I am currently recruiting for a Corporate Assurance Manager to join a growing rail organisation on a permanent basis in the West Midlands.

The client is looking for someone to work as part of a flexible and multi-disciplinary assurance function, leading on a variety of business assurance reviews (second line of defense) across all areas of the corporate controls environment. Where competent, also act as subject matter lead for individual assurance activity, or acting as a generalist assurance practitioner managing inputs from subject matter experts.

Main duties of the role will include: 

• Acting as the assurance lead with responsibility for the management of individual assurance reviews, and coordinating the assurance review team to deliver the review, in line with the agreed assurance programme.
• Planning and setting the scope of assurance reviews, and documenting the assurance plan/terms of reference, by working with stakeholders and subject matter experts to develop targeted assurance scope
• Planning and delivering fieldwork for assurance reviews, by identifying risk controls and completing testing using a range of testing techniques to assess control design and operating effectiveness
• Holding close out meetings with stakeholders, agreeing corrective actions to support the development, implementation, maintenance and improvement of the Integrated Management System.
• Preparing final reports, escalating major issues or inadequate responses to the Senior Corporate Assurance Manager
• Providing analysis of assurance findings with the view to identification of trends to allow management to develop and prioritise improvement initiatives.

Skills:

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to lead the end to end delivery of assurance reviews to a professional standard and to agreed deadlines, working with assurance providers, both internally and from 3rd parties where required
• Ability to identify strengths and areas for improvement within a business area or process, for example by considering R(esults) A(pproach) D(eployment) AR(assessment&review) or C(heck) A(ct) P(lan) D(o) approach
• Ability to analyse information to provide data-driven feedback to support robust, evidence-based decision making
• Ability to identify and scope the impact of assurance findings, and communicate the implications to a range of audiences
• Excel, MS Project and PowerPoint skills
• Project Management skills, leadership and team-working ability
• Ability to engage with and influence senior management and executives

Knowledge:

• Professional assurance, internal control or audit qualifications or equivalent
• Understanding of risks and controls and their application to the business environment
• Knowledge of range of assurance activities, tools and techniques and their application
• Knowledge of management systems, based on recognised standards such as ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001 or BS OHSAS 18001 or CQI
• Knowledge of the rail, construction and utility industries including their requirement and assurance needs.

Type of experience:

• Experience of delivering assurance or audit across a major programme, or a complex organisation, with multiple stakeholders, within the public or private sector
• Experience delivering work under pressure and to tight deadlines.
• Experience in the validation of major schemes, risk management and reporting.
• Experience of working with sponsors, stakeholders, engineers and project delivery teams.

If you are interested in this role and have the relevant skills and experience, please apply for immediate consideration.