Management Assurance Lead

Salary: £56,745

Hours: Full Time

Contract Type: Open Ended

Location: Polaris House, Swindon (Hybrid Working)

Closing Date: Sunday 29 June 2025

Job Overview

The Risk & Assurance activity in UKRI helps to influence and drive decision making in the organisation at all relevant levels in pursuit of organisational objectives.

Management Assurance Leads undertake work within the overall UKRI Risk and Assurance Framework supporting senior leaders to deliver their responsibilities efficiently and effectively in line with delegated authority, public sector controls, laws, and regulations.

Management Assurance Leads are visible member of the teams and are required to build strong and effective relationships across a diverse group of stakeholders internally and externally as appropriate.

Key Responsibilities:

• Support the delivery of our assurance arrangements, supported by a suite of policies and processes.
• Develop and implement assurance policies and processes that are innovative, provide the agility to respond to internal and external changes in environment, are in line with best practice.
• Provide appropriate assurance support for the organisation to enable optimisation of risk taking 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.
• Play a leading role in the design and delivery of an annual Executive Accountability Assessment exercise
• Work closely with Internal Auditors and the business to support the development and delivery of the annual audit plan. 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.
• 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

Person Specification:

• Certified Internal Auditor, IIA OR Equivalent Assurance qualification
• 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)

For a full job description please click apply and visit our careers page

Benefits:

UKRI recognises and value employees as individuals and aim to provide a pay and rewards package that motivates staff to perform to the best of their ability. The reward package includes a flexible working scheme, a Career Average Revalued Earnings pension scheme, 30 days annual leave allowance as well as other benefits.

How to Apply:

Applicants are required to provide an up-to-date CV and a cover letter outlining their suitability for the role. Further information on how to apply and the selection process is listed on our careers page

The closing date for applications is Sunday 29 June 2025