Controls Assurance Assistant Manager

Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom

11/20/2024

Job Description

abrdn plc is one of the world’s largest investment companies, dedicated to enabling clients and customers to plan, save, and invest for the future. Our purpose is to invest for a better future by creating a meaningful impact on the lives of our clients, employees, society, and shareholders.

About The Role

The abrdn Finance Controls Office has recently been established in response to increased focus on internal controls from global regulators, including the upcoming UK Corporate Reform agenda, which will require abrdn to enhance the existing internal control environment and implement an enhanced assurance process.

The Finance Controls Office is an experienced and ambitious team with a remit to enhance internal controls across Finance and support the wider business to implement the necessary procedures to successfully provide an enhanced external attestation.

This role is part of a team that will support the business through the implementation of the following key phases:

• Design evaluation of existing processes and controls;
• Assessment of operating effectiveness of controls,
• Remediation support for design and operating weaknesses; and
• Attestation and results reporting.
  
  

This position reports to the Head of Finance Control and will be responsible for:

• Assessing the quality of existing documentation and controls for assigned in-scope processes through review of documentation, participation in workshops, updating existing process and control documentation.
• Document processes, risks and controls, assess deficiencies, support and track remediation activity, to ensure processes and controls are enhanced to meet “SOX-style” standard.
• Performing testing of the design and operating effectiveness of controls and reporting the results. For controls which are ineffective or require improvement, work collaboratively with business leads to agree improvements required, then agree appropriate timeframes for implementation and retesting.
• Working collegiately as part of the Finance Controls Office and wider Finance team, supporting the overall team activities, supporting deliverables, and assisting with other risk and control related activities as required.
• Supporting the maintenance of risk and control databases for the Finance Function, including supporting the finance function document events and issues.
  
  

About The Candidate

• Qualified accountant, auditor, or operational risk specialist (ACCA, ICAEW or ICAS) with experience of internal control testing, in particular design effectiveness and operating effectiveness, control quality, and high quality evidencing standards
• Interpersonal skills - deliver with quality and impact in a proactive and collaborative manner
• Communication - ability to communicate effectively
• Impact and influence - operates with intellectual curiosity to understand and surface insights that helps strengthen the design and operation of the internal control framework
• Global approach – Although the primary focus relates to UK regulatory change, a number of the processes and controls operate across abrdn’s global business and therefore experience of operating across a global business is required
• Attention to detail – works with precision to deliver requirements
• Collaboration - outcome focussed with ability to facilitate collaborative working within and across teams
  
  

Our Benefits

There's more to working life than coming home with a good salary. We have an environment where you can learn, get involved and be supported.

When you join us, your reward will be one of the best around. This includes 40 days’ annual leave, a 16% employer pension contribution, private healthcare and a range of flexible benefits – including gym discounts, season ticket loans and access to an employee discount portal. You can read more about our benefits here.

Our Business

Enabling our clients to be better investors drives everything we do. Our business is structured around three distinct areas – our vectors of growth – focused on our clients’ changing needs. You can find out more about what we do here.

We’re committed to providing an inclusive workplace where all forms of difference are valued and which is free from any form of unfair or unlawful treatment. We define diversity in its broadest sense – this includes but is not limited to our diversity of educational and professional backgrounds, experience, cognitive and neurodiversity, age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, religion or belief and ethnicity and geographical provenance. We support a culture that values meritocracy, fairness and transparency and welcomes enquiries from everyone.

If you need assistance or an adjustment due to a disability please let us know as part of your application and we will assist.