Director Internal Audit and Investigations

Job summary

The Director of Internal Audit and Investigations is FCDO’s senior Internal Audit leader, responsible for providing independent and objective assurance on the effectiveness of the Department’s governance, risk management and internal control.

This is a stretching, high-profile and business-critical leadership position. Reporting directly to the 2nd Permanent Under-Secretary, you will lead a function of 78 colleagues across FCDO’s three UK locations, providing independent assurance across a complex global diplomatic, development and consular portfolio operating around the world. You will provide an independent annual opinion on FCDO’s governance, risk management and internal control and have a close professional relationship with the Audit and Risk Assurance Committee (ARAC) and its Chair.

You will inherit a capable and respected Internal Audit team and have the opportunity to lead the function through its next stage of development. A central part of your mandate will be to modernise how assurance is delivered: making intelligent use of data and technology, developing increasingly dynamic and risk-based approaches, and ensuring that Internal Audit can identify themes and emerging risks across FCDO’s global network and provide timely insight to senior leaders.

The Directorate also encompasses FCDO’s specialist investigations capability. This includes the Department’s whistleblowing and reporting-concerns arrangements and independent investigation of higher-risk fraud and safeguarding matters. You will provide strategic leadership and oversight of this work, supported by experienced specialist leadership within the Directorate.

You will work closely with senior leaders across FCDO’s corporate, policy and geographic teams while maintaining the independence and professional judgement fundamental to an effective Internal Audit function. You will also have an important relationship with the Government Internal Audit Agency (GIAA) and the wider government Internal Audit profession.

Job description

The Director will lead a high-performing professional function and provide authoritative assurance across FCDO’s global network. The role combines the stewardship of a strong existing Internal Audit capability with a clear mandate to modernise how assurance is delivered.

1. Lead a strong, independent Internal Audit function – Provide strategic and professional leadership to FCDO’s Internal Audit service, delivering a high-quality, dynamic and risk-based programme of assurance across the UK and overseas network, in accordance with relevant professional standards.
2. Provide authoritative assurance to FCDO’s most senior leadership – Provide an evidenced annual opinion on the effectiveness of FCDO’s governance, risk management and internal control, together with clear and timely insight throughout the year. Report to the 2nd Permanent Under-Secretary and work closely with ARAC and its Chair, providing robust independent challenge while building trusted and constructive senior relationships.
3. Develop a modern and increasingly technology-enabled approach to assurance – Build on the strengths of the existing function, harnessing data, technology and appropriate AI-enabled opportunities to improve audit planning, delivery, insight and impact. Ensure that the audit programme responds dynamically to FCDO’s changing risk environment and identifies systemic themes and emerging risks across the organisation.
4. Lead a strategic, risk-based programme of assurance – Ensure that the audit programme responds effectively to FCDO’s changing risk environment, combining assurance across the overseas network with thematic and strategic work covering major corporate, programme and transformation activity. Identify systemic themes and emerging risks and translate these into meaningful insight for senior leaders.
5. Provide strategic leadership of FCDO’s investigations capability – Oversee the specialist investigations function, including higher-risk fraud and safeguarding investigations, ensuring that investigations are independent, proportionate, sensitive and professionally rigorous. Draw on themes and learning from investigations alongside Internal Audit insight to support wider organisational learning.
6. Lead the profession and develop organisational capability – Provide visible and inclusive leadership to a high-performing team of Internal Audit and investigations professionals. Build a strong relationship with GIAA and contribute actively to the development of Internal Audit across government, working with relevant Arms Length Bodies and government partners to develop a more connected understanding of assurance, emerging risk and organisational learning.

A central challenge for the next Director will be to use technology and data to strengthen assurance across a network in which individual Embassies, High Commissions, Consulates and Missions operate in very different environments and cannot simply be treated as interchangeable. The opportunity is to build on high-quality professional output while developing a more scalable, insight-led and future-ready operating model.

Person specification

We are looking for an outstanding professional leader who combines deep Internal Audit expertise with the judgement, curiosity and ambition to help develop the function for the future. We welcome candidates from government, major international businesses and other complex or highly regulated environments. Previous Civil Service experience is not essential.

The Civil Service is open to talented people from any career background; we will always seek to identify transferable skills from the individual’s experience. The Essential Criteria to succeed in this role and be selected are:

• Internal Audit leadership and professional credibility – Significant senior-level experience of leading a high-quality, strategic and risk-based Internal Audit function in a large and complex organisation, with the professional credibility and judgement to provide authoritative independent assurance to the most senior levels of an organisation.

• Modernisation and innovation – A track record of developing and improving Internal Audit capability, including using data, technology and innovative approaches to improve the quality, efficiency, responsiveness and impact of assurance.

• Complexity and international or dispersed operations – Experience of operating successfully within a large, complex and geographically dispersed organisation, with the ability to understand and provide assurance across multiple businesses, operations, locations and/or jurisdictions.

• Leadership, influence and risk judgement – Strong corporate and team leadership experience, including leading and developing high-performing professional teams and influencing senior stakeholders in complex and diverse environments. You will bring a deep understanding of governance, risk management and internal control, together with the resilience and independence of judgement to provide constructive challenge at the highest levels.

• Investigations and professional oversight – Experience of leading or overseeing investigations, counter-fraud, safeguarding and/or comparable specialist activity, with the judgement to ensure appropriate independence, professional standards and organisational learning.

• Professional qualification – A relevant professional qualification in Internal Audit and/or Accountancy.

It is important that your application provides clear evidence and examples demonstrating how you meet these criteria.

You do not need prior experience of the Civil Service or detailed technical knowledge of foreign policy to succeed in this role. You will, however, need an interest in FCDO’s purpose and the curiosity and learning agility to understand the government, diplomatic and international context in which we operate.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £105,000, Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office contributes £30,418 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).

• 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 average employer contribution of 28.97%

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

You must be a British Citizen at the point of application.

The recruitment process is being undertaken by Russell Reynolds Associates on behalf of the FCDO. To apply, please follow the link below quoting reference 2610-041L. The closing date for applications is 23:55 onMonday 9th November 2026.

You will be asked to:

• Register your contact details.

• Upload your CV – setting out your educational and professional qualifications and full employment history, including an explanation of any gaps in your employment history.

• Upload a Statement of Suitability – of no more than two pages explaining how your skills, experience and achievements demonstrate your suitability for the role, with particular reference to the Essential Criteria in the Person Specification.

• As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete a Diversity questionnaire. The FCDO is committed to equal opportunities. Our officers are recruited on merit, through fair and open competition. We seek our strength through diversity and appoint suitably qualified individuals regardless of ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender, social backgrounds, age or disability. To help us ensure that our recruitment activity reflects the diversity of British society, we would be grateful if you could complete the diversity monitoring form. As part of the application process, you will be asked a number of diversity-related questions. If you do not wish to provide a declaration on any of the particular characteristics, you will have the option to select 'prefer not to say'. All monitoring data will be treated in the strictest confidence and will not be provided to the selection panel. The information you provide when submitting your application will help us monitor our progress towards the Civil Service becoming the most inclusive employer. All data is reported in an anonymous and aggregate format and will not be seen by anyone assessing your application.

If you have any queries, please contact responses@russellreynolds.com and a member of the search team will contact you.

Civil Service recruitment processes at Director level are regulated by the Civil Service Commission and we follow clear guidelines to ensure that our recruitment is fair and open. We also design our recruitment processes to reflect our values-based approach to HR and to ensure that shortlisted candidates have the opportunity to meet key stakeholder(s) for the role, before they join us.

We expect the process for this role to be as follows (please note these dates are indicative):

Closing date

9th November 2026

Longlist outcome

By 17th November 2026

Shortlist outcome

By 4th December 2026

Assessments

W/C 7th and 14th December 2026

Interviews

W/C 4th January 2027

Interview outcome

W/C 11th January 2027

Longlisted candidates will be invited to meet with Russell Reynolds Associates for a preliminary interview. Following shortlisting, candidates will undergo an Individual Leadership Assessment with psychological profiling and will be invited to an informal conversation with a senior FCDO leader. This conversation is intended to provide further insight into the organisation and role and does not form part of the formal assessment.

The interview panel will be chaired by Lea Paterson, Civil Service Commissioner. Other panel members will include Helena Vega-Lozano, Chief Operating Officer, Tim Jones, Finance Director and Jon Watts, Non-Executive Director and Audit and Risk Assurance Committee Chair. Candidates will be asked to make a short presentation to the Panel on a topic relevant to the future leadership and development of FCDO’s Internal Audit function. The topic will be provided in advance.

Interviews are expected to be held in person at FCDO offices in London. Full details will be provided to shortlisted candidates. References and open-source due diligence checks may be undertaken for shortlisted candidates. Unfortunately, we will not be able to reimburse you for any expenses incurred as part of this recruitment process.

Recognising that there are a number of steps in the process, we will do our best to arrange the sessions in a way that works for you. For information about acceptable and unacceptable use of Artificial Intelligence in recruitment see Artificial intelligence and recruitment , Civil Service Careers.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.This role has a minimum assignment duration of 3 years. An assignment duration is the period of time a Senior Civil Servant is expected to remain in the same post to enable them to deliver on the agreed key business outcomes. The assignment duration also supports your career through building your depth of expertise.

As part of accepting this role you will be agreeing to the expected assignment duration set out above. This will not result in a contractual change to your terms and conditions. Please note this is an expectation only, it is not something which is written into your terms and conditions or indeed which the employing organisation or you are bound by. It will depend on your personal circumstances at a particular time and business needs, for example, would not preclude any absence like family friendly leave. It is nonetheless an important expectation, which is why we ask you to confirm you agree to the assignment duration set out above.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is developed vetting (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

Open to UK nationals only.

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.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 : Russell Reynolds
• Email : responses@russellreynolds.com

Recruitment team

• Email : responses@russellreynolds.com

Further information

The FCDO’s recruitment processes are underpinned by the principle of selection for appointment on merit, on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission 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, in the first instance, contact External.Recruitment@fcdo.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the FCDO, you can contact the Office of the Civil Service Commissioners at info@csc.gov.uk

Attachments

FINAL IAID Candidate Pack Opens in new window (pdf, 1810kB)