It is over ten years since the GIAA was formally established as an executive agency of HM Treasury, with the mission to bring together our collective internal audit expertise and capacity into a cross‑government team, delivering high quality insight and assurance across all of government.
You will be joining a team that works across a diverse client base including most government departments and their many related organisations. As a maturing and ever evolving organisation, we are now at a crucial point in our development as we work to become an ever more efficient and impactful force in our professional field. Our delivery of better insights, better outcomes for our clients, and ultimately the public, is linked directly to the individual contribution made by each of our employees. Everyone who joins GIAA plays a role taking our vision forward and securing our future success.
We are looking for a talented, experienced and energetic leader to take the Agency into its next phase of maturity, as it continues its mission to drive insight and value from assurance whilst undertaking significant change and transition.
The Chief Executive will provide expert leadership, inspire teams, build capability and will set both the strategic vision and deliver great internal audit and counter fraud services for government.
Job description
The Chief Executive leads the Government Internal Audit Agency (GIAA), the UK governments centre of expertise for internal audit. GIAA provides independent assurance to central government departments and public bodies. Its work supports Accounting Officers (the most senior officials responsible for public funds in each department) in managing risk, governance and control effectively.
We are seeking an executive leader who combines authentic leadership with sound judgement and the ability to inspire and develop a cohesive leadership team, fostering engagement at all levels.
They will possess extensive executive experience, successfully managing complex stakeholder relationships and leading change in large organisations.
The post holder will operate across central government, with the opportunity to influence and shape the changing assurance landscape, influenced by AI and other emerging technologies to achieve timely and relevant insights to support value for money.
As Chief Executive, you will:
- Lead a national professional services organisation delivering internal audit, counter fraud and allied services across government.
- Work in collaboration with an advisory Board to drive the medium‑term Agency business strategy to support the current and future requirements of our clients.
- Unite, inspire and motivate our people around the Agency's ongoing strategy, and into its next phase of development focused on increased client value, appropriate adoption of AI and driving continuous improvement insights.
- Develop a high performing Senior Leadership Team and champion leadership at all levels through the Agency.
- Serve as the Agency's Accounting Officer, meaning you are personally accountable to Parliament for how public money is managed within the Agency.
- Act as Head of the Government Internal Audit Function, setting direction and standards for internal audit across central government.
- Ensure all audit services delivered by the Agency comply with the Global Internal Audit Standards and the UK public sector application of those standards.
Person specification
Key responsibilities
- Provide strategic, professional and operational leadership to GIAA, ensuring the delivery of high‑quality, high‑impact, independent, evidence‑based risk‑based internal audit and assurance services that improve governance and performance across government.
- Possess the drive, determination and capability to realise the Agency's ambitions, as set out in our GIAA Strategy 2025‑2029 and be able to raise the profile of the Agency by positively influencing the quality of the risk and control environment across our client base within government.
- Have responsibility for an annual budget of c.£47m, and a professional workforce of c.450 people, alongside cross‑government functional leadership responsibilities with direct accountability to Parliament for Agency performance and stewardship of public funds.
- Set and lead delivery of the internal audit Function across government, ensuring that GIAA and the wider government internal audit community operate in line with the Global Internal Audit Standards.
- Position GIAA as a trusted, high‑performing professional services provider within government.
- Lead organisational transformation, capability development, and innovation across the Agency's client services: internal audit, counter fraud, investigations, applied data analytics.
- Champion independence, objectivity, ethical conduct, and delivery of insight through all client services.
- Oversee external quality assessments and continuous improvement programmes across all client services.
- Build strong relationships with Permanent Secretaries, Audit & Risk Assurance Committees and senior leaders across government.
- Work closely with HM Treasury as the sponsor department.
- Represent the UK Governments internal audit profession nationally and internationally.
Person Specification: Essential Experience
- Senior executive leadership experience of providing professional services into a complex operating environment (public or private sector)
- Significant experience of leading internal audit and assurance teams; or being a client of scale and complexity of internal audit, assurance, or investigations.
- A track record in driving efficient ways of working and improved value for money through continuous improvement including utilising digital and AI while upholding professional standards.
- Significant experience of driving business strategy with the associated cultural change and capability building across an organisation.
- Experienced in independently influencing and engaging boards, audit committees, and stakeholders at the highest level.
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