Management Assurance Lead

Salary: £56,745 per annum (dependent on skills and experience). 

Hours: Full time 

Contract Type: Open Ended.

Location: Polaris House, Swindon, Wiltshire.

Closing date 5th February 2025

Role Overview for Management Assurance Lead

The Management Assurance Lead works as part of the Risk and Assurance team, with the Head of Risk and Assurance, supporting the Director of Risk & Assurance and other UKRI senior leaders to ensure that UKRI operates best practice throughout its risk management and integrated assurance arrangements. The postholder may support work with stakeholders in government and other funders and partners on risk, assurance, and control framework approaches.

The Management Assurance Lead will work with an appropriate focus on the Management Assurance Reviews and Internal Audit Plan related to delivering the UKRI strategy at the same time as supporting the entire assurance landscape and internal arrangements in place at UKRI. The postholder will support the Head of Risk & Assurance with the delivery of appropriate assurance based on organisational requirements.

The postholder will support the Head of Risk & Assurance to work within the new directorate to form a joined-up Risk & Assurance function, working closely with all teams within the directorate. This role holds line management responsibility, and a critical element of role is to support delivery of changes and new ways of working, leading by example through changes to ways of working that will reduce siloed working and increase collaboration in how we manage risk across the organisation, with our senior forums, Executive Committee and Board.

As a senior member of the team the role will work to support delivery of all the Directorate’s responsibilities.

Success Factors

• Increased engagement with senior leaders, councils and committees on risk and assurance issues.
• Appropriate assurance on the management of risks that are pervasive throughout UKRI.
• Proactive identification, escalation, and resolution of concerns before they become issues.
• Risk and assurance arrangements that benchmark favourably against best practice and are applied in practice.
• Acceptable level of assurance as evidenced by external stakeholders e.g., internal, and external auditors; UKRI Audit and Risk Assurance Committee.
• Improved efficiency and effectiveness of risk management and assurance processes and elimination of duplication.
• Increased use of team in an advisory capacity.
• Fewer surprises (using risk and assurance management to proactively identify risks at an early stage and before they become issues).

Management and Leadership Role

The Management Assurance Lead reports to the Head of Risk and Assurance.

The role exercises management responsibility of a small group within the team that may include Assurance Managers and/or support roles as necessary.

This role will support the Head of Risk and Assurance to provide professional leadership and support across the Risk & Assurance Network across UKRI.

The Management Assurance Lead is a visible member of the team and of the UKRI Chief Finance Officer Group and is required to build strong and effective relationships across a diverse group of stakeholders internally and externally as appropriate.

The role will support the Head of Risk & Assurance to ensure that Risk & Assurance activity helps to influence and drive decision making in the organisation at all relevant levels in pursuit of organisational objectives.

The role will also need to support and at times deputise for the Head of Risk and Assurance UKRI at a variety of fora, externally, to work closely with external auditors and other external organisations, including funded bodies, to build trust and increase the profile and reputation of UKRI.

Financial Responsibilities:

This role does not have direct financial responsibilities but will assist the Head of Risk and Assurance to manage the team’s budget and spend.

Key responsibilities

Assurance Management

• Support the design and operation of an assurance framework, supported by a suite of policies and processes, for UKRI that aligns with the organisational vision and strategic objectives.
• Support development and implementation of policies and processes that are innovative, provide the agility to respond to internal and external changes in environment, are in line with best practice, are delivery focused, are reflective of agreed risk appetite, based on an in-depth understanding of the business requirements of UKRI, compliant with relevant International and Government standards, and demonstrate best practice.
• Provide appropriate assurance support for the organisation to enable optimisation of risk taking by UKRI to take advantages of opportunities and organisational constraints within delegated limits and risk appetite.
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement in all areas and champion professional standards and good management practice across all the diverse areas of UKRI business.
• Work closely with all teams in the directorate and relevant business areas to support end to end audit and review activity in the context of risk exposure
• Provide balanced professional support and challenge to all business areas at a variety of levels as appropriate
• Lead on specific internal reviews, projects or commissions as needed, developing relevant knowledge and skills as appropriate
• Develop, support, and deliver assurance training for the organisation in line with the requirements of the Risk & Assurance Frameworks
• Play a leading role in the design and delivery of the annual Executive Accountability Assessment exercise
• Work closely with Internal Auditors and the business to support the development and delivery of the annual audit plan
• Ensure appropriate review and consistency in Internal Audit and Review management responses by working closely with the team, audit sponsors and other key roles involved in the process
• Lead on evaluating audit action closure evidence within the policies and process of the organisation and following up with challenge where needed
• Delivery of appropriate assurance communications to Audit Sponsors and Executive Level Leads and other senior members of staff in a timely way prior to report submissions to relevant governance groups and committees
• Work closely with colleagues in the directorate to maintain and develop the Risk & Assurance Management System (software) and approaches
• Responsibility to manage key assurance records with a good understanding of data and information management within assurance activities
• As a line manager, lead by example, ensure staff understand their role and can develop their skills and make a positive contribution to the work of the team
• Engage with all relevant risk and assurance activities as needed to deliver a professional service to the organisation and a joined up and cohesive team approach
• Requirement to travel sometimes to visit relevant locations or attend training or events
• Provide high quality written and verbal advice suitable for executive and senior level decision makers

Key Skills

• Excellent people skills, able to influence and build and maintain strong working relationships with a wide range of stakeholders at all levels, both internally and externally.
• Excellent management skills with an ability to manage through change, inspire, motivate, and develop capability within a team.
• Enthusiastic, motivated, adaptable, and proactive with the ability to work flexibly in a changing environment and respond to shifting priorities.
• Ability to innovate and challenge established thinking in self and others, and to offer insights and ideas with practical application coupled with the ability to drive change.
• Insightful business awareness with the ability to understand and analyse changing business context and landscape to assess and manage risk, capitalise on emerging opportunities, make sound evidence-based judgements, promote the interests of UKRI and research and innovation.
• Ability to instil confidence within stakeholders at the most senior levels, acting as a trusted advisor.
• Excellent communication skills including good experience of writing reports to a high standard
• Strong understanding of risk, assurance, and audit activities

Additional information

• Understand the linkages and dependencies between the risk and assurance function and other corporate services functions, promoting a culture of teamwork and helping to break down silos if they emerge.
• Build and maintain strong working relationships with key stakeholders across UKRI and external bodies, to develop a clear understanding of the organisation, to facilitate effective working relationships.
• Manage resource levels and skills to meet fluctuating workloads.
• Function as an initial point of escalation for complex assurance queries ensuring effective and appropriate reporting of complex assurance information.

Knowledge

Strong understanding of prevailing governance standards and public sector rules including but not limited to:

• Managing Public Money.
• HM Treasury and Cabinet Office standards and rules, particularly in relation to: Corporate Governance; Risk management; Spending Controls; Regularity and Propriety (conflicts of interest, gifts and hospitality, ethics).
• Internal Audit Standards.
• Audit Committee best practice.
• Orange Book.
• FRC Corporate Governance Code and its public sector equivalent.
• Government Functional Standards.

Essential Skills/Qualifications/Experience

(S) – Assessed at shortlisting

(I) – Assessed at interview

(S&I) – Assessed at both shortlisting and interview

Experience (S/I)

• Strong assurance management experience, including supporting and implementing effective assurance management strategies, policy, and frameworks in an organisation.
• Experience collaborating with senior teams and being a trusted advisor providing expert professional advice to senior management.
• Ability to innovate and challenge established thinking in self and others, and to offer insights and ideas with practical application coupled with the ability to drive change.
• Excellent management skills with an ability to manage through change, inspire, motivate, and develop capability within a team to deliver quality outcomes.
• Experience of attending Committees and Boards.
• Experience of working with internal and external Auditors (preferably National Audit Office)

Qualifications (S)

• Certified Internal Auditor, IIA

Or

• Equivalent Assurance qualification

About UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) 

UKRI launched in April 2018, UKRI is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT).

Our organisation brings together the seven disciplinary research councils, Research England, which is responsible for supporting research and knowledge exchange at higher education institutions in England, and the UK’s innovation agency, Innovate UK. Together we build an independent organisation with a strong voice and vision to ensure the UK maintains its world-leading position in research and innovation. More information can be found at www.ukri.org. 

Choosing to come to work at UKRI means that you will have access to a whole host of benefits from a defined benefit pension scheme, excellent holiday entitlement, access to employee shopping/travel discounts and salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme. For more details, visit Benefits of working for UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

The role holder will be required to have the appropriate level of security screening/vetting required for the role. UKRI reserves the right to run or re-run security clearance as required during the course of employment.

How we support EDI in the workforce 

At UKRI, we believe that everyone has a right to be treated with dignity and respect, and to be provided with equal opportunities to thrive and succeed in an environment that enables them to do so. We also value diversity of thought and experience within inclusive groups, organisations and the wider community. For further information, please visit ‘How we support EDI in the workforce’. 

Disability Confident Employer

As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy/ies. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation. 

How to apply 

Online applications only preferred for this role. Please submit a CV and covering letter which clearly outlines how you fulfil the criteria specified along with your motivation for UKRI and the role. Ensure that the job reference number is included in the filename description of each document uploaded. Note that failure to address the above criteria or submit an application without a covering letter may result in the application not being considered. Assessment will only be based upon the content of your submitted covering letter and CV and not the ‘experience’ section of the application. 

UKRI seeks to ensure it creates and maintains a system of openness, fairness and inclusion – a collaborative, trusted environment, which is attractive to and accessible to everyone who is interested in developing their career with us. 

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