FS Insurance

Summary of Role Purpose

We have an exciting opportunity for an Audit Manager to join our FS Insurance Audit team. 

In the role, you will be responsible for managing and delivering audit engagements to a high standard of quality, from planning through to completion. 

You will have your own portfolio of audited entities, with responsibility for agreeing audit timetables, briefing the audit team (including specialists), monitoring budgets, and supervising the KPMG audit process. You will manage and nurture stakeholder relationships at audited entities throughout the engagement, working with senior level staff. You are also likely to have a departmental role, facilitating the internal operations of running the business, for example, roles relating to finance, technology, quality, people etc.. 

As an Audit Manager, you will be responsible for leading teams and supervising the work of junior staff, providing coaching and development to assist them in the effective delivery of engagements. You will also have performance management responsibilities for a small number of employees.

Description of the Role

• Performing the planning, co-ordination, and control of audit engagements in accordance with KPMG requirements, to ensure the delivery of a quality audit and appropriate profitability.
• Directing and overseeing the work of junior team members, ensuring compliance with KPMG Audit Methodology requirements. This includes reviewing their audit work and providing coaching and mentoring support.
• Project managing all aspects of audit delivery, including timelines, team briefings, team supervision, and reviews by more senior team members, including Directors and Partners.
• Acting as the initial point of contact with audited entities.
• Managing stakeholder relationships to facilitate the execution of the audit.
• Managing the finances of the engagement, including budgeting, fee negotiation, identifying and communicating overruns, raising fees and agreeing dates for cash collection
• Managing Partner and/or Director involvement on the audit.
• Identifying, researching, and helping to resolve complex audit issues.
• Communicating with audited entities and KPMG specialists on technical matters relevant to the audits. 
• Preparing engagement deliverables, such as audit committee papers, and attending audited entity board/audit committee meetings.
• Working on audit tenders for potential new audited entities.
• Performance managing junior team members, ensuring that you are having rich development conversations that support their growth and career progression.

Role Dimensions

Technical core competencies required for the role

Our Global Audit & Assurance Technical core competencies provide clarity and consistency of expectations to ensure the minimum audit technical requirements are being met by relevant grades to drive Audit Quality, which is fundamental to achieving our ambition to become the most trusted and trustworthy firm. The relevant competencies for this role are:

• Technical knowledge: Understands relevant technical accounting and financial reporting standards, regulations, and accounting literature. Exhibits and stays current on appropriate industry and specialised knowledge, and leverages KPMG methodologies (including ESG Assurance, where relevant).
• Technology skills: Uses firm-approved audit tools and innovative technology solutions to increase audit quality, productivity, and data insights.
• Professional scepticism and issue identification: Applies professional scepticism, objectivity and independence to identify and support resolution of potential audit issues.
• Engagement management: Manages and executes the engagement, including project management, team management and remediation of deviations from the audit plan and timeline.
• Evaluation of audit results: Evaluates evidence from audit procedures to determine if audit objectives were achieved.

People & Culture:

• Embrace and embed our culture ambition of high challenge, high support which is grounded in Our Values.
• Operate with a curious and sceptical mindset ensuring that this is embedded in your everyday work.
• Actively lead and embed a coaching culture to get the best out of others in an environment where everyone in the team feels empowered to speak up or challenge where appropriate.
• Be accountable, professional and act in the public interest, working for the benefit of shareholders of audited entities and wider society.
• Be inclusive and embrace the opportunity to work with other teams within Audit and across the firm in an integrated way. Have a sense of community, purpose and fun.

The Person

Experience and Knowledge Requirements  

• Significant and recent experience as an Audit Manager in an external audit capacity, with experience of systems/controls testing as well as substantive auditing, including consolidations, group audit, and review of statutory accounts and disclosures. This includes audit experience within a ‘Big 4’ consultancy, mid-tier firm, or government / public sector audit department. (E)
• Sound working knowledge of IFRS and UK GAAP. (E)
• Sound working knowledge of International Standards on Auditing. (E)
• Sound working knowledge of US GAAS / PCOAB standards. (D)
• Sound working knowledge of US GAAP. (D)
• Proven track record of managing and delivering a portfolio of high-quality audits. (E)
• Experience of using proprietary software to manage the audit work flow and document audit evidence (E)
• Experience of performance managing teams, coaching and mentoring junior staff. (E)
• IT literate with sound knowledge and experience of MS Tools (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint). (E)

Behavioural Attributes and Skills

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; able to communicate complex matters in a clear and compelling manner.
• Strong organisational and time management skills; able to work effectively in a fast-paced environment with conflicting priorities and deadlines.
• Highly effective stakeholder management and relationship building skills; credible and confident with stakeholders at all levels. 
• Effective problem solver; makes pragmatic and logical decisions, drawing on technical expertise to provide high quality solutions.
• Strong analytical skills and attention to detail; able to analyse and interpret complex technical information.

Qualifications

• Professional qualification from a recognised accountancy body. (E)

E – Essential, D – Desirable