Director - Internal Auditor

Overview

To provide independent and objective assurance and advice to the Business on a risk prioritised basis to influence change, enhance governance and ensure that risks are appropriately mitigated through effective control systems.

• Location: Windsor, UK with flexible working and travel as required

Accountabilities

You will lead an Internal Audit portfolio (Spirit Energy, Centrica Business Solutions, Centrica Storage Limited and Nuclear)

• Lead on the development and delivery of an appropriate risk focussed audit programme for the above Business Units. Report to the Centrica Group Head of Internal Audit to provide assurance to the Group Audit Committee

• Act as Head of Internal Audit for Spirit Energy, reporting to the Spirit Energy Board, Audit Committee and Audit Committee Chair

• Work with the relevant Business Unit Leadership teams to:

  • Share risk and control good practice and external insights from co-source providers or other, to continuously improve the Business Units

  • Assist them in understanding their risk profiles, implications of their risk appetite and their control activities in line with the strategic direction of the business

  • Call out weaknesses in the System of Internal Control, identify and share themes and root causes and to be robust in the face of challenge from leaders to bring about necessary changes within the business

• Own the development and delivery of Audit Committee papers to the Spirit Energy Audit Committee and the relevant sections of the Group Audit Committee papers

• Provide assurance to the SLT and work with the wider Internal Audit Leadership Team (IALT) to ensure that assurance is joined up across the Centrica group

• Ensure governance requirements and regulatory reform is identified and appropriately applied e.g. UK SOx and BEIS regulatory changes

Leader in Internal Audit:

• As a member of the IALT, recruit, develop and retain the necessary balance of audit delivery talent and expertise to deliver the agreed plan

• Be responsible for career and personal development conversations for direct reports

• Actively contribute to the running of the Internal Audit function including ownership of elements of operational management e.g. resourcing, budget management methodology, management information and people development

Internal Audit Transformation:

• Work with the rest of the Internal Audit Leadership team to ensure a cutting edge and innovative Internal Audit function. Contribute to the strategic direction-setting and drive the development of the function through recruitment, on the job challenge and bringing in professional insights

• Own and continuously improve processes and systems defining how Internal Audit works, including the quality of outputs (both individual Audit Reports and consolidated reporting to the CLT and Audit Committee) and the value added to the business through commercial insights

• Keep up to date with advances in auditing tools, techniques, and approaches to ensure these are applied to Services and Solutions and the rest of the Internal Audit team to achieve maximum value delivery

Competencies

• Experienced working effectively with Boards and Audit Committees to highlight key focus areas, risks and provide value-adding insights. Comfortable collaborating with, and challenging senior stakeholders in complex situations whilst pragmatically understanding business pressures to deepen working relationships

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Proactively manages content and delivery of communications on a real-time basis to drive resolution in challenging situations. Provides high quality technical input and commercial insight to written deliverables including drawing out key themes, root causes and sharing best practice

• Takes accountability for delivering change, including strong project management skills and collaboration to support the Internal Audit team through a period of strategic transition while also balancing competing priorities and resource constraints to deliver the audit plan within budget

• Has a strong technical mindset to ensure a quality audit product, specifically challenges the audit methodology with a lean and agile mindset, champions the use of Data Analytics to drive efficiency and provides deeper business insight, role-models attention to detail, quality, and excellence

• Has strong commercial acumen, applies deep business and industry expertise to risk based annual planning and ensuring individual audits address the right risks. Is respected as a trusted advisor, is recognised as having specialist skills, and is approached by the business to provide insights

• Experience of developing high performing teams through coaching, upskilling and performance management

• Collaborative approach to working with senior stakeholders and the IALT but also role models a strong independent mindset with the courage to make decisions

Work Experience

• Several years' minimum experience in governance, risk and control

• Experienced in leading internal or external audit, PLC experience desirable

• Experience of designing and implementing risk management systems and systems of internal control

• Board level exposure and experience in presenting to Boards and Committees of the Board

• Experience working in the Energy Sector preferable

Education and Certification

• Post graduate qualification as Chartered Accountant, Chartered Internal Auditor or equivalent subject

• Internal Audit or Accounting qualification required

At Centrica we embrace diversity and actively seek to attract individuals with unique backgrounds and perspectives. To build a more sustainable future, we need the best team – a team with a diverse mix of people and skills, where everyone feels welcome and able to succeed. We are dedicated in helping to close the diversity gap and would love to see more females, people of colour and LGBTQ+ employees, as well as those from a variety of cultures and ethnicity to veterans and the differently abled. Supporting diversity and inclusion is a big part of who we are, we are not looking for people to fit into our culture but to add to it!

PLEASE APPLY ONLINE by hitting the 'Apply' button.

Applications will ONLY be accepted via the ‘Apply’ button.

This role is being handled by the Centrica recruitment team and NO agency contact is required.