thought leadership projects to ensure that there is sufficient input from others within the FRC, including Supervision & Enforcement colleagues, and others within the wider stakeholder community.
• High quality standard setting, guidance, and other thought leadership publications.
• To lead meetings and roundtables with senior members of the assurance profession and a wide range of other stakeholders to build credibility.
• Take a leadership role in managing and developing staff and raising their performance, including a management role in developing current and future AAPT staff.
• To identify and develop standard setting, guidance and other projects and their scope, appropriately assessing risk and opportunities through research and consultation with stakeholders.
• To provide support to broader FRC wide projects and deliverables.

Please apply by uploading a copy of your CV and covering letter as a single document upload. In the covering letter, please set out, by reference to the person specification above how you meet the required skillset.

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 is a Disability Confident Employer and we welcome applications under the Guaranteed Interview Scheme from disabled people as defined by the Equality Act 2010 that meet the minimum requirements for the role.
• The role is based in our central Birmingham office. The post holder should be able to work flexibly to support the team’s activities and also provide cover within the FRC as necessary.
• The FRC operates a hybrid working arrangement with its workforce, with an expectation that 40% of a person's working time will be located at one of our offices per week, with precise arrangements to be agreed between the employee and the line manager.