Commercial Audit Manager - Public Interest in Birmingham

At Grant Thornton we do things differently - looking to the future, driving ambitious growth and pioneering positive change in our industry. Providing audit, tax and advisory services, we empower clients through strategic insight, curiosity, and genuine partnership. And we empower our people with real opportunity, an inclusive culture and work life balance.

Within our Audit practice, we're very keen to support and hire those who have had career breaks or time away from Audit, who would like to return to a busy, flexible auditing role. Our vacancies for qualified Auditors are all open to supporting the up-skilling and re-integration of returners to our business.

The PI Audit Manager owns delivery of audit engagements for our largest and most scrutinised clients, end to end. This is a role with full accountability for audit quality, client relationship management, team leadership and financial performance on each engagement, operating under the heightened regulatory expectations that apply to Public Interest entities. The role also carries a wider responsibility for developing people and building the PI practice across the Birmingham office and the Midlands market.

Here are some things you can expect from this role:

• Audit quality and technical delivery: Owns the design and oversight of audit strategy for each engagement, including risk assessment and materiality, ensuring full compliance with ISAs (UK), the firm's methodology and PI-specific regulatory requirements.
• Client and stakeholder management: Acts as the day-to-day point of contact for the client, leading client meetings and presenting audit findings to Audit Committees where appropriate.
• People leadership: Leads the engagement team day to day, coaching Assistant Managers and Associates in real time and through formal appraisals.
• Financial and commercial management: Owns the engagement budget, taking corrective action before overruns occur and leading fee discussions with clients where scope changes arise.
• Project management and delivery: Plans and project manages the full audit cycle, from planning through fieldwork to completion, coordinating specialist input as needed.
• Risk, ethics and professional standards: Adheres to the firm's risk management policies and acts with integrity and in line with the firm's values in all client and internal dealings.

Skills and Attributes for Success:

• High-Profile Contact: The day-to-day face of the firm for the client, building trust through technical credibility and leading client meetings, including presenting to Audit Committees where appropriate.
• Leadership Skills: Experience leading an engagement team, coaching Assistant Managers and Associates, and taking full accountability for audit quality and delivery on Public Interest engagements.
• Technical Expertise: Sound technical judgement across ISAs (UK), UK GAAP and IFRS, with the confidence to apply this to complex and contentious audit areas.

Qualifications and Experience:

• Fully qualified as a chartered accountant (e.g. ACA, ACCA, CA, ICAS, ICAEW or international equivalent).
• Experience planning, leading and delivering major external audit and assurance engagements in a managerial capacity.
• Proven technical expertise in ISAs (UK), UK GAAP and IFRS, with knowledge of PI-specific regulatory requirements.

We're interested in professionals with a genuine creative vision and the confidence to make it happen. You can expect plenty of autonomy in this role, so we look for people who will take initiative and seek out opportunities to improve our current relationships and processes.

Embracing uniqueness, the culture at Grant Thornton thrives on the contributions of all our people, we never settle for what is easy, we look beyond to deliver the right thing, for everyone. Building an inclusive culture, where we value difference and respect our colleagues, helps our people to perform at the best of their ability and realise their potential.

Life is more than work. The things you do, and the people you're with outside of work matter, that's why we're happy to look at flexible working options for all our roles, and we'll always do our best to keep your work and life in balance.

The impact you can make here will go far beyond your day job. From secondments, to fundraising for local charities, or investing in entrepreneurs in the developing world, you'll be giving back to society.

We're looking for people who want to contribute, spark fresh ideas and go beyond expectations. People who want to be able to proudly do what's right, for the firm, our clients, our people and themselves.