Head of Internal Audit

Head of Internal Audit - Manchester/Hybrid Working

We’re Salix and we’re on a mission to help save the planet. We enable and inspire organisations in the public and private sectors to achieve their ambitious net zero targets and create better places to live and work.

We deliver government funding schemes to support councils, schools, housing associations, hospitals and universities to boost their energy efficiency, reduce their impact on the environment, save money and remove households from fuel poverty.

We are now looking to bring on a Head of Internal Audit to lead Salix’s audit function, developing and implementing the audit strategy for the audit of Salix’s own internal operations and for the grant schemes delivered by Salix on behalf of the DESNZ.

Key Performance Objectives;

• Strategic Leadership: Develop and manage comprehensive risk-based audit programs aligned to our business objectives and provide assurance on the schemes we deliver and drive performance improvement.

• Operational Excellence: Collaborate with cross-functional teams to enhance operational efficiency.

• Insightful Reporting: Provide meaningful and insightful reports to executive management and ARAC / the Board to inform and guide decision-making, including risk identification, mitigation, and business/ process improvement.

• Stakeholder Engagement: Engage with internal and external stakeholders to foster a culture of compliance, transparency and accountability.

Key Responsibilities;

• Develop and implement the Salix internal audit charter, audit strategy and risk-based annual audit plans, in consultation with Salix senior management and ARAC.
• Design and implement the audit strategies for the grant schemes that Salix delivers for DESNZ.
• Lead and manage a team of audit professionals, providing mentorship, guidance, and development opportunities to foster a high-performing culture.
• Manage external technical and/ or specialist auditors engaged to perform technical audits for the grant schemes ensuring performance to standard.
• Ensure quality standards are maintained in the delivery of both internal and grant audits including review and sign-off of audit files and audit reports.
• Work collaboratively with senior management to ensure that audits carried out are used to bring about improvement in policies and operational delivery.
• Present regular updates to senior management ARAC, the Salix Board and representatives from government on delivery against the audit plans, audit findings and opinions and the status of implementation of actions. Participate in ARAC meetings.
• Ensure that the audit service is operated in line with the Government Functional Standard for Internal Audit and the Public Sector Internal Audit Standards.
• Ensure the governance requirements of the audit function are fulfilled, including undertaking audit self-assessments, external quality assessments, audit manual, templates and guidance are all in place and kept updated.
• Respond to queries from the NAO, GIAA, DESNZ and other relevant stakeholders.
• Prepare the annual opinion on the overall adequacy and effectiveness of Salix’s framework of governance, risk management and control.
• Share relevant lessons from cross-government internal audit activity.