Senior Assurance Advisor position description

Role purpose

Support the Head of Risk and Assurance to provide assurance to the Chief Executive, leadership
teams, and the Board that EPL’s internal controls are appropriately designed and effectively
managed.

Use EPL’s risk assessment methodology to conduct audit risk assessment and work with the Senior
Leadership Team to determine and recommend potential areas for audit reviews.

Conduct and lead audit reviews together with internal resources and where is necessary with
external providers to deliver the approved annual internal audit and assurance plan.

Key accountabilities

• Report to Head of Risk and Assurance on all internal audit and assurance activities.
• Conduct audit risk assessments at least annually to determine the annual audit plan for Audit and Risk Committee approval in June each year, or a need to amend the audit plan for the year.
• Identify and maintain assurance and oversight of the risk environments across all functions.
• Where it is necessary, manage the completion of the audit plan using external provider/s.
• Conduct internal audit assignments in accordance with the annual audit plan and prepare audit reports for management after each audit review.
• Implement and manage a process for ensuring audit recommendations are adopted within agreed timeline. These include findings from EPL corporate audit, SAAR (School Annual Accrual Reporting) and payroll controls audit, and Internal audits.
• Provide assurance that end-to-end functional processes are in line with the concept of Three Lines of Defence.
• Socialise, maintain, build, and continuously update EPL’s ‘controls catalogue’ to ensure that all leaders and staff involved in performing control activities are familiar with their responsibilities.

Relationships and customers

Internal

• CEO & Board
• Senior leadership team
• Employees of Education Payroll Limited

External

• Industry bodies
• Third party providers
• Ministry of Education    

Experience and knowledge

To be successful in this position you will need:

• minimum of three years of auditing experience
• understanding of the EPL business, goals, strategies, priorities
• understanding of the education/ payroll ecosystem
• can build trusting relationships with the business and risk functions
• collaborative and inclusive work approach
• courageous in challenging and reporting inappropriate practices and activities that do not comply with EPL policies and procedures. This includes the courage to escalate or raise concerns with leaders of the company.
• good communication skills mixed with leadership and influencing skills
• developing audit strategies and audit plans, undertaking a range of strategic, operational, financial, systems reviews, and includes managing investigations of potential fraud activities if identified
• understanding of governance, internal auditing, compliance, risk and risk management, controls, providing compliance and other assurance with pragmatic business improvement recommendations and insights
• data and risk control analysis skills applied in integrated ways
• experience working with third parties to support any outsourced the internal audit programme
• demonstrated ability in training leaders and staff to uplift control and assurance literacy and capability.

Competencies

• Good Knowledge and understanding of the of ‘Three Lines Model’ and Internal Audit standards and guidance – IPPF.
• Strong communication and relationship building.
• Experience in audit risk assessment.
• Core assurance skills and experience, including scope identification, preparing audit programme, management of work papers, reporting and follow-up activities.
• Conduct monthly audit recommendation follow-ups and support the business to address control risks and issues.
• Effective communicator. Can converse and report the progress of the annual internal audit plan, thematic issues and emerging risks to the leadership team and the Audit and Risk Committee.
• Able to facilitate and hold strategic risk discussion with senior leaders and external providers.

Leadership framework and EPL values

Our leadership framework outlines the expectations we have of all our people to lead themselves. It sets out additional expectations for those who lead others and lead EPL. The foundation of this model is our EPL values.

If you have questions about this role email myhr@edpay.nz and we will be able to get you talking to the right people.