Digital, Data, and Technology Internal Audit Manager

Job summary

The Government Internal Audit Agency (GIAA) is driven by its unparalleled access across government to build ‘better insights, better outcomes’ for our clients.

This role offers a strong platform for career progression within the Agency and the wider civil service, providing opportunities to develop leadership, stakeholder engagement and strategic relationship management skills across government.

The Agency’s unique access across the public sector exposes you to different risk and control environments, allowing you to gain insights, apply experience, contribute meaningfully, and continue developing professionally.

Job description

The Digital, Data, and Technology Internal Audit Manager is a senior leadership role responsible for delivering a high-quality internal audit programme that provides valuable insights and assurance across government organisations. The role involves leading and managing a portfolio of DDaT audit engagements, overseeing delivery from planning through to reporting, and ensuring audits are conducted in line with professional standards. Through effective engagement management and oversight, the postholder will help clients identify, assess, and manage technology-related risks while strengthening governance, risk management, and control frameworks.

As a recognised DDaT audit Subject Matter Expert, the role provides strategic leadership across complex, high-profile, and cross-organisational audits. The Audit Manager will contribute to the development and delivery of the Internal Audit Plan, ensuring resources are focused on the highest-risk and most strategically important areas. By developing a strong understanding of clients’ operational environments, strategic priorities, and risk landscapes, the postholder will deliver impactful, evidence-based insights that support improved outcomes and decision-making.

The role also plays a key part in driving continuous improvement, innovation, and professional excellence within the audit function. This includes promoting the use of data analytics and modern audit methodologies, supporting service transformation initiatives, and maintaining high standards of quality assurance. Working closely with senior stakeholders and audit leadership teams, the Audit Manager will champion a risk-oriented culture, strengthen organisational capability, and support the professional development and effective deployment of audit resources across the Agency.

Role responsibilities

• Lead and deliver internal audit engagements in line with the Global Internal Audit Standards (GIAS), providing both strategic oversight and hands-on assurance across the UK Public Sector.
• Drive continuous improvement in audit methodologies, products, and client services, while coordinating assurance activities with stakeholders including the National Audit Office (NAO) and second-line functions.
• Apply strong knowledge of the central government landscape to assess emerging political, economic, technological, regulatory, and legal developments, informing audit planning, engagement delivery, and annual opinions.
• Build strong client and stakeholder relationships, foster collaboration and knowledge sharing, support cross-government insight analysis, and ensure compliance with organisational policies, processes, information security, and data protection requirements.
• Lead and oversee high-quality audits by providing strategic input, supervising engagements, and ensuring all audit work complies with GIAA methodology, quality standards, and audit management system requirements.
• Manage audit delivery and review processes for high-risk and complex assignments, ensuring evidence is reliable and sufficient, recommendations address root causes, and audits are completed on time and within budget.
• Maintain accurate audit documentation and tracking by ensuring recommendations are properly recorded in TeamMate+ (TM+), audit files are complete, and all documentation is closed in line with GIAA standards and approved templates.
• Support stakeholder engagement and assurance reporting by collaborating with client teams and suppliers, delivering independent assurance opinions, and assisting senior leadership with audit strategies, committee reporting, and assessments of governance, risk management, and internal controls.
• Supporting the DDaT audit specialism to deliver insights that help clients identify and manage IT risks, while sharing common findings to improve risk awareness and mitigation across the client base.
• Maintaining strong relationships with key government bodies (e.g., Central Digital and Data Office and Government Security Group) to ensure alignment with functional frameworks and support consistent assurance delivery across GIAA.
• Developing knowledge-sharing tools and exploring new opportunities for the DDaT specialism to enhance capability, upskill staff, and contribute to strategy through new work and income streams.
• Providing leadership and oversight as a People Manager and/or Engagement Manager in a matrix model for a team of auditors across multiple regions. Providing direction, encouraging continuous improvement and innovation, and supporting their development and performance. (Specific training will be given if you are allocated a People Manager role due to the Line Management responsibilities).

Person specification

1. Proven experience in planning, managing, and delivering risk-based DDaT internal audit portfolios to produce value-adding insights which enable GIAAs client to effectively manage their IT risks.
2. Strong leadership in driving team and organisational change, with a continuous improvement mindset supporting wider corporate objectives.
3. Ability to build and maintain effective relationships at all levels, ensuring high professional standards and client-focused service delivery.
4. Skilled in assessing capability and resource gaps, managing workloads, and developing effective solutions to meet organisational demands.
5. Strong strategic thinking and judgement, able to interpret complex or conflicting information and communicate clear, meaningful audit insights to senior audiences.
6. Experienced in leading DDaT audit teams and influencing senior stakeholders to embed strong governance, risk management, and internal control practices, even in challenging situations.

To apply for this role, you will need to submit your employment history, personal details and provide a statement of suitability of no more than 750 words, referring to the person specification.

Please note only your statement of suitability will be assessed at the sift stage.

Candidates invited to interview will be required to give a short presentation to the interview panel followed by questions. At interview you will be assessed on experience, strengths and the following technical skills:

• DDaT Risk, Control & Governance
• Quality
• Delivery Managing a Portfolio of DDaT Audits

Qualifications

A qualified IT Auditor - CISA
Other qualifications in AI, Data, or IT would be advantageous.

Technical skills

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

• DDaT Risk, Control & Governance
• Quality
• Delivery Managing a Portfolio of DDaT Audits

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £58,429, Government Internal Audit Agency contributes £16,926 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

Benefits

• Competitive salaries and in-year rewards
• Flexible working
• A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
• Discount on big brands
• Volunteering days
• Season Ticket Loan and Cycle to Work Schemes
• Free eyesight tests
• Family-friendly HR policies
• 25 days’ annual leave increasing by one day per year of service to 30 days after 5 years’ service
• Geographically based Agency

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

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 (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Strengths, Experience and Technical skills.

Recruitment Timeline

• Closing date: 26 July 2026
• Shortlisting: 03 August 2026
• Interviews: w/c 10 August 2026

This timeline is indicative and may be subject to change. We will inform you if there is a substantial change to the recruitment timeline.

If your contact details change at any time during the selection process, please ensure you update your Civil Service Jobs profile.

Please note that only applications submitted through Civil Service Jobs will be accepted.

Eligibility Statement

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role in the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5-year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government. Checks will be performed as part of pre-employment checks in line with this. Please refer to the Candidate FAQ document attached to the advert for more information.

Everyone working with government assets must complete Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) checks. Additionally, individuals appointed to the Treasury group will be subject to National Security Vetting. The level of security vetting required for this role is Security Check (SC)

To allow for meaningful checks to be carried out, applicants will need to have lived in the UK for at least 3 out of the past 5 years. In exceptional circumstances, for example if you have been working abroad on a government posting, a lack of residency would not be a bar to security clearance however the Department will need to consider eligibility on a case-by-case basis once the advert closing date has passed.

Please read the Vetting Charter for information on what to expect during the vetting process and what will be expected from you. Many areas of your life may be explored during your vetting journey, and it is important that every individual, regardless of their background and experiences, should feel comfortable going through this personal process, whilst having confidence that it is fair, proportionate, and inclusive.

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

Security

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).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) (opens in a new window)
• 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 (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) 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 (opens in a new window).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 theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).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 : Katie Woodhouse
• Email : GIAARecruitment@GIAA.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : giaarecruitment@giaa.gov.uk

Further information

Complaints Procedure: The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, you should contact: GIAARecruitment@giaa.gov.uk in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission.

Attachments

Grade 7-Digital, Data, and Technology Internal Audit Manager-Candidate Pack Opens in new window (pdf, 1015kB)Success Profiles - Candidate Overview Opens in new window (pdf, 616kB)