Local Audit Office - Controller of Local Audit

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Hybrid

Expires: Expiring in less than 3 weeks

Political

Full time

£200,000 - £220,000 per year

Job summary

The Government is taking bold steps to overhaul the local audit system, leading the most transformational reform programme in over a decade. We are seeking to recruit a Controller of Local Audit to lead the establishment and running of the Local Audit Office (LAO) as an arm’s-length body and drive forward the wider programme of reform to the local audit system.

The English local audit system covers hundreds of public bodies that deliver essential services and manage public funds, including local authorities, police, fire services, NHS bodies, national parks and smaller authorities like parish councils. Around 600 local bodies must publish audited accounts, while 10,000 smaller authorities follow a tailored assurance regime to ensure transparency, accountability, and effective use of public funds. However, the current system is fragmented and faces capacity challenges, resulting in significant backlogs that have triggered two consecutive disclaimers on the Whole of Government Accounts, a loss of public trust and undermined confidence in public accountability.

The LAO is a new statutory and independent body to be established by autumn 2026 to oversee and co-ordinate the auditing of local public authorities to promote effective and timely local audit. The LAO will be instrumental in overhauling the local audit system to put the system back onto a secure and reliable footing. It will play a crucial role in ensuring that reforms are effectively implemented to provide better value for taxpayers and support economic growth.

The LAO’s roles and responsibilities include the appointment of auditors for local authorities (and other local bodies e.g. police and fire authorities), responsibility for the Code of Audit Practice including delivering training, quality oversight of local audit including overseeing an inspection programme, enforcement and supervision, publishing national insight reports on local audit health, and overseeing professional bodies regarding their remit for the qualification, registration and conduct of local auditors.

Job description

This is a high-profile leadership role within a new public-sector organisation at the centre of the local audit system.

As Controller, you will lead the establishment of the Local Audit Office (LAO) and drive reform to strengthen local audit, improve assurance, and rebuild public trust in local government.

You will oversee the delivery of the LAO’s statutory functions and provide visible, public-facing leadership. Acting as an ambassador for the organisation, you will represent the LAO across the UK and internationally, shaping the future of local audit and influencing the wider audit and regulatory landscape.

You will set a clear strategic direction for the LAO, ensuring it operates effectively from inception while contributing to wider system reform. This includes restoring the effectiveness of local audit as an early warning system and supporting improvement across local bodies.

You will lead organisational and cultural development to build a new organisation, bringing together people from diverse professional backgrounds, and different system organisations. You will establish the LAO’s values, foster an inclusive and high-performing culture, and ensure the organisation attracts and retains high-calibre talent.

The role requires strong leadership of complex delivery, including large-scale procurement and engagement with the audit market. You will build and maintain effective relationships with audit firms, other regulators and stakeholders, working collaboratively to achieve the LAO’s objectives.

While operating independently, the LAO will work closely with partners across government, local bodies and the audit system to deliver meaningful and lasting reform.

Person specification

We are seeking an experienced, high-performing leader with a track record of leading (ideally establishing) large, complex organisations at senior executive or board level. You will be responsible for establishing and leading the LAO, setting its vision, strategy and operating model, and ensuring effective day-to-day delivery. You will demonstrate strong strategic thinking, with the ability to lead organisational and cultural change and respond to complex challenges with clarity and pace.

You will recognise the importance of audit as a cornerstone of public accountability and be committed to strengthening its impact.

You will be an influential and credible communicator, able to engage effectively with a wide range of stakeholders, including government departments, local bodies, audit firms and professional organisations. You will build trusted relationships, navigate complex environments, and secure consensus across the sector.

You will demonstrate resilience, sound judgement and political awareness, with the ability to communicate complex and sensitive issues clearly and persuasively. You will lead with integrity and a strong commitment to public service values, including impartiality, honesty and objectivity.

You will have strong commercial and financial acumen, including experience of managing budgets, procurement and strategic planning.

Key responsibilities include:

Leadership

Lead the establishment of the LAO and delivery of the wider local audit reform programme.
Set strategic priorities, ensure alignment with government policy, and drive organisational performance.
Represent the LAO publicly, including with Parliament, the media and national and international forums.

Operational delivery

Establish the systems, processes and capabilities required for effective delivery.
Build and lead a high-performing executive team and organisation.
Oversee performance, delivery, and continuous improvement.
Ensure effective reporting to the Board and sponsor department.

Strategy and vision

Develop and deliver the LAO’s long-term strategy, vision and priorities.
Anticipate risks and opportunities, ensuring the organisation can respond effectively.
Promote innovation and continuous improvement.
Drive long-term planning and organisational sustainability by setting ambitious priorities, delivering against them, and adapting plans in response to performance and changing context.

Governance

Establish robust governance, risk, performance and compliance frameworks.
Ensure effective use of public resources and delivery of value for money.
Maintain high standards of transparency, accountability and ethical conduct.

Engagement

Build strong relationships across government, the audit sector and wider stakeholders including the NHS, public bodies and wider public.
Influence the development of the audit market and wider system.
Communicate clearly and effectively with diverse audiences on complex issues.

Essential criteria

Significant leadership experience in complex, regulated environments.
Experience establishing or leading successful organisations or major functions with the proven ability to build and lead high performing teams.
Proven track record of setting and delivering organisational strategy and vision, including leading long-term planning, driving transformation and continuous improvement.
Strong understanding of governance, financial management, audit and accounting processes and regulatory frameworks.
Excellent communication, influencing and stakeholder management skills with the confidence, and credibility, to provide constructive challenge in complex and politically sensitive environments.
Demonstrates strong analytical judgement and decisiveness, resolving complex challenges through evidence-led, strategically informed decisions, applied with political acuity and a clear grasp of organisational impact.

Desirable criteria

Experience of establishing or leading a public arm’s-length body.
Experience in local audit or accounting with a relevant professional qualification (such as CCAB or equivalent)
Commercial and procurement experience across public and private sectors.

Reporting

The Controller of the Local Audit Office will report to the LAO Board and be accountable to the MHCLG sponsor department and, ultimately, to Parliament.

Benefits

Enrolment in a Local Government Pension Scheme
Defined benefit scheme of 1/49 (2.04%) of your annual pensionable pay added to your pension account.
26 days annual leave, plus public holidays (pro-rated).
Additional leave will accrue with service in line with LAO policy development.
Learning and development tailored to your role
An environment with flexible working options
A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity

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

Introduction - The Local Audit Office (LAO) is an arm's-length body of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). Employees of the LAO are public servants and are not classed as civil servants.

How to Apply - To apply you will need to submit a CV and Statement of Suitability via the Be Applied link. Your CV (up to two pages) should set out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years. Your Statement of Suitability (up to two pages) should explain how your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential and desirable criteria for the role.

Equal Opportunities - We encourage candidates to complete the Equal Opportunities Monitoring Data via Be Applied. The data will be treated in the strictest confidence and used for monitoring and statistical purposes only.

Interview Schemes - The LAO is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion, and to creating a workplace where everyone is respected and supported. We actively promote equal opportunities at every stage of the employee lifecycle. As part of this commitment, we operate the Disability Confident Scheme. Applicants applying under these schemes who meet the essential criteria will be guaranteed an interview.

Working for the Local Audit Office - As a public servant, you will be expected to uphold the highest standards of integrity, professionalism and public service. Our Code of Conduct sets out the behaviours and values expected of all employees, reflecting the principles of accountability, objectivity and service in the public interest. We are committed to recruiting on the basis of merit through fair and open competition. Selection decisions are made in line with recognised public appointments and recruitment principles, ensuring a transparent, consistent and evidence-based approach. We also support individuals who are at risk of redundancy across the wider public sector through a Redeployment Interview Scheme. Candidates applying under this scheme who meet the essential criteria will be guaranteed an interview.

The Panel - Will Garton - MHCLG Director General, Chris Jones - MHCLG Director, Siobhan Jones - Director, and Rosie Seymour - Deputy Director. Additionally, the panel may be joined by one of our staff representatives from a pool of volunteers as part of our commitments to diversity and inclusion.

Shortlist - Applications will be sifted after the closing date and shortlisted candidates will be invited to the next phase of assessment and interview. Your CV and Statement of Suitability will be assessed against the essential criteria, these will also be used to form the basis of the panel’s final interview questions. Desirable criteria will only be used to determine the merit order of candidates who rank evenly against the essential criteria.

Assessment - Shortlisted candidates may be invited to attend a Staff Engagement Panel, designed to provide insight into how you engage and interact with your team. Feedback from the session is passed to the panel for consideration alongside your final interview.

Candidates may also be invited to meet with a Senior Stakeholder. This is not a formal part of selection, but an informal chance to find out more about the role and organisation.

Shortlisted candidates may also be invited to give a short presentation or complete an exercise at interviews - further details will be provided when invited to interview.

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

Expected Timeline

Advert closes: 12th July
Shortlisting: W/C 13th July
Assessments: W/C 27th July
Interviews: W/C 3rd August

*Please note that we try to offer flexibility where possible, but it may not always be possible to offer alternative interview dates.

Terms & Conditions

Salary - Remuneration for this role is £200,000 - £220,000 per annum.

Contract - This is a 5-year fixed term and full-time role. The LAO encourages flexible working. Full‑time working hours are 37 hours per week.

Location- The expected location for the Local Audit Office headquarters is currently Birmingham, and/or Leeds, but this may be subject to change. Subject to developing organisational policies, the successful candidate can work remotely from anywhere in the UK with expected office attendance, and regular stakeholder visits, to be agreed with the successful candidate.

Benefits:

Alongside a salary of up to £220,000. You will also benefit from:

Enrolment in a Local Government Pension Scheme
Defined benefit scheme of 1/49 (2.04%) of your annual pensionable pay added to your pension account.
26 days annual leave, plus public holidays (pro-rated).
Additional leave will accrue with service in line with LAO policy development.
Learning and development tailored to your role
An environment with flexible working options
A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity

Security Clearance - All LAO roles require candidates to meet the Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) to confirm identity and employment history. This successful candidate must also hold Counter-Terrorism Check (CTC) clearance, which can take up to eight weeks. All offers are conditional on successful completion of the required checks, and candidates should not resign from their current role until clearance is confirmed. Further information is available in the Cabinet Office HMG Personnel Security Controls.

Near Miss Offers - Please note that near miss offers may be made at the lower grade to candidates who do not meet the grade criteria for this campaign.

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

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

Please note this Post is NOT regulated by the Civil Service Commission.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

Salary range

£200,000 - £220,000 per year