1st Line Audit Manager
Leeds – Hybrid working 1 day per week in the Leeds office, travel required around every 6 weeks for 1-2 days (including overnight stays)
£55,000 – £60,000 per annum depending on experience, plus car allowance
Hello from Bspoke Insurance Group!
We know you’ll likely search for us before applying, so we’ll keep this short.
The Bspoke Group provides insurance solutions tailored for an evolving world. We’re proud to have been awarded MGA of the year in the National Insurance Awards 2025.
Our vision is to offer niche products through multiple distribution channels, whilst maintaining our specialist trademark.
We’re rapidly growing, and that’s where you come in.
Why join Bspoke?
Joining Bspoke means more than just having a job. We don’t follow the usual corporate path – instead, we embrace a dynamic and non-traditional approach. We’re a driven, passionate team that’s genuinely excited about what we do, and we’re proud of it. Delivering exceptional experiences for both our colleagues and customers starts with ensuring a fantastic experience for our team.
Our values serve as a compass reflect our Group’s core principles and ethics, to enable us to deliver the best outcomes for our colleagues. Here’s a snapshot of our values, so you can see what we’re all about: Relentlessly collaborate, defeated by nothing, proud to be ambitious, agile at our core and we are our people.
Role purpose
The 1st Line Audit Manager will lead the Audit Team to ensure that Bspoke Group Ltd and its clients trade in a consumer focused, compliant manner, reducing or mitigating any risk exposure and ensuring the fair outcomes for the end consumer.
Leading a small team, they will provide a comprehensive range of auditing services of the Group’s coverholders and claims handlers, working closely and building relationships with senior management and external insurers, ensuring documented processes, procedures, systems and controls are in place and followed.
Key Duties & Responsibilities
1st Line Auditing
- Develop and ensure delivery of the annual audit plan for both coverholders and claims handlers that is risk based and proportionate.
- Undertake regular audit visits of the Group’s external clients (predominately claim handlers) as required, examining the culture of a firm, ensuring compliance with business contractual agreements, systems & controls across a range of disciplines.
- Maintain close working relationships with external parties and internal stakeholders, providing regular reporting on key audit findings and progress against the plan.
- Identify and raise appropriate requirements and recommendations within the established reporting framework, having discussed and agreed matters with key stakeholders beforehand.
- Ensure audit requirements are appropriately managed and delivered by the agreed deadlines.
- Working collaboratively with other teams across the business to ensure the ongoing focus on conduct in relation to coverholder and claims handler activities, whilst balancing the commercial aspects of the relationships with the clients.
- Issue detailed report findings to internal and external key stakeholders within tight service level agreements, which accurately reflect the review findings and gain full buy-in.
- Assist the Business with Key Projects and other ad hoc responsibilities as required.
Regulatory Compliance & Risk Management
- Ensure the firms clients operate within the documented and agreed procedures, systems, controls and risk framework as part of the FCA requirements and other regulatory bodies.
- Ensure full compliance with FCA regulations and Consumer Duty.
- Stay informed on regulatory developments and emerging risks, adapting audit strategies accordingly.
People Leadership & Development
- Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing audit team, fostering collaboration and accountability to ensure they deliver audits in line with agreed procedures.
- Empower auditors with technical expertise and confidence in decision-making.
- Complete regular quality assurance on the Audit team for audits completed.
- Champion diversity, equity, and inclusion, ensuring a culture of knowledge-sharing and
continuous development.
Governance
- Uphold professional and ethical responsibilities in line with the Companies Act 2006 and Senior Manager Conduct Rules.
- Maintain strong relationships with insurers through regular meetings, ensuring they are aware of requirements raised during audits and the steps in place to address them.
Skills & Knowledge required
Essential
Knowledge & Technology
- Deep understanding of UK insurance regulations, including FCA and Consumer Duty obligations
- Understanding of operational efficiency, digital transformation, and leveraging technology
- to improve processes.
- Understanding of operational efficiency, digital transformation, and leveraging technology
- to improve processes.
Skills
- Proven experience in claims and complaints auditing and monitoring OR in-depth knowledge of technical claim and complaint handling disciplines, through working within a technical claim environment.
- Ability to report review findings in a clear, logical and succinct manner resulting in internal and external key stakeholder buy-in.
- Ability to ensure fair customer outcomes, embed Consumer Duty principles, and enhance
the overall customer experience.
- Strong negotiation skills, attention to detail, and ability to forge solid contractual agreements and partner relationships while delivering audit findings
Attributes
- Inspirational and inclusive leadership style with the confidence to manage conflict and make difficult decisions
- Excellent organisational skills and ability to meet tight deadlines
- Ability to take a practical viewpoint and help support effective solutions
Desirable
Knowledge & Technology
- High level of IT and web literacy, ideally with an analytics-based understanding of the online
- customer experience and industry metrics.
Skills
- Ability to complete detailed quality assurance reviews on audits completed within the team
- Ability to be able to audit coverholders as well as claims handlers.
- Experience in driving digital transformation or innovation within an audit setting.
Attributes
- Proactive in seeking continuous improvement opportunities and fostering a culture of innovation.
Qualifications
Essential: Educated to degree level or equivalent strategic experience.
Desirable: Advanced Diploma in Insurance (ACII) or Fellowship (FCII).
If this sounds like you, please apply today!
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