About the job

Job summary

Ofgem is the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets. We are a non-ministerial government department and an independent National Regulatory Authority, recognised by EU Directives. Our primary objective is to safeguard consumers, both presently and in the future, by actively contributing to the development of a more sustainable and equitable energy system.

In addition to our regulatory role, Ofgem oversees various environmental and social programmes on behalf of the government. Ensuring strict compliance with relevant requirements by participants or obligated suppliers participating in these schemes is imperative to uphold the integrity of the programmes and ensure optimal value for money.

As a Senior Assurance Auditor, you will be instrumental in enhancing our assurance strategy and processes, fostering effective risk and assurance management across Ofgem. Your responsibilities include leading a small team of auditors, delivering an annual assurance audit plan, and providing thematic oversight to ascertain that Ofgem operates ethically and effectively. Additionally, you will manage activities related to the Annual Assurance Audit Plan, acting as the escalation point for nominated directorates and setting standards in risk and assurance.

In this role, you will educate, coach, and support staff, senior management, and directors to capture, manage, and escalate material risks effectively. Your expertise will be crucial in developing mitigations and controls, positively challenging business controls to ensure their effectiveness.

Key responsibilities involve planning, scoping, and conducting assurance audits, identifying areas for improvement, and sharing experiences with colleagues to strengthen understanding and application of effective assurance auditing and controls. You will support directorate leadership teams in understanding risks, defining SMART actions, and escalating issues appropriately. Additionally, you will contribute to the development of the Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) framework across Ofgem.

Establishing key relationships is paramount, requiring internal collaboration with Deputy Directors, Directors, and Director Generals. Additionally, external engagement with pertinent government stakeholders and third-party contractors is crucial for effective communication and collaboration.

If you are ready to contribute to the delivery and improvement of assurance strategies, ensuring Ofgem's commitment to a sustainable and compliant energy system, we invite you to join our dynamic team. This is a unique opportunity to make a significant impact within a reputable organisation dedicated to shaping the future of energy markets. Apply now and be part of Ofgem's mission to protect consumers and promote a greener, fairer energy landscape.

 

 

Job description

Purpose of Ofgem

Ofgem is the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets. We are a non-ministerial government department and an independent National Regulatory Authority, recognised by EU Directives. Our role is to protect consumers now and in the future by working to deliver a greener, fairer energy system.

Ofgem also administers a range of environmental and social programmes on behalf of Government. Ensuring participants or obligated suppliers on these schemes comply with the relevant requirements is essential to maintain scheme integrity and provide value for money.

Purpose of post holder

The Senior Assurance Auditor will provide technical expertise and leadership in the delivery and continuous improvement of our existing assurance strategy and processes. Strengthening the understanding and application of effective risk and assurance management across Ofgem. 

This will be achieved through educating, coaching and supporting staff, senior management and directors to ensure that material risks are captured, managed, and escalated effectively. The individual will be skilled in working to develop mitigations and controls, positively challenging business controls to ensure effectiveness. 

The post holder will also manage a range of activities to deliver the Annual Assurance audit Plan, working across directorates to agree a plan that provide thematic oversight and Assurance that Ofgem are doing the right thing

The Individual will act as the route of escalation for nominated directorates or Director General portfolios and be responsible for setting standards in risk and assurance by guiding and challenging Directors, Director Generals and their teams.

 

 

Person specification

Your key responsibilities 

• Lead a small team of assurance auditors to deliver an annual assurance audit plan that provides second line assurance oversight of key processes and provides the senior executive committee with assurance that Ofgem are doing the right thing.
• Define and deliver an Assurance Audit Plan for Ofgem which provide effective oversight of key risk areas and gives thematic assurance that Ofgem is operating in a compliant and effective way.
• Plan, scope and conduct worthwhile assurance audits that identify areas for improvement whilst recognising good working practices.
• Share experience and expertise with colleagues to strengthen the understanding and application of effective assurance auditing and controls.
• Support directorate leadership teams to understand risk and issues identified during the assurance audit process and work with them to identify and define SMART actions, which are tracked to completion. Take appropriate actions to escalate issues. 
• Support the further development of the Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) framework across Ofgem.
• Ensuring that the Assurance Audit plan is run effectively, and the annual plan provides a high quality, evidence-based overview of the adequacy of the governance, risk, and control across all directorates within Ofgem.   
• Positively challenge directors and senior management where necessary.
• Managing the provision of high-quality papers and reports for the Ofgem committees and boards, ensuring issues or risks requiring escalation are identified and communicated appropriately.
• Manage the Ofgem Integrated Assurance plan, engage directorates in all assurance review activities to define scope, agree delivery timelines and cause minimum disruption to BAU.

Key Stakeholder Relationships

Internal

• Deputy Directors, Directors, and Director Generals
• Corporate Business Assurance team
• ExCo, ARAC, PRC and GEMA members

External

• Relevant Government stakeholders
• Third party contractors (such as internal auditors)
• Government Risk Function

Essential

• Expert knowledge and understanding of modern Risk and Assurance Management practices, best practice and how this can be applied in real world scenarios (LEAD).
• Proven experience in managing assurance audit programmes in a complex regulatory environment.
• Strong leadership and communication, collaboration skills and the ability to build effective stakeholder relationships and excellent working relationships with a wide range of teams and individuals.
• Able to operate and communicate effectively across all internal and external organisational levels, including confidence to negotiate with and influence Directors and Director Generals.
• Experience of developing and delivering training (system and practice) and facilitating workshops with senior leaders.
• Ability to consult in large programmes of work and provide scrutiny and challenge practices, processes within business cases or projects.
• Excellent organisational and prioritisation skills and good attention to detail.

Desirable

• A good understanding of HMT Orange book and the three line of defence assurance framework. 
• A degree or professional qualification in Audit or Membership of the Institute of Internal Auditors is desirable but not essential as relevant work experience is equally important. 

 

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £43,650, OFGEM contributes £11,786 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

When you press the ‘Apply now’ button, you will be asked to complete personal details (not seen by the sift panel), your career history and qualifications.

You will then be asked to provide a 1250 word ‘personal statement’ evidencing how you meet the essential and desirable skills and capabilities listed in the role profile. Please ensure you demonstrate clearly, within your supporting statement, how you meet each of the essential and desirable skills and capabilities.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.