Ethics & Independence Manager (Corporate Independence) in Oxford

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.

Grant Thornton UK is part of a global network of independent audit, tax and advisory firms, made up of some 58,000 people in over 135 countries. We're a team of independent thinkers who put quality, inclusion and integrity first. Every day our teams help people in businesses and communities to do what is right and achieve their goals.

The Ethics & Independence team protects the firm and drives quality by ensuring compliance with independence requirements, supporting client-facing teams at every stage of the client journey as well as supporting our people regarding their personal independence. We support individuals in complying with their regulatory obligations regarding personal independence, including personal connections, fit and proper considerations and financial interests.

As part of our firm's Quality and Risk function, we are aligned to the needs and demands of the service lines, supporting teams in maintaining independence when undertaking audit and other public interest assurance engagements (PIAEs) as required by the FRC Ethical Standard and the relevant sections of the ICAEW and IESBA Codes of Ethics.

You will be a member of the Ethics & Independence team working alongside others in the Supporting the Practice (Ethics) – Corporate Independence workstream. Through your role, you will gain experience of a broad range of areas covering all our corporate independence workstreams. You will report to Senior Managers and Directors in the team and play a key role in maintaining the firm's independence.

Your areas of focus will include:

• Responding to formal Ethics and Independence consultations covering a broad range of independence-related queries.
• Monitoring responsibilities, retrospectively reviewing tasks completed by client-facing teams to confirm compliance and identify areas for improvement.
• Working on ad-hoc projects from time to time.

This is a varied role with many opportunities for individuals to specialise and focus on areas of interest and expertise and build relationships as part of their continued development. The role can be flexed if required to support your professional development.

As a Corporate Independence Manager within the Ethics & Independence team, you will:

• Consistently execute work on time at the volume and quality levels expected, in line with the relevant policies and procedures.
• Demonstrate a "can do" attitude, taking ownership of work from start to finish.
• Use judgement to analyse independence matters, identify relevant risks and apply appropriate safeguards or escalation routes.
• Support the development of more junior team members by sharing knowledge and providing guidance.
• Be a great communicator, able to explain issues clearly and professionally.
• Collaborate confidently to build relationships within the GT practice and the firm's wider Quality & Risk function.
• Be excellent at time management and prioritisation through efficient diary management.
• Demonstrate curiosity and professional scepticism; being confident to ask questions and challenge appropriately.
• Identify opportunities for efficiency and/or innovation.

Joining us for this role, the minimum criteria you'll need:

• Proven experience within Ethics and Independence in a professional services firm.
• Knowledge and experience of the application of the UK Ethics and Independence requirements.
• Strong judgement skills and the ability to interpret policies and apply them practically.
• Strong analytical skills and a genuine eye for detail.
• Experience in managing a varied workload and communicating confidently with senior stakeholders.
• Proficient in MS Office 365 applications.

It would be great if you had some of the following skills and experience:

• Knowledge and understanding of auditing and financial reporting requirements.
• An understanding of the different services offered by firms like Grant Thornton.
• Awareness of risk management systems and control environments.

Embracing uniqueness, the culture at Grant Thornton thrives on the contributions of all our people. Building an inclusive culture, where we value difference and respect our colleagues helps our people to perform at their best.

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.