Assurance Testing Manager

Details
Reference number

437876

Salary

£61,250 - £76,671

A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

GBP

Job grade

Grade 7

Contract type

Permanent

Business area

UKEF - Risk Management Group - Enterprise Risk

Type of role

Finance

Risk Management

Working pattern

Flexible working, Full-time

Number of jobs available

1

Contents

• Location
• About the job
• Benefits
• Things you need to know
• Apply and further information

Location

Westminster, London

About the job
Job summary

UK Export Finance is committed to supporting a continuous improvement culture across the organisation with the aim of strengthening the control environment pan-UKEF.

A strong second line Assurance function strengthens risk governance, provides independent validation of controls and promotes good risk management awareness and practices across the organisation.

Risk Assurance is managed in a decentralized manner across the department, with several divisions undertaking their own assurance activities. This role is a single point coordinator who will take responsibility for providing Board / Executive Committee (EC) summary reporting on Assurance activities.

Subject matter expertise resides across the department. This does not imply that each and every Assurance activity would be undertaken by this role holder, however they would be responsible for coordinating assurance activities from certain divisions.

The Enterprise Risk Division prepares an annual Assurance Review Plan. Going forwards the role would include plans for Assurance Reviews from other divisions and present a consolidated plan to Enterprise Risk & Credit Committee (ERiCC) and EC.

Similarly they will provide a departmental Annual Assurance Review report to EC & ERiCC taking the assurance reviews carried out by certain other divisions or via 3rd parties. This will enable the CEO/Accounting Officer to sign off on the Annual Report taking into account the results from the Annual Assurance Report (in addition to the CEC certifications, Internal Audit Reports etc.).

Job description

The Assurance Manager will have a good knowledge of all aspects of ERM and will be responsible for working across all divisions at UKEF to gain a good understanding of their issues. This will enable them to carry out sporadic deep dives into divisional activities on a programme basis as also on an ad hoc basis.

• Undertaking Assurance Testing reviews, proactive action management and contributing to the development of the annual assurance testing plan. Develop and execute the annual ERD second line assurance plan, aligned to departmental risk appetite and priorities.
• Co-ordinating and collaborating with other second line of defence functions and the third line - Internal Audit.
• Produce clear, actionable assurance reports and track remediation progress. Delivering regular reporting to multiple stakeholders and Committees.
• Benchmarking UKEF's risk and assurance approach against the Orange Book (public sector standard) reporting.
• Discussing key findings/ risk themes at Enterprise Risk and Credit Committee (ERiCC) to improve the Department's risk and assurance performance.
• To lead and deliver ERD second line assurance activities that provide independent oversight and challenge of first line risk and control management.
• Conduct assurance reviews, control testing, and walkthroughs across key business areas.
• Escalate significant findings to senior governance forums.
• Contribute to the development of assurance methodologies, risk policies, control catalogues as outcomes from the assurance reviews.
• Support the embedding of risk culture and maturity across the department.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Provide expert advice and challenge to first line teams on risk and control responsibilities.
• Build strong relationships with senior stakeholders, including the Chief Executive, Audit committee chair and the chair of the Risk Committee.
• Partner with the 3rd line (IAAD) to reduce any duplication of reviews by the 2nd and 3rd lines.
• Promote a culture of openness, collaboration, and constructive challenge.

Governance and Reporting

• Ensure that the Assurance Testing Framework is subject to review and kept updated in accordance with changing business and risk profiles.
• Prepare periodic assurance updates for governance bodies such as the Exec Committee, Enterprise Risk & Credit Committee, Risk Committee and Audit Committee.
• Ensure timely and accurate reporting of assurance outcomes and agreed actions.
• Ensure that assigned actions are proactively managed and remediated by the relevant stakeholders.
• Ensure Assurance Testing completed is targeted at key risks and recommended remediation is commensurate with the risk
• Provide a year-end Assurance Report to the CEO, the executive committee and Board Risk Committee.

This list is not exhaustive, and you may be required to carry out additional duties according to business needs.

Person specification

Essential

Qualifications

Evidence of continuing professional development in the discipline of enterprise risk management / risk assurance (A)

Knowledge

Good knowledge of operational risk, assurance testing, incident management, regulatory requirements in the external environment and industry best practice approach to enterprise risk (A&I)

An understanding of the risks that are managed in an export credit agency including origination, underwriting, deal execution & post issue matters (A&I)

Knowledge of Control Frameworks, Assurance testing, Risk appetite setting and best practices on ERM and Assurance (A, I & P)

Good understanding of the three lines of defence model (A, I & P)

Skills/Ability

Competent analytical ability – especially in terms of interpreting trends from data - to understand, interpret and read-across a range of risk issues (A&I)

Good problem-solving skills and ability to think creatively and strategically when difficult or unusual incidents arise (A&I)

Sound judgement and decision-making skills coupled with the ability to prioritise (A&I)

Communication and persuasion & influencing skills (oral and written) (A, I & P)

Communicate authoritatively and credibly with a wide range of senior stakeholders at times with difficult messages (A, I & P)

Ability to work independently without close supervision, exercising autonomy sensibly and definitively (I)

Experience

Experience of Risk Governance (Policy management, risk appetite) (A&I)

Experience of collaborating across multiple teams (I)

Other

Some travel might be required (in the UK) (I)

Qualifications

• Evidence of continuing professional development in the discipline of enterprise risk management / risk assurance (A)

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions
• Managing a Quality Service
• Communicating and Influencing

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• 1. Technical - you will be assessed across your technical expertise and acumen, in relation to the essential criteria: a. Technical questions, related to the requirements of this role and essential criteria, as outlined in the person specification
• 1. Technical - you will be assessed across your technical expertise and acumen, in relation to the essential criteria a. Presentation - a topic decided by UKEF and will be sent to the relevant candidates to prepare in advance

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £61,250, UK Export Finance contributes £17,744 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Things you need to know
Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles , and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

We are assessing candidates using Success Profiles (see Appendix 1) and across the whole process we will assess your Experience, Technical and Behaviours as highlighted below.

The application must be completed by 23.55 on the day of the closing date for it to be accepted.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

All applications will be sifted against our essential criteria outlined in the personal specification.

• Qualification:
• Evidence of continuing professional development in the discipline of enterprise risk management / risk assurance (A)
• Statement of suitability - you should fully articulate in 750 words how you meet the essential criteria outlined in the person specification within the Information Pack.

For the initial sift your application will be evaluated against:

• Experience - Application and Statement of Suitability

In the event of a high volume of applications, we will carry out an initial sift on the following essential criteria:

• Good knowledge of operational risk, assurance testing, incident management, regulatory requirements in the external environment and industry best practice approach to enterprise risk (A&I)
• Competent analytical ability – especially in terms of interpreting trends from data - to understand, interpret and read-across a range of risk issues (A&I)
• Experience of Risk Governance (Policy management, risk appetite) (A&I)

If you are successful following the sift stage, you will be invited to an initial technical interview; this will include the following assessment:

• Technical - you will be assessed across your technical expertise and acumen, in relation to the essential criteria:
• Technical questions, related to the requirements of this role and essential criteria, as outlined in the person specification

If you are successful following the sift stage, you will be invited to a panel interview; this will include the following assessment:

• Behaviours/ Experience- a formal panel interview where you will be interviewed across all four behaviours highlighted.
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions
• Managing a Quality Service
• Communicating and Influencing
• Technical - you will be assessed across your technical expertise and acumen, in relation to the essential criteria
• Presentation - a topic decided by UKEF and will be sent to the relevant candidates to prepare in advance

Details of interview panel members will be e-mailed to all successful candidates who are invited for interview.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check .

See our vetting charter .

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles .

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy .

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative.

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants
Job contact :

• Name : UKEF Resourcing Team
• Email :

Recruitment team

• Email :

Further information

Should you have a complaint or wish to raise any concerns regarding the recruitment process, please e-mail your complaint to the Head of Pay and Resourcing (UKEF) at and include "Complaint" in the subject heading. Should you remain dissatisfied following UKEF's investigation then you can refer your complaint to the Commission -

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