Senior Analyst / Senior Auditor Sustainability Reporting and Assurance

Job Description

Senior Auditor Salary: Newcastle range; £51,000 - £60,858; London range; £58,550 - £67,200Senior Analyst Salary: Newcastle range £47,970 - £55,350; London range: £53,300 - £61,500Civil Service Employer Pension Contribution of 27.1%Thank you for your interest in joining the National Audit Office (NAO) as Senior Analyst/Senior Auditor for sustainability reporting and assurance. This job description will give you a better idea of who we are, what you will do when you join us, and what weoffer. It also gives more details about the application process.Our position is unique, and our work is very influential. Totally independent, we examine public spending for Parliament. This means we work for, and for the good of, everyone in the country. We want our work to have greater impact and make a bigger differenceto the outcomes and value for money that government achieves on the issues of greatest importance to the UK, both now and in the longer term.Sustainability reporting requirements are evolving rapidly for both the public and private sector. The National Audit Office has an important part to play in helping to ensure that the system of public sector sustainability reporting that develops is useful,reliable and proportionate. This stems from our remit to examine Value for Money on behalf of Parliament, as well as our financial audit of around 400 public sector accounts.We are looking for someone to take a central role in the NAO’s work on sustainability reporting and assurance. Drawing on strong analytical and communication skills you will lead relevant reports for Parliament and good practice outputs. You will contributeto the development and application of a sustainability assurance methodology. And you will play a central role in our engagement on sustainability reporting and assurance issues with stakeholders in government and the private sector, as well as with nationaland international standard setters and expert communities.Alongside this role we are also recruiting for two Senior Audit Manager roles on sustainability reporting and assurance to create a new team who will lead our work in this area. You can view more details on these roles here.This is an exciting time to join this new team and build a rewarding and fascinating career at the NAO. For more information on the work of the NAO, including our 2022 report on measuring and reporting public sector greenhouse gas emissions see our website,and the other roles available see our website.The roleResponsibilitiesIn this role you will:

• Lead relevant reports for Parliament and good practice guides in line with our quality standards, and engage with external clients and stakeholders to disseminate this work effectively;
• Build external networks with expert communities, standard setters and representative bodies;
• Contribute to the development of our methodological approach to sustainability assurance and relevant assurance work, in accordance with relevant standards and guidance;
• Contribute to tailored, timely and expert advice to teams across the NAO, drawing on and helping to build relevant expertise across the organisation.
• Keep abreast of significant future developments, changes, emerging trends, and issues in the external environment which could impact on our non-financial assurance work and for our clients / stakeholders
• Build effective relationships with stakeholders in expert communities, standard setters, representative bodies, and key stakeholders in government

You will also contribute to the NAO’s wider work, including financial audits, Value for Money studies, investigations, correspondence (from the public and MPs) and other work to support Parliamentary Select Committees.Relationships and accountabilitiesReports to: Senior Audit Manager (sustainability reporting and assurance)Internal relationships: Heads of specialist hubs/functions, audit teams covering a range of audited bodies, service line leads for value for money and financial audit, external communications and Parliamentary relations. You will work particularly closelywith the NAO’s Financial and Risk Management hub.External relationships: External experts within government and in external organisations. National and international standard-setters.Staff resources managed: You will work as part of a small team, drawing in others across the NAO where needed on a project basis.The role can be delivered from either our London or Newcastle offices.Skills requiredWe are looking for someone who can demonstrate the ability to:Desirable

• Draw on a strong knowledge of good practice in sustainability assurance and reporting and an up to date understanding of the challenges of non-financial reporting in public sector organisations

Essential

• Balance tasks and priorities to lead a complex, challenging portfolio of work including supporting the work and development of others.
• Scrutinise a wide range of government and third-party information sources and consider reliability and usefulness.
• Analyse complex ideas or proposals using a wide evidence base to develop meaningful recommendations
• Communicate complex audit findings in well-structured written outputs which add value for the client and can engage a wide audience including non-specialist/non-technical audiences
• Contribute to high quality sustainability assurance engagements, demonstrating attention to detail, critical thinking and a strong ability to work across a diverse range of clients and stakeholders
• Make sound judgements and reach clear conclusions that are clearly evidence based
• Engage effectively with colleagues and clients at all levels, including specialist NAO teams and the people we audit to create impact through your work.
• Influence and add value by building your understanding of the challenges faced by the people we audit.
• Think creatively and innovatively in how you work.

AttributesIn addition, we are looking for the candidates with the following attributes:

Show a strong commitment to your own self development, to delivering the NAOs strategic objectives, and keeping 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 NAOs values and champion our diversity and inclusion strategy.Intellectual curiosity, especially about using data and evidence to answer questions.