Head of Audit, Risk & Assurance

Job summary

As the Head of Audit, Risk and Assurance, you will play a critical role in shaping how the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) understands, manages and learns from risk across the organisation. You will lead on audit, risk management and assurance activity, ensuring senior leaders and governance bodies have clear, reliable insight to support confident decision-making

Job description

This is a fantastic opportunity to bring your expertise and leadership to a high-profile, organisation-wide role, setting the strategic direction for audit, risk and assurance. You will drive an integrated, risk-based approach that moves beyond compliance, ensuring assurance activity is focused, proportionate and adds real value. Working closely with senior leaders, you will act as a trusted adviser and constructive challenger, helping to strengthen governance, improve performance and build organisational resilience.

You will lead a specialist team and work collaboratively across COPFS, as well as engaging with external auditors, inspectors and oversight bodies. You will play a key role in modernising assurance practices, using data, insight and innovative approaches to continuously improve how we operate in a complex, public facing, high-scrutiny environment.

Your first few weeks in role will include time spent in office to support your induction, giving you the opportunity to build relationships, understand the organisation and immerse yourself in COPFS’ operating environment, governance structures and ways of working.

Offering high-profile leadership exposure, this role puts you at the centre of strategic decision-making across COPFS. With access to Civil Service networks, mentoring and development, you’ll have the opportunity to grow your impact while shaping how assurance supports a national public service.

Person specification

We are seeking an experienced and credible assurance leader who can operate confidently at senior level within complex,
high-scrutiny public service or regulated environments. The successful candidate will be highly analytical and evidence-led, able to
interpret complex audit, risk and assurance information and translate it into clear, actionable insight for senior leaders and
governance bodies. They will exercise sound, independent judgement, balance competing risks and priorities while providing
constructive challenge, and will demonstrate strong strategic thinking with an organisation-wide view of risk, control and assurance.
They will build trust and influence through clear communication of complex or sensitive issues, be comfortable engaging with
external auditors, inspectors and oversight bodies, and be committed to developing others, strengthening professional capability
and fostering a culture of learning and continuous improvement.

Experience of working in the justice sector is not essential, we welcome applicants from other public sector organisations, arm’s
length bodies or regulated environments where comparable governance, scrutiny and assurance challenges can be demonstrated.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £80,172, Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service contributes £23,225 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

We offer an excellent range of benefits which include:

• • 25 days paid holiday + 11.5 public and privilege holidays (rising to 30 days paid holiday after 2 years).
  • Generous Civil Service Pension employer contribution, on average over 28.97% of your pay
  • Flexible working hours and family friendly approach to work.
  • Cycle to Work Scheme and Season Ticket Loans.
  • Employee Wellbeing Support with Mental Health First Aiders and access to an Employee Assistance Programme.

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

If you would be interested to learn more about this role, please see the attached application pack for further job details, salary information and assessment guidance.

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.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.

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 : recruitment@copfs.gov.uk
• Email : recruitment@copfs.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : recruitment@copfs.gov.uk

Further information

recruitment@copfs.gov.uk