GOVERNMENT INTERNAL AUDIT AGENCY
The Science Capability in Animal Health (SCAH) programme is an ambitious, 10-15-year programme working towards safeguarding and future-proofing the UK’s animal health science capability. This is an exciting opportunity to work on a priority Defra programme on the Government’s Major Projects Portfolio, of significant national importance.
About the Job
The successful candidate will be responsible for leading a portfolio of assurance across the SCAH programme and will have a unique opportunity to build an audit function embedded in the heart of one of the Government’s most significant and critical infrastructure projects.
The work will be high profile and challenging and you will be expected to work independently and at pace whilst ensuring that customer service standards and expectations are met or exceeded. In this role you will design and lead an assurance plan and will also deliver audit reviews yourself.
Key accountabilities will include:
- Develop and implement an approach to internal audit assurance for the SCAH programme, which reflects the priorities and risks of the programme and other sources of assurance.
- Engage effectively with senior stakeholders to support the identification and management of key risks and to promote effective governance, risk management, control and assurance arrangements.
- Deliver the overall assurance plan and individual reviews in line with quality, time and budget. Lead very high risk or complex audit and assurance assignments and manage external partners, as required, on individual assignments.
- Deliver robust, evidence-based, independent assurance opinions to the clients and programme governance bodies, in accordance with the agreed timetables.
- Lead continuous improvement activities to enhance audit practices, products and customer service. Translate the vision, culture and values of the GIAA into leadership behaviours and action.
- Develop strong relationships with the wider assurance community, including the Infrastructure and Projects Authority, Association of Project Management, and the National Audit Office, to leverage best practice and develop integrated assurance plans.
- Establish and embed means of sharing insights arising from PPM assurance and advisory work with GIAA colleagues and customers.
About You
You will hold a relevant specialist PPM qualification (e.g., APM, PRINCE2) and/or be able to demonstrate extensive experience in providing assurance to projects and programmes, including infrastructure programmes. An ability to build good relationships with a variety of stakeholders at all levels whilst delivering efficient and robust assurance work is essential for the role.
About Us
We are committed to being an inclusive employer. We encourage applications from all backgrounds, and we welcome applications from candidates who wish to work flexibly, for example, part-time, term time or job share.
Hybrid Working is available to GIAA colleagues. This means a combination of office working and working from home. This includes time spent in our GIAA office locations and can also include any time spent attending our customers’ sites.
GIAA colleagues are expected to work in an office location for three days a week on average (60%). Naturally, this expectation will be applied on a pro-rata basis for people who have a part-time or compressed hours working pattern.
Benefits of working for the Government Internal Audit Agency
- Competitive salaries and in year rewards
- Flexible working
- Competitive contributory pension scheme with employer contributions starting from 26.6%.
- Discounts on big brands and supermarkets, online shops and on the high street.
- Paid volunteering days
- Season ticket loans/Cycle to work scheme
- Free eyesight test
- Family friendly HR policies
- 25 days annual leave, increasing one day each year to 30 days after 5 years’ service
For more information about the GIAA, role, salary, benefits, who to contact and how to apply please follow the Apply link.
If you need any reasonable adjustments to take part in the selection process, please tell us about this in your online application form, or speak to the recruitment team at
