Principal Auditor

Position: PRINCIPAL AUDITOR (Contract)
The Service
Audit & Counter Fraud fulfils a statutory requirement to advise, alert and assure the Council on the effectiveness of its systems of internal control.
This means focussing on key risks that prevent objectives being achieved, the controls needed to mitigate the risks, and how effectively the controls are working. Audit & Counter Fraud is independent of all other functions, so it can give an objective and unbiased view.
Its primary purposes are:

To help managers make the best of their system controls in meeting the Council's objectives
To promote change and continuous improvement. As a service we take pride in our work by valuing others, focusing on what's important so that we make a real and positive difference. Our values are outlined in our Ways of Working and our Guiding Principles and if they reflect how you are and how you work then this could be the role that meets your expectations.

What is the role?
As Principal Auditor you will assist with delivering the Audit and Counter Fraud Service to PCC and external clients (neighbouring authorities).
Working closely with all levels of officers and members within the relevant Council, you will take an active role in gaining an in depth knowledge of the strategic direction of the relevant Council and the issues it faces, in order to be able to advice on the effective management of risk exposure and the internal control framework.
In addition and as part of the audit function you will carry out original research on new auditing techniques in relation to data analysis and lead in this area.

Who is the person?
You need:

A professional accounting or auditing qualification and Membership.
To demonstrate knowledge & experience of compliance with the Public Sector Internal Audit Standards (PSIAS)
To demonstrate knowledge and experience of operating at a strategic and operational level.
To have a minimum 2 years' experience in conducting audits on a variety of areas including contract auditing.
To have understanding of the methodology and principles of auditing at a strategic level.
To have knowledge and experience of corporate governance including: risk management, internal control environments and frameworks.
To have knowledge & experience of Local Government, its organisation & funding.
To be able to demonstrate an up to date knowledge of legislation, examples include;
Accounts and Audit Regulations;
Anti Money Laundering;
Human Rights; DPA
To have a detailed knowledge of tools required to undertake the role i.e. audit tools, controls and control tools, Benchmarking and other Quality Assurance tools
Have excellent planning, organisation and time management skills with the ability to juggle conflicting priorities and prioritise appropriately to meet agreed objective deadlines.
To demonstrate the ability to interpret complex legislation to enable you to provide specialist advice and guidance to customers.
To have strong analytical skills and a high level of concentration to enable you to understand/interpret legislation and resolve complex issues.
To have the ability to objectively analyse problems, reach logical conclusions and investigate the wider impact outside your own work area.
To be responsible and accountable for the delivery of your personal tasks and outcomes.
Have good working IT skills especially with Microsoft Word and Excel.
Hold a valid driving licence