Senior Audit Manager - VFM

Contract type: Permanent

Location: London or Newcastle offices, with a minimum of 2 days a week attendance in either office.

Salary: Newcastle salary, circa £67,000 & London salary, circa £74,500 plus Civil Service Employer Pension Contribution of 28.9%

The NAO welcomes applications from candidates who work part‑time and are keen to support colleagues to work flexibly, including on a job share basis.

Introduction

Thank you for your interest in joining the National Audit Office (NAO) as a Senior Audit Manager. This job description will give you a better idea of who we are, what you will do when you join us, and what we offer. It also gives more detail about the application process. We are independent of government and the civil service, and we play a critical role supporting Parliament to scrutinise how effectively the government spends public money. Our 2025‑2030 strategy sets out our ambition to contribute to two distinct outcomes – helping to improve the productivity and resilience of public services and supporting better financial management and reporting in government. Our strategy also states that government will need to innovate to deliver effective and affordable public services. We will use our public audit perspective to highlight positive examples of innovation in the public sector and take account of government’s risk appetite in our audit approach. The recommendations from our work can result in financial savings and positive changes in government to improve services and ensure value for money for taxpayers. You will tackle complex projects that inform debates and influence some of the biggest decisions that government makes. You will work with dedicated and talented people toward shared and important goals. And, by taking on new opportunities and challenges, you’ll build a rewarding and fascinating career.

Responsibilities

• You will lead our teams to deliver high‑quality work that supports improvements in the delivery of public services. This involves planning, researching and drafting our value for money reports, working alongside sector or topic specialists, analysts and qualified accountants, as well as applying strong quantitative and qualitative analytical skills.
• You will role‑model behaviours and ways of working to support us as an exemplar organisation.
• You will engage with external clients and stakeholders to deliver greater engagement with our work.
• You will get involved in other work too, including investigations, correspondence from the public and MPs, and other work that supports Parliamentary select committees.
• All Senior Audit Managers are expected to spend part of their time developing their expertise in one or more specialist areas through our networks (Hubs) across the office.

Relationships and Accountability

You will manage a team to deliver value for money work to time and budget. You will work with other people of all grades. You will work with Senior Auditors and/or Senior Analysts who lead a team of Analysts and accounting trainees to deliver high‑quality reports. The Director is accountable for the overall quality and impact of the audit. You will commonly meet and interact with senior people in the NAO and in government bodies.

The impact you will make

Our work responds to government’s plans and particularly those with long‑term implications for public spending. You’ll contribute to work that examines the cost, effectiveness and efficiency of government programmes and projects. Whatever you work on, it all serves to help hold government to account for the way it uses public money and helps to promote improvements in public service delivery. Our recommendations and reports on good practice help government improve public services, and our work in the last year led to:

• Positive financial impacts of £5.3 billion in 2024. For every £1 spent we delivered an impact of £53 through either reduced costs, improved service delivery or other benefits to people.
• 93 % of our recommendations to government were accepted or partially accepted.

The people we are looking for

This role operates within the NAO’s hybrid working model, with a minimum expectation of two days per week working from the office (or at an audited body), in line with our organisation‑wide approach. We are committed to supporting flexible ways of working and actively encourage applications from candidates seeking part‑time hours. Working patterns, including office days, are agreed with the line manager. Based in either our London or Newcastle office, you’ll join a collaborative and supportive environment that values work‑life balance, flexibility and professional development.

A strong academic background and experience in managing audit projects and producing high‑quality, accessible written outputs. For individuals with an audit background this means:

• An ACA or other professional qualification (e.g. ACCA, CIPFA, CIA, MIIA, CIMA) with relevant experience.

For individuals with other backgrounds this means either:

• A minimum of a 2:1 degree or a relevant post‑graduate qualification and relevant experience.

We are keen to hear from people who have experience shaping and evaluating public policy, leading change in organisations, or making a difference through impactful projects, no matter what sector those skills were gained in.

Abilities

It will be essential that you can demonstrate the ability to:

• Lead, develop and motivate diverse teams and support all colleagues to deliver great work and achieve their potential.
• Support and manage teams to ensure the delivery of high‑quality assurance work which supports our strategic aims and enables longer‑term value for money.
• Oversee the production of a range of well‑produced written outputs which support our findings and recommendations and are designed to engage a wide audience.
• Work collaboratively and flexibly to ensure the office achieves its objectives and to support the wellbeing and development of colleagues.
• Show creativity and innovation in how we do our work and build insights and support teams to do so.
• Create recognition and impact (improvements in public service delivery) from our work by developing strong and influential relationships with external clients and stakeholders.

Attributes

We are also looking for candidates with the following attributes:

• Show a strong commitment to your own self‑development, to delivering the NAO’s strategic objectives, and keep yourself up to date on office initiatives and information relevant to your work and specialism.
• Compliance with corporate responsibilities and interest in supporting others to do so.
• Working in accordance with the NAO’s values and champion our diversity and inclusion strategy.
• Intellectual curiosity, especially about using data and evidence to answer questions.
• Flexibility to make a significant contribution across a range of topics and outputs.
• Drive and determination to overcome obstacles, resistance or challenges to achieve goals.
• Passion for improving government and the ability to defend and promote your point of view in the face of challenge.

How to apply

Please read the following instructions: Please click on the advert apply button. Register and apply by filling out your online profile. Submit an up‑to‑date CV. Use the template https://bit.ly/4txNE3y or choose the format of your CV, but it should be no longer than two pages of A4 using size 10 font and cover the points in the template. A completed application form https://bit.ly/4cV9OH6 in place of a cover letter.

If you experience any issues during the application process, please contact AuditManager.Recruitment@nao.org.uk.

Equal opportunities and diversity

Disability and Reasonable Adjustments: Applicants with a disability who wish their application to be considered under the Disability Confident scheme should confirm this when submitting their application. Under this scheme we guarantee an interview to an applicant with a disability who meets the minimum requirements for the role. You should also let our HR team know if you wish us to consider any Reasonable Adjustments at any stage of the process (HR Service Desk: HRServiceDesk@nao.org.uk). Applicants will not be discriminated against on the grounds of any protected characteristic or any other extraneous factor.

Nationality Requirement

• UK Nationals
• Nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• Nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with (or eligible for) status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)

Please be aware that we do not provide sponsorship for work visas for this position. Applicants must already meet the nationality requirements outlined above. If you have any questions regarding your eligibility, please contact the HR Service desk: HRServiceDesk@nao.org.uk.