Internal Audit Quality Leader | QA & Compliance in Leeds

About GIAA

The Government Internal Audit Agency (GIAA) is driven by its unparalleled access across government to build better insights and better outcomes for our clients. This role offers a strong platform for career progression within the Agency and the wider civil service, providing opportunities to develop leadership, partner engagement and strategic relationship management skills across government. The Agency's unique access across the public sector exposes you to different risk and control environments, allowing you to gain insights, apply experience, contribute meaningfully, and continue developing professionally.

About the Role

Audit Profession and Practice (APP) is responsible for driving consistency and quality across GIAA via the audit methodology, audit management system and quality assurance work. APP sets standards, monitors compliance against those standards and shares best practice to promote continuous improvement. It also supports development and capability for internal auditors within GIAA.

The APP Quality Manager will have a leadership and delivery role within the Agency and will be responsible for designing, developing and delivering on quality assurance activities, stakeholder management in relation to quality and preparing for our EQA. This role involves working closely with colleagues across our internal audit teams to strengthen professional capability and drive continuous improvement initiatives. The post holder will play a key part in enhancing audit quality, delivering better insights and outcomes, and upholding quality assurance standards to protect the Agency’s reputation. The position also focuses on fostering a risk-oriented culture and supporting the ongoing professional development of the team, ensuring skills, capacity, and priorities are aligned to optimise overall delivery.

This role is rotational within the Agency’s internal audit function. Individuals appointed to this post will have the opportunity to gain experience in operational audit teams, complementing their professional development in APP. Rotations are expected to be up to five years, with arrangements agreed individually and supported by the Agency to ensure smooth transitions and continuity of expertise.

Responsibilities

• Supporting and delivering quality assurance activities (QA) across the Agency in line with Global Internal Audit Standards (GIAS) in the UK Public Sector.
• Delivering end-to-end elements of the QA programme, including scoping, fieldwork, analysis, and reporting of results.
• Expanding and enhancing QA coverage across all audit work undertaken within the audit management system.
• Developing and applying data analytics and innovative approaches to strengthen quality assurance processes.
• Building and maintaining effective stakeholder engagement, including developing communication plans and working with key groups such as Heads of Internal Audit and audit teams.
• Preparing for External Quality Assessments (EQA) and engaging confidently with operational teams and assessors throughout the process.
• Monitoring and tracking actions arising from the Quality Assurance and Improvement Programme, including internal and external assessments.
• Providing leadership and oversight for members of the APP team, supporting their development and performance across multiple regional locations. Specific training will be provided to enable you to fulfil all requirements of this role.

Person Specification

• Expert knowledge of internal audit methodologies and audit management systems, with significant experience in planning, managing, and delivering a portfolio of risk-based audits, making effective decisions, and responding to rapidly changing priorities.
• Proven ability to lead, manage, and develop high-performing internal audit teams, while driving and supporting change at both team and organisational level through a continuous improvement approach.
• Strong project and workload management skills, with the ability to prioritise effectively, manage multiple tasks to tight deadlines, and operate with minimal supervision.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and influencing skills, with the ability to build and maintain strong relationships and convey complex information clearly to stakeholders at all levels, including senior leadership.
• Strong strategic thinking and analytical skills, with the ability to interpret complex or conflicting information, make sound judgements, and identify and address resource and capability gaps in audit service delivery.
• Ability to promote and embed a culture of compliance and continuous improvement, demonstrating resilience and tact when handling challenges, and using innovative solutions to strengthen internal controls, risk management, and governance processes.

Qualifications Required

• All candidates will need to demonstrate full current membership of a recognised professional accountancy/audit body, either:
• Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors UK & Ireland and must hold chartered auditor/CMIIA designation or the MIIA designation where you are qualified under the previous exam route and did not apply to make this chartered. If you have passed all the CMIIA/MIIA exams but do not hold the designation, you are not eligible to apply.
• Other Institutes of Internal Auditors that are part of IIA Global. If you studied with the Institute of Internal Auditors in another country, you must hold the equivalent of the MIIA designation. You should verify this with the IIA UK & Ireland prior to submitting your application, by emailing membership@iia.org.uk.
• No other level of internal audit qualifications meets the requirements of this post.
• Or Accountancy, fully qualified, current member of a CCAB body (ICAEW, ACCA, CIPFA, ICAS, Chartered Accountants Ireland or CIMA).

Benefits

• Competitive salaries and in-year rewards.
• Flexible working.
• Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28%.
• Discount on big brands.
• Volunteering days.
• Season Ticket Loan and Cycle to Work Schemes.
• Free eyesight tests.
• Family-friendly HR policies.
• 25 days' annual leave increasing by one day per year of service to 30 days after 5 years' service.

If you need any reasonable adjustments to take part in the selection process, please tell us about this in your online application form.