Auditor (Performance Audit and Best Value)

We’re looking for people with a range of backgrounds and experiences so we can combine the very best expertise across various disciplines to support our audit work.

 Of course, experience of performance, best value or financial auditing is valuable, but not everyone needs to have this before they join us – we offer excellent opportunities for learning and development once you’re here.  

 You can find more information about Audit Scotland’s work on our website. 

We are Audit Scotland. We're Scotland’s public sector auditor, independent of government. Together we ensure that the Scottish Government and public-sector bodies throughout Scotland are held to account for the proper, efficient and effective use of public money. We employ around 340 staff in a wide variety of roles, working from our main offices in Edinburgh and Glasgow, and through a network of regional offices across Scotland.

Overall purpose of the role

Our Performance Audit and Best Value Group (PABV) delivers a range of audit products to assess how well public money is being used and provide valuable insights and learning. We look at a wide range of issues including climate change, inequalities, digital transformation and how public bodies are reforming public services. Our Best Value work in councils looks at important issues like how well they perform in delivering services to their communities. Our work programme is dynamic and refreshed on a regular basis to ensure it responds to changing circumstances. Our work involves:

• identifying audit risks affecting the Scottish public sector
• scoping audit work to ensure it focuses on what matters
• developing audit methodologies, gathering and assessing evidence (quantitative and qualitative)
• forming judgements and conclusions
• writing clear and evidence-based reports for the public, Scottish Parliament and the Accounts Commission that include recommendations for improvement to public bodies.

As an Auditor in PABV, you will help deliver high-quality performance and best value audit work and help develop our work programme through research and data collection, and analysing, summarising and presenting information. You will contribute to planning, developing and delivering our audits to a world-class standard, leading on distinct areas of audit delivery and supporting more junior colleagues to develop in their roles. You will build relationships and liaise with audited bodies and stakeholders, providing assurance to our stakeholders about public services which helps support improvement and focus on what is important. You will also have a chance to contribute to our quality improvement agenda and wider corporate developments across Audit Scotland.

What you will be doing

As a key team member working across a range of audits and contributing to the ongoing development of our work programme, you will research, analyse and audit financial and non-financial data and other evidence to help establish how well public money is being used.

You will contribute to planning, developing and delivering audit work, supporting the team to produce outputs by leading on specific areas of fieldwork and report drafting, and organising and reviewing the work of more junior colleagues. You will:

• conduct data analysis using appropriate techniques to answer audit questions and present findings with clarity, getting support from our data analytics community when required
• evaluate evidence and analysis from audit work and reach judgements, drawing on support from senior members of staff and other colleagues when required
• support team members to develop audit judgements by documenting your evidence and findings, and keeping a clear audit trail
• contribute to research and development activities, including leading on pre-audit appraisals and scoping work, and identifying suitable data sources and audit/analytical tools and techniques
• contribute to post-publication activity, such as preparation for committees or producing data packs
• establish and maintain effective working relationships with relevant stakeholders
• providing support and advice, through coaching and mentoring to other team members, building their confidence in engaging with stakeholders and helping them identify findings and to form their own judgements from the work
• identifying opportunities for innovation and improvement in our audit work and engaging with colleagues to share learning.

Person specification - specific knowledge and experience

Essential

• You are educated to degree level and/or have demonstrable and relevant experience (e.g. audit, scrutiny, research, strategy and policy, data analytics, service delivery, performance management, business management). (S)
• You are proficient in using Microsoft Office 365, and Word, Excel and Teams in particular. (S)
• You are data-literate and have strong research and analytical skills, including experience of analysing financial and non-financial data and of using data analysis tools, either code-based, interactive or otherwise (for example: Excel, Power BI, R , Python). (S, I & A)
• You have good written and verbal communication skills and can contribute to drafting and presenting clear and concise outputs suitable for a range of audiences. (A)
• You have strong time management skills and can work on your own with appropriate support, taking personal responsibility for managing a varied workload and conflicting priorities. (S & I)
• You are an effective team player and have experience in supporting new or more junior colleagues to develop their knowledge and skills. (S & I)
• You can build and maintain effective relationships with people internally and externally, showing empathy and understanding. (S & I)

Desirable

• You have or are working towards a financial qualification (CIPFA, ICAS, other CCAB, CIMA or equivalent). (S)
• You have experience of using methodologies for evaluating performance and improving services. (S & I)
• You have experience in communicating your findings in an engaging way using visualisations, business intelligence tools or other appropriate means. (S & I)
• You have knowledge and understanding of the Scottish public sector, how it works and the issues it is facing. For example, climate change, inequalities and public service reform. (I)

*S = Shortlisting criteria I = Interview criteria A = Assessment / Exercise

Interested? Next steps 

Click the apply button to complete an application form. If you wish, you can also share your CV. We offer a range of benefits, please visit our careers page for more information. 

Our application deadline is Sunday 4th May at midnight. Interviews will take place 19th to 21st May and will include a written exercise.

Audit Scotland

Our vision is that public money is well spent to meet the needs of Scotland's people.

To achieve this, we support the Auditor General for Scotland and the Accounts Commission to provide clear, independent and objective assurance on how effectively public money is being managed and spent. Our work covers about £59bn of public spending, almost 300 public sector accounts, and the services and projects that affect all people and communities in Scotland.

As well as what we do, how we do it is integral to delivering our vision and critical to our wellbeing and our organisational success. We put our organisational values of equality, independence, innovation, integrity and respect at the heart of everything we do.

There has never been a more interesting or important time to join us. We offer a rewarding place to work, a supportive and open culture and a wide range of professional development opportunities. Benefits include 42 days of annual leave including public holidays, an attractive local government defined benefit pension scheme with 17.6% employer contributions, personal development allowances and flexible working hours.

Diversity and Inclusion 

We value the unique perspective a diverse workforce brings to what we do. Therefore, we’re keen to increase representation in our workforce and support progression of minority ethnic groups. We are also a proud disability confident employer. 

Reasonable Adjustments

Audit Scotland’s recruitment process may include various stages and activities including application forms, online assessments, and interviews, to assess whether you meet the requirements of the role.

As a Disability Confident employer, we are committed to providing inclusive and accessible recruitment where everyone is supported to perform at their best.

When applying for a job with Audit Scotland, you will be asked in the application form if you need an adjustment at any stage of the recruitment process. Please include the reason you require an adjustment and details of what adjustment/s might help.

Some examples of adjustments that have been given to candidates include changing the time, location or format of interviews and providing additional time in any assessments and interviews. This is not an exhaustive list, and we will consider any adjustments that you might need.

As part of our commitment to equality and diversity, our equality network groups would be delighted to offer an insight into Audit Scotland’s culture of inclusivity. If you consider yourself to have a visible or hidden disability and wish to hear more about life at Audit Scotland or wish to speak with someone about the possibility of any adjustments, please contact Careers@audit-scotland.gov.uk or call 0131 625 1500 for further information and a member of the HR team will be in touch.

How we work 

We employ around 340 staff in a wide variety of roles. They work in a hybrid environment, covering time in the office, at home as well as at client sites across Scotland. This isn’t your typical work from home or work from office type job. We’re flexible about working patterns and we’ve transformed how we deliver high-quality public audit. We support you to work in the ways that achieve the best results for you, your team and the business, including your physical location and how you manage your hours. Put simply, we trust you to do your job, and want you to have the ability to have a rewarding work-life balance and best support your individual circumstances, be that childcare, adult carer responsibilities or managing disabilities.  

Other conditions 

Audit Scotland is committed to ensuring that: 

• We minimise our impact on the environment in accordance with Government policy affecting public sector organisations.  
• We uphold the principles of equality, fairness & diversity.  
• We all work within a safe environment and adhere to good standards of health & safety.  
• All information is protected and managed appropriately.  
• We maintain independence and political neutrality.