At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the ethics framework and ensure compliance with professional standards.
- Company: Join Gravita, a tech-enabled accounting firm supporting ambitious businesses.
- Benefits: Flexible working, development support, and a collaborative culture.
- Other info: Dynamic environment with opportunities for personal and professional growth.
- Why this job: Shape the future of accounting while promoting ethical practices.
- Qualifications: Expertise in ethics and independence within professional services.
The predicted salary is between 80000 - 100000 € per year.
We’re Gravita: the accountants fuelling ambitious businesses. We’re a full service, tech-enabled firm, working with entrepreneurs and businesses to help them achieve their goals, and make an impact in the world. We’re growing fast and are bringing like-minded advisors together to form a full-service tech-enabled accounting partner for thousands of SMEs. Our team use their incredible expertise alongside intuitive technology to help businesses and entrepreneurs plan better and grow faster. Our mission is to become the UK’s leading tech-enabled accounting firm for SMEs. We have ambitious goals and our high-calibre team work hard to achieve them. We are one team with one agenda, working collaboratively in a respectful environment to deliver a great service to our clients. So if you join us, you’ll not only be working on exciting client challenges, you’ll also be helping us shape the future of accounting.
The Role
To lead and own the firm’s ethics and independence framework, ensuring full compliance with the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales Code of Ethics and Financial Reporting Council Ethical Standard, while embedding a strong ethical culture across the firm. The role has end-to-end accountability for ethics, including both personal and corporate independence, and acts as the firm’s senior subject matter expert and decision-maker on ethical matters. This is a Director-level leadership role with firm-wide remit.
- Head of Ethics: Owns design, implementation, and operation of the ethics framework
- Chief Legal & Risk Officer: Provides oversight, challenge, and escalation point
The role operates as a trusted adviser to partners and senior leadership, not solely a compliance function.
Key Responsibilities:
- Ethics & Independence Framework Ownership
- Design and maintain a firm-wide ethics and independence framework aligned with professional and regulatory standards
- Translate principles-based regulation into clear, practical policies and guidance
- Ensure integration with wider risk, audit quality, and governance frameworks
- Personal & Corporate Independence
- Own both personal independence (partners and staff) and corporate/firm independence (entity-level relationships and services)
- Oversee and continuously improve:
- Financial interests monitoring
- Partner/staff independence declarations
- Firm independence assessments (including network considerations)
- Act as final decision-maker on complex independence matters
- Ethics Advisory & Decision-Making
- Act as the firm’s central authority on ethical matters
- Provide advice to partners and engagement teams on:
- Independence threats and safeguards
- Conflicts of interest
- Non-audit services
- Client acceptance and continuance
- Exercise judgement on high-risk or sensitive cases, escalating only where appropriate
- Conflicts & Ethical Risk Management
- Oversee conflicts identification, assessment, and resolution processes
- Approve high-risk engagements and manage ethical risk exposure
- Ensure robust documentation and defensibility of decisions
- Culture, Training & Behaviour
- Lead the development of a strong ethical culture across the firm
- Design and deliver training tailored to partners, managers, and staff
- Promote ethical decision-making frameworks rather than rule-based compliance
- Support and strengthen speak-up / whistleblowing mechanisms
- Monitoring, Assurance & Continuous Improvement
- Establish and lead an ethics monitoring and assurance programme
- Conduct thematic reviews (e.g. independence compliance, conflicts handling)
- Identify systemic risks and implement improvements
- Regulatory Engagement & Inspection Readiness
- Ensure compliance with applicable ethical and independence standards
- Act as lead contact for ethics-related aspects of regulatory inspections
- Support responses to findings and remediation actions
- Breaches, Investigations & Enforcement
- Oversee identification, investigation, and resolution of ethics breaches
- Determine appropriate remediation and disciplinary outcomes (with HR where appropriate)
- Ensure lessons learned are embedded into policy and training
- Governance & Reporting
- Provide regular, high-quality reporting to:
- Chief Legal & Risk Officer
- Appropriate governance Boards and Committees
- Develop and maintain ethics MI, including:
- Breaches and incidents
- Independence compliance metrics
- Query volumes and themes
Qualifications, Knowledge & Experience:
- Deep expertise in:
- ICAEW Code of Ethics
- FRC Ethical Standard
- Significant experience in audit, risk, or compliance within a professional services firm
- Demonstrable experience handling complex independence and ethical judgement calls
- Strong ability to influence senior stakeholders, including partners
- Experience building or transforming frameworks
Leadership & Behavioural Expectations
- Operates with authority and independence of judgement
- Able to challenge senior stakeholders constructively
- Balances commercial awareness with ethical integrity
- Seen internally as a trusted, pragmatic adviser rather than a blocker
Your Career with Gravita
When you join Gravita, we’ll support you on your own growth journey. We want to be the place you learn, grow and unlock your true potential. We’ll work with you to build a progression plan to outline how you’ll grow at our company and everything we’ll do to help you get there. We’re also passionate about learning and development, to help you focus on your future.
The Nitty Gritty
Our standard working week is a 37.5-hour week on a hybrid basis. Core working hours are 10am - 4pm Monday to Friday. Flexible working and happy employees are at the top of our list here at Gravita and we have been working hard to support our teams through the fast-paced changes. Your development won’t be forgotten, our development support is extraordinary for a firm of our size. It's a busy, fast-paced environment here at Gravita.
Ethics Director in London employer: Gravita
At Gravita, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer that champions a collaborative and respectful work culture. As an Ethics Director, you will not only lead the charge in shaping our ethical framework but also benefit from our commitment to employee growth through tailored development plans and a supportive environment. With flexible working arrangements and a focus on learning, Gravita is dedicated to helping you unlock your true potential while making a meaningful impact in the world of accounting.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Ethics Director in London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with people in the industry. Attend events, join relevant groups on social media, and don’t be shy to reach out to potential colleagues or mentors. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings!
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching Gravita’s values and recent projects. Show us you’re not just another candidate; demonstrate how your ethics expertise aligns with our mission. Tailor your responses to highlight your experience with ethical frameworks and decision-making.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice makes perfect! Conduct mock interviews with friends or use online platforms to refine your answers. Focus on articulating your thoughts clearly, especially around complex ethical scenarios. We want to see your thought process in action!
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to follow up after your interview! A simple thank-you email can go a long way. Use this opportunity to reiterate your enthusiasm for the role and remind us why you’d be a great fit for our team at Gravita.
We think you need these skills to ace Ethics Director in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion for Ethics:When writing your application, let your passion for ethics shine through! We want to see how your values align with our mission at Gravita. Share specific examples of how you've navigated ethical dilemmas in your past roles.
Tailor Your Application:Make sure to customise your application to reflect the job description. Highlight your experience with the ICAEW Code of Ethics and FRC Ethical Standard, as these are key to the role. We love seeing candidates who take the time to connect their skills to what we’re looking for!
Be Clear and Concise:Keep your application clear and to the point. Use straightforward language and avoid jargon where possible. We appreciate a well-structured application that makes it easy for us to see your qualifications and fit for the role.
Apply Through Our Website:Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it shows us you’re serious about joining our team at Gravita!
How to prepare for a job interview at Gravita
✨Know Your Ethics Inside Out
Make sure you’re well-versed in the ICAEW Code of Ethics and the FRC Ethical Standard. Brush up on how these regulations apply to real-world scenarios, as you’ll likely be asked to demonstrate your understanding during the interview.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
As a Director-level candidate, it’s crucial to highlight your leadership experience. Prepare examples of how you've successfully influenced senior stakeholders and fostered an ethical culture in previous roles. This will show Gravita that you can lead by example.
✨Prepare for Ethical Dilemmas
Think through some complex ethical situations you’ve faced in your career. Be ready to discuss how you approached these dilemmas, the decisions you made, and the outcomes. This will demonstrate your ability to handle high-risk cases effectively.
✨Emphasise Collaboration and Communication
Gravita values teamwork and collaboration. Be prepared to discuss how you’ve worked with cross-functional teams to implement ethical frameworks or resolve conflicts. Highlighting your communication skills will show that you can be a trusted adviser within the firm.
