Audit & Assurance Manager

 

Main characteristics

Location

West Midlands (County)

Company

Pathway Group

Employment type

Permanent

Category

Education

Job summary

Pathway Group aspires to be an organisation that Changes Lives Through Skills and Work with the aim of making a meaningful and impactful difference to clients and learners. We do this by nurturing and maintaining excellent and effective relationships with funding bodies, employers, learners, and other relevant stakeholders.
Pursuant to these goals, we are seeking a detail-driven and compliance-focussed technical expert to manage the Audit and Compliance Team reporting to the Chief Operating Officer. We expect you to deliver a business-wide, annual programme of high-quality assurance and compliance engagements and to ensure a rigorous assurance and compliance framework is in place across the business.

Work with your staff to exceed the required minimum contractual requirements across all areas of delivery.
Enable your team to exceed standards (quality and financial) through the continued support and development, taking into consideration each individuals capabilities and capacity.
Liaise with all HQ support services to ensure timely contractual compliance and business KPIs.

Additionally, you will be responsible for managing operational relationships with internal and external auditors, ensuring that processes to secure operational, funding, and legislative compliance are in place across the business; cooperate with other business areas towards development of innovative solutions for management of risk and compliance across the business.



Key responsibilities of the role:



Provide leadership and management for the MIS Audit & Compliance and Administration Teams.

Demonstrate a high level of experience in audit and compliance role with sound expertise in delivering high-quality assurance and compliance engagements along with an expert understanding of interpreting various funding rules during external audits.

Develop and deliver an annual program of assurance engagements (and, where necessary, investigations) to ensure compliance with prevailing regulations and legislations across all business areas.

Oversee and support the development and delivery of a program of internal compliance testing, providing timely and meaningful information to the Senior Leadership Team.

Provide operational management for audits, inspections, and reports to all relevant external agencies and stakeholders.

Actively maintain and develop lines of communication for efficient business-wide dissemination of information related to changes of procedures and sharing the best practices.

Provide appropriate support and meaningful information to the Executive Board, the Senior Leadership Team, and other business areas as necessary.

Recommend continuous improvements regularly, ensuring that policies, procedures, documentation, and other materials stay up to date with regulatory changes.

Stay current with funding changes and ensure the business remains compliant.

Facilitate and support business quality delivery, working in conjunction with our Quality Skills Lead to ensure KPIs exceed expectations in all deliverable areas.

Develop and maintain assurance processes and procedures.

Drive training and development for team members to ensure everyone performs in their role and achieves Pathways quality and financial standards.

Work closely with the L&D Lead to ensure smooth delivery of new contract mobilization for internal and external stakeholders.

Ensure key performance indicators are in place and quality and financial targets are met.

Support Administration departments to achieve timely quality and financial targets.

Plan, manage, and control resource requirements to meet and achieve quality, timely deliverables.

Conduct monthly performance and development reviews for all team members.

Conduct annual appraisals and review CPD with all staff.

Review process, procedures, and SOPs regularly to ensure they are up to date.

Create SOPs and LOPs as necessary.

Lead and design contract mobilisation plans timelines, milestones, and evaluations.

Lead and manage training and support provided to external stakeholders to meet contractual requirements, regulations to achieve high Ofsted grades.



Standard responsibilities of any role at Pathway Group:



Demonstrate an awareness and ongoing commitment to Pathway Groups values.

Comply with all Pathway Group policies and procedures, including taking the responsibility for the health and safety of yourself and your colleagues.

Participation in the performance review and appraisal processes, ensuring that training and development goals are met.

Actively pursue the integration and achievement of equal opportunities across all activities.

Demonstrate an ongoing commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people and vulnerable adults.

Promote sales and service excellence by demonstrating expert knowledge of our products, features, and applications.

Ensure that all customers enquiries are tracked, handled, and responded quickly and effectively; follow-up conversations are held when necessary.

Review with the Chief Experience and Enrichment Officer areas for improvement through the engagement and customer feedback

Implement suitable sales and route options while attempting to enhance and maximise funding.

Collect, analyse, and provide facts and data to the company executives and managers as ad hoc requests.



Requirements of the role:



To be the lead and go to person and a key driver in all aspects relating to apprenticeships, Learner Loans and AEB with an expert up to date working knowledge of legislation and other funding related guidance, industry best practice and latest Ofsted trends to disseminate internally.

Have detailed and expert level understanding of policy developments and initiatives relevant to the skills and welfare to work sector.

Have forensic attention to detail and meticulous data analytical skills with an understanding of Compliance, Quality and Customer Focussed excellence.

Support our Team and Lead for Ofsted, Funding and Awarding compliance in all activities throughout the region and possibly deputise and stand-in for the business.

Implement contracts effectively, guide and update colleagues on contract and audit requirements should any relevant changes occur.

Identify, initiate, and implement commercial revenue opportunities relevant to our aspirations.

Create a culture of learning from feedback including planning transformational change leading to continuous positive outcomes.

Maintain awareness of our funding contracts and programmes.

Supply chain management and onboarding process and documentation including full due diligence and managing orientation.

Leading the preparation, management and application of research work using various sources such ONS, LMI as well as any relevant strategic documents and research papers.

Lead on Curriculum design, intent, and implementation with clear focus on impact.

Ensure robust systems and processes are in place, assuring compliance with external requirements such as ESFA, Safeguarding/Prevent, lead as necessary in the external audits with a particular focus on Ofsted in short-term.



Core values:

Leadership Good influencing and motivational skills with ability to build and maintain effective relationships to achieve organisational goals.

Initiative Demonstrate the ability to work on own initiative and under pressure, deliver KPI and show drive and energy, especially in the face of resistance or setbacks.

Planning - Ability to plan effectively and prioritise challenging demands, ability to work under pressure.

Manage and drive continuous improvement.

Strong overseer, ensuring the timely delivery with financial constraints in mind

Lead on Compliance, Administration and the Customer Experience

Up to date and expert level knowledge of the EFSA current funding rules

Expert level of knowledge on Learner Loans, AEB (employed and unemployed) delivery and Skills Bootcamp.



The successful candidate will have to meet the requirements of the role specification and will be a subject for pre-employment checks including an enhanced DBS check and satisfactory references.

You must have eligibility to work in the UK. Please note, only suitable applicants will be contacted; if your address and contact details are not on your CV, you will not be considered