Description
We are seeking a high-calibre individual to be part of the Pre-16 Assurance Leadership Team. You will work as part of the team to deliver the overall assurance plan, with lead responsibilities for a number of critical assurance projects.
The Pre-16 Assurance Team provides regularity assurance over circa £77 billion of grant funding, paid to local authorities, local-maintained schools, academy trust schools and early years providers, to both the DfE Accounting Officer, and the National Audit Office (NAO).
Your main responsibilities will include:
Leadership and Delivery
- Lead the planning, delivery and reporting on pre-16 assurance work-strands, ensuring assurance objectives are delivered effectively and efficiently.
- Own team outputs and deliverables, ensuring plans align with wider assurance objectives, departmental and strategic priorities.
- Develop, manage and deliver risk-based assurance plans that deliver efficient and effective assurance over grant funding.
- Ensure assurance activities support the successful achievement of Assurance Division objectives.
- Identify delivery risks and emerging issues, taking timely action to maintain performance and quality standards.
- Oversee the production of clear, concise and evidence-based assurance assessments, reports and briefings for senior stakeholders.
- Work with other assurance managers, contributing to the management and delivery of the annual regularity assurance programme.
- Liaise with the NAO Audit Team to facilitate delivery of their regularity audit of grants.
Assurance and Risk Management
- Design, develop and implement assurance frameworks, strategies, plans and approaches for complex or high-value grant programmes and funding streams.
- Oversee the delivery of either the local authority regularity assurance programme or the academy financial regularity assurance programme.
- Evaluate assurance findings and grant data sources to identify trends, risks, control weaknesses and opportunities for improvement.
- Ensure sufficient assurance is obtained that grants are being used for their intended purposes and in accordance with funding agreements and departmental requirements.
- Lead the escalation and reporting of significant risks and assurance concerns, supporting effective decision-making by senior leaders.
- Actively contribute to the Grants Transformation Programme Risk and Assurance strand.
Stakeholder Engagement
- Build and maintain strong partnerships across policy, delivery, finance and commercial functions.
- Collaborate with grant policy, management and delivery teams to improve assurance practices and strengthen risk management.
- Communicate assurance findings and recommendations clearly and professionally to audited bodies, senior leaders and stakeholders.
- Bring together diverse perspectives and evidence to support balanced and informed assurance judgements.
People Leadership
- Create a clear sense of team purpose and foster a high-performing, inclusive and collaborative culture.
- Empower individuals and teams with confidence and empathy to take initiative, exercise professional judgement and contribute to continuous improvement.
- Manage performance proactively, setting clear expectations and providing regular, honest, direct, kind and constructive feedback.
- Support the professional development of team members through coaching, mentoring and targeted learning opportunities.
- Promote knowledge sharing, collaboration and continuous learning across the team and wider assurance community.
- Champion diversity, inclusion and wellbeing, ensuring all colleagues are supported to achieve their potential.
The role offers a salary of £60,222 - £64,518 per year, and a range of benefits including 25 days leave, increasing by 1 day every year to a maximum of 30 days after five years' service, plus the King's Birthday privilege holiday and 8 days' bank and public holidays.