Senior Internal Audit Manager in Darlington

An exciting opportunity to join our highly respected Internal Audit team as a Senior Internal Auditor Manager on a permanent basis, based in our Darlington office (Hybrid working) or home based. At Railpen, our purpose is simple: to secure our members’ future. Strong governance, effective risk management and credible assurance are fundamental to achieving that purpose.

We are recruiting two Senior Internal Audit Managers into our Internal Audit function. These are genuinely senior roles, offering significant exposure across the business and Trustee environment, and a high degree of accountability for delivery, judgement and influence. This is an opportunity for experienced Audit professionals who are comfortable owning outcomes, exercising sound judgement, and standing behind their conclusions in a complex, senior decision‑making environment. We are particularly interested in individuals who are motivated by modern assurance — moving beyond siloed opinions to deliver thematic insight, connected assurance across lines, and proportionate, risk‑focused work that genuinely informs decision‑making.

Who we are: Railpen is responsible for the safekeeping and investment of around £34 billion in assets and the administration of several pension schemes, including the Railways Pension Scheme, one of the UK's largest and longest established pension funds. Our heritage of looking after the pension needs of the rail industry and its employees gives us our name and our unique outlook on how we serve our members. Railpen takes a holistic view, focusing on how we serve members today and how we can positively impact the communities and the world they will retire into.

The role: As a Senior Internal Audit Manager, reporting to the Chief Internal Auditor and working in close partnership with the Head of Operations, you will take ownership of the successful delivery of Internal Audit activity across your assigned portfolios. You will ensure that work is prioritised, coordinated and concluded to a consistently high standard, with a clear focus on outcomes. You will apply professional judgement to translate audit work into clear, credible and decision‑useful insight, standing behind conclusions that are well‑evidenced and proportionate to risk. This is a role at the heart of Railpen’s assurance model, requiring close engagement with senior leaders across the business as well as Trustee, Board and Committee forums, where you will provide independent insight and constructive challenge on risk, control and governance matters.

Alongside delivery ownership, you will bring a broader perspective by identifying themes, root causes and cross‑portfolio insights that strengthen organisational understanding and support better decision‑making. You will oversee multiple audit engagements, setting direction and maintaining quality and pace, while personally leading complex, high‑risk or sensitive work where additional experience or judgement is required. You will play an important role in stakeholder engagement, building trusted relationships across senior audiences while maintaining independence and objectivity. You will also contribute to the ongoing evolution of the function, using insight from delivery and stakeholder feedback to enhance methodology, improve quality and support the continued development of a modern, insight‑led Internal Audit approach.

While these are delivery‑focused roles, there is scope to bring or develop a particular area of depth, such as audit quality, technology, data or AI‑enabled assurance, or connected assurance. Any such focus will complement, rather than replace, your core accountability for delivery.

The person: You will be an experienced Internal Audit professional with a strong track record of owning delivery outcomes and standing behind your conclusions at a portfolio level. You will be confident operating with senior leaders and decision‑makers, including within governance or Trustee environments, and able to bring clear, evidence‑based judgement grounded in risk. You will combine a pragmatic and proportionate approach to assurance with the ability to work through ambiguity, remove obstacles and deliver high‑quality outcomes. Your reporting capability will be well developed, enabling you to distil complex audit findings into clear, insightful and well‑articulated conclusions that resonate with senior stakeholders and support effective decision‑making.

You will be comfortable balancing independence with constructive challenge, and will bring experience of leading or overseeing complex or sensitive audit engagements where credibility, judgement and influence are essential. You will also demonstrate a strong coaching mindset, supporting the development of others through guidance, feedback and encouragement, without relying on formal authority. A commitment to continuous improvement will be important, with experience of using insight from delivery, quality reviews or stakeholder feedback to strengthen ways of working, raise standards and enhance the overall impact of Internal Audit. Above all, you will bring a delivery‑focused mindset, sound professional judgement, and the confidence to operate effectively in a senior, high‑accountability role.

What we can offer you: A competitive salary (depending on experience), 28 days annual leave plus bank holidays, generous annual bonus plan, membership of the Railways Pension Scheme, a Defined Benefit arrangement under which you get a pension for life and a lump sum when you retire, based on your length of service and pay, 4x Life Assurance cover, Private Medical Insurance, Employee assistance programme, Health cash plan, Eye care vouchers, Flu vaccination.

Lifestyle: We support hybrid and flexible working along with very generous family leave including 12 months full pay maternity leave and 6 months full pay paternity leave, buy and sell holidays, give as you earn scheme, paid volunteering days, flexible half days leave, electric vehicle leasing, cycle to work scheme.

Next Steps: Please apply for the apply button or visit Careers Page by 3rd June 2026. Railpen is committed to creating an inclusive and diverse environment, we value diversity and welcome people from all backgrounds and walks of life.