Material Controls Officer in Leeds

Thanks for stopping by. Let us tell you about all the great reasons to join us here at Yorkshire Water:

• We offer a competitive salary, depending on experience (£46,260 - £57,825)
• Annual incentive related bonus (£1000 maximum bonus opportunity for the performance year)
• Attractive pension scheme (up to 12% company contribution)
• Development opportunities in line with the Controls Officer progression plan
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays – plus an extra wellness day!
• Life assurance cover of 4 times pensionable salary
• A great benefits package – choose from health cash plan scheme, critical illness insurance, dental insurance, life assurance flex and partner cover.
• Retail savings scheme
• Online GP service, cycle to work scheme, gym membership discounts and many more!

Location: West Yorkshire / Hybrid Working (1-2 days in the office a week – Bradford – Relocating to Leeds Summer 2026)

Work type: Permanent. 37 hours per week, Monday – Friday.

We have an exciting opportunity for a Controls Officer to join the Audit Risk and Compliance team at Yorkshire Water. This is a crucial role to influence a sustainable business for our customers and the environment.

What we do: Everyone has an idea of what a water company does. Here in Yorkshire, we make sure that over 5.4 million people living in the region and the millions of people who visit our region each year can rely on our services, and have clean and safe drinking water on tap and that their wastewater is taken away. But for us, it’s so much more than this. We look after communities, protect the environment, and plan to look after Yorkshire’s water, today, tomorrow 24/7, 365 days a year. We provide essential water and wastewater services to every corner of the Yorkshire region, and play a key role in the region’s health, wellbeing, and prosperity. New environmental legislation, unprecedented levels of investment and changing expectations from customers means that this is an exciting time to discover opportunities within the water industry.

This is a great opportunity for someone with a passion for risk, controls, and assurance and wants to make a real impact. You’ll work closely with teams across the business, use your analytical skills to solve problems, and help drive action to strengthen our control environment.

Where you fit in: As our Controls Officer you will:

• Act as the strategic lead to ensure Yorkshire Water has an efficient, consistent, and sustainable approach to managing and reporting internal controls.
• Advise and educate the business on the impact of new or changing UK Corporate Governance Code requirements and other relevant regulatory governance standards.
• Evaluate and review the control environment to ensure quality, consistency, and alignment across the organisation.
• Develop an Assurance Plan to monitor the control environment, execute controls testing, provide clear outcomes and recommendations, and work with stakeholders to address root causes of control deficiencies while tracking remediation through to completion.
• Develop, coordinate, and facilitate the annual declaration.
• Collate and present control assessment findings and recommendations for Executive and Board Committees, enabling the Board to confidently attest to the effectiveness of material controls within the annual report.
• Support the Management Team with preparing reports, materials, and updates for Steering Groups and working groups.
• Support external audits to help demonstrate a strong, well governed control environment.
• Build strong relationships across the business to improve integration, collaboration, and alignment in support of internal controls.
• Deliver training and awareness sessions to help colleagues understand internal controls and their role in maintaining them.
• Provide insights and benchmarking to support the continuous development of internal controls.
• Take responsibility for personal development, demonstrating agreed standards of professional and personal growth within required timescales.
• Support the wider Compliance and Assurance team as required.

What skills & qualifications you will need:

• Experience working in a risk, internal control, or audit environment.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to explain complex information clearly and confidently.
• Ability to draft high quality reports, make clear recommendations, and work closely with risk and control owners to address weaknesses.
• Excellent planning, organisation, and time management skills, with the ability to prioritise effectively and manage competing deadlines.
• A logical, analytical approach with strong problem-solving skills.
• Confident using Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Power BI and SharePoint to present information effectively to colleagues at all levels, including senior leaders and external stakeholders.
• Strong listening and questioning skills, with the ability to understand and meet stakeholder needs.

Although we operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, it’s important to us that we support flexible working patterns and job share options (when we can), to help you make the best of both your work and home life. We know that juggling childcare responsibilities or getting that ideal work/life balance isn’t always easy!

If you’ve got experience in Audit or Internal Controls and want to help us deliver great service for our customers whilst looking after the environment, then be sure to apply today to find out what a career with Yorkshire Water can offer you.

If successful for the role, you will be required to undergo pre-employment checks that will include a Basic Disclosure Check, carried out through a Third-Party Company, prior to commencing employment. Depending on the role, you may also be required to go through the security vetting process for either a Counter Terrorist Check or Security Check clearance.

All our roles are subject to a medical questionnaire, and further medicals when required. We are committed to removing barriers and ensuring our recruitment process is accessible to everyone. We offer a range of adjustments to make your application experience as comfortable and straightforward as possible.

If you have an accessibility need, disability, or condition that requires changes to the recruitment process, please include this information in your application. We will then discuss any reasonable adjustments required.

Kelda Group reserve the right to close this position before the published closing date, should the need occur. We therefore advise that you complete and submit your application as soon as possible.