Audit and Risk Manager

Job Description

Permanent Full-Time
Location: Hybrid/Remote, Sale Manchester UK
Salary: Up to £50,000 DOE
Reports to: Head of Audit, Risk and Compliance
Line Management Responsibilities: No

Overview

VQA is the fastest-growing Awarding Organisation in the UK and a market-leading Apprenticeship Assessment Organisation. We work with over 500 schools, colleges, universities, and training providers across the world to provide qualification certificates, endorsements, and apprenticeships to over 150,000 learners.

What’s the secret to our success? Simply put, we do things differently here!

The Audit and Risk Manager provides coordinated oversight of VQA's internal audit and enterprise risk management arrangements, ensuring both functions are effective, proportionate and aligned with organisational objectives. The role supports the Head of Audit, Risk and Compliance (ARC) by providing clear insight, constructive challenge and assurance on governance, risk management and internal controls.

Working across the ARC Pillar and with managers, leaders and third-party assurance providers, the postholder will maintain frameworks, coordinate activities, monitor delivery and drive improvements. The role has no direct reports at present and achieves outcomes through collaboration, influence and effective governance rather than line management authority.

Key responsibilities

• Oversee and continually improve the internal audit framework, methodology, standards and documentation, maintaining a proportionate, risk-based approach.
• Maintain and develop the organisational risk management framework, including risk appetite, policies, assessment criteria and supporting guidance.
• Oversee the quality, completeness and currency of organisational risk registers, ensuring risks have clear owners, appropriate controls, mitigations and escalation routes.
• Coordinate the development and delivery of the risk-based audit plan, agreed with the Head of ARC and informed by organisational priorities, regulatory exposure and emerging risks.
• Support the commission, scope and coordinate internal and third-party audit work; monitor quality, timeliness, consistency and value of audit outputs.
• Review audit findings and reports to ensure conclusions are evidence-led, clearly articulated and supported by appropriate recommendations.
• Maintain oversight of audit action plans, validate progress and escalate overdue, ineffective or significant remediation.
• Protect the independence of audit activity, including appropriate separation between advisory support, operational ownership and independent assurance.
• Support managers and project leads to identify, assess, monitor and escalate strategic, operational, regulatory and change-related risks.
• Analyse risk themes, control weaknesses, changes in exposure and emerging risks, providing timely insight to the Leadership Team and Executive.
• Promote proportionate risk management that enables informed decision-making, innovation and sustainable growth.
  

Other responsibilities

• Work closely with ARC colleagues to align audit planning, risk reporting, regulatory intelligence, assurance findings and improvement activity.
• Prepare clear management information, dashboards and reports for the Head of ARC and other stakeholders, identifying themes, priorities and areas requiring decisions.
• Facilitate cross-functional reviews, workshops, action tracking and lessons learned; provide guidance and awareness activity to strengthen organisational capability.
• Maintain knowledge of VQA products, systems, operations, sector developments and relevant audit and risk management practices.
• Undertake other duties within the postholder’s skills and competence to support effective operation of the ARC Pillar.
  

Key requirements

• Experience in internal audit, risk management, governance or assurance, with practical understanding of both audit and risk disciplines.
• Ability to coordinate risk-based audit activity and support effective organisational risk assessment, reporting and escalation.
• Strong analytical, report-writing and stakeholder engagement skills, including the ability to challenge senior colleagues constructively.
• Experience working across teams and influencing outcomes without direct line management responsibility.
• Experience in a regulated, education, public-sector or similarly complex environment is desirable.
• Relevant professional qualification or membership is desirable.

Key characteristics

• Independent, objective and evidence-led, with sound professional judgement.
• Pragmatic, proportionate and commercially aware, balancing effective control with organisational objectives.
• Collaborative and confident working across functions and with stakeholders at all levels.
• Organised, analytical and attentive to detail, while able to identify the bigger picture.
• Committed to integrity, continuous improvement and a positive risk and assurance culture.

Key Benefits

• Training, Qualifications & Apprenticeships. It’s what we do!
• Company sick pay upon completion of probation.
• 25 days annual leave plus 8 days Bank Holiday (33 in total).
• Additional annual leave day each year, after 2 years of continuous service (up to 28 days).
• An extra day off to celebrate your birthday and the Christmas period.
• Annual Loyalty Bonus.
• Annual salary review.
• Bupa healthcare benefits.
• Group Income Protection.
• Life Assurance.
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP).
• NEST pension.
• Cycle-to-work scheme.
• A workplace that supports a healthy work/life balance.
  

*We are an equal opportunities employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Should you require any additional support during the recruitment process due to a disability, please contact us so we can assist you.*

Please note that TQUK has rebranded to VQA. As part of this transition, you may still see references to TQUK in some of our communications, documents and systems. These references relate to the same organisation and do not affect your application or the services provided.