Vacancy -- Senior Audit Professional (Digital, Data and Technology)

Working for the Civil Service

The Welsh Government's recruitment processes are underpinned by the principle of selection for appointment on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles.

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

Vacancy Details

Chief Operating Officer’s Group
Internal Audit Service
SEO - £41,700 - £49,370
Starting pay will be at the bottom of the scale, but a higher salary may be available for an exceptional candidate. An additional allowance of between £2,268 and £6,801 per annum is payable for relevant professional DDaT audit/accountancy qualifications held (CISA QICA IIA/CCAB).
Full time (applications are welcome from people who work part time, as part of a job share or who work full time)
Permanent
Pan Wales
'Pan Wales' means that the location in which the vacancy can be based is flexible, subject to the needs of the business. Please note it may not always be possible to accommodate a preference for a specific office location, but requests will be taken into consideration.
TBC

Purpose of Post:

The Senior Auditor will be responsible for delivering the DDaT elements of our audit plan across a range of areas including applications, infrastructure, cloud, cyber, change, data analytics and the provision of audit advice to Welsh Government projects and programmes, as well as supporting the planning and delivery of a programme of UK GDPR compliance audits each year.

The successful candidate will have responsibility for the full cycle of DDaT audits from planning and scoping of the work to the agreement and production of final reports with the client. 

We also have some external clients in the Welsh Public Sector. The Senior Auditor will be required to assist in the provision of an internal audit service to the relevant Accountable Officer as part of a Service Level Agreement (SLA) and in a manner which respects client confidentiality.

In all cases, the Senior Auditor ensures individual assignments are delivered to time, budget and agreed quality and professional standards, and plays a key role in line management in accordance with Welsh Government and Divisional requirements.

Key tasks:

Portfolio Management

  • Assist in the development of a DDaT risk-based audit plan for Additional Accounting Officers.
  • Develop and deliver a data analytics function within the internal audit team.
  • Provide operational support for the audit contribution towards the Group and Welsh Government Audit and Risk Assurance Committee (ARAC) process.
  • Manage the assigned workload in the allocation, monitoring and quality assurance of audit work and the application of appropriate audit techniques.
  • Ensure audit work complies with professional audit standards (PSIAS).
  • Provide DDaT advice to Welsh Government officials on digital, data and technology matters to help improve data governance, data ethics, risk management and internal controls in the IT / cyber / digital environment.
  • Participate in special investigations, under the direction of the Head of Counter-fraud and other experts as appropriate.
  • Provide audit assurance for major digital transformation and IT systems implementation projects and programmes.
  • Liaison with Audit Wales and other providers of assurance.

Team Management

  • Ensure effective performance appraisal arrangements for the audit team members.
  • Develop and coach team members in digital, data and technology awareness, understanding and use and ensure arrangements are in place for their continuing professional development (CPD) and career development within Welsh Government.

Business Improvement

  • Take a leading role in the development and delivery of the digital, data and technology elements of our Quality Assurance Improvement Plan and 5-yearly External Quality Assessment to increase the impact, efficiency, effectiveness, and value for money in the delivery of the audit service.

Personal Development

  • Maintain your professional qualification(s) and adhering to the requirements of the relevant professional body for CPD. You will also have the opportunity to develop and enhance your skills and knowledge as a Civil Servant and as an employee of Welsh Government.

Development opportunities:

Successful candidates will gain unique experience of working in Devolved Government, which provides a wide range of public services to the people of Wales. Your work will contribute to the development and delivery of essential policies and services safely and in ways which protects the interests of the taxpayer, including where Welsh Government needs to react to world events at speed. We also provide an audit service to three Public Bodies in Wales.

Taken together, this will give you valuable experience of how digital and data governance, risk management and IT and cyber controls operate in a range of circumstances – and provide you with the tools and insight to add maximum value to your clients.

Your work will bring you into contact with the most senior levels of the Welsh Government and will develop your skills as an effective relationship manager.  

We maintain high professional standards and we will support your continuing professional development as well as your development as a member of the Civil Service. As an employee of Welsh Government, support to develop Welsh Language skills is also available.

Closing Date:

10/04/2023, 16:00

Eligibility

Posts recruited to as part of this recruitment campaign are broadly open to UK nationals, those with right to remain and work in the UK and those that meet the Civil Service Nationality Rules only. Check your eligibility here:

Prior to appointment, all successful applicants will be required to produce original, acceptable documents as part of the pre-employment checks. If it becomes apparent at a later stage in the process that you aren’t eligible to apply, your application will be withdrawn, or offer retracted.

Equality and Diversity

The Welsh Government is committed to providing services which embrace diversity and which promote equality of opportunity. This is underpinned by the Equality Act 2010 and will be adhered to at each stage of the recruitment process. Our goal is to ensure that these commitments are also embedded in our day-to-day working practices with all our customers, colleagues and partners.

We are committed to being an anti-racist organisation and increasing diversity in the Welsh Government by removing barriers and supporting all our staff to reach their potential. We are committed to recruiting Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people and disabled people who are currently under-represented in Welsh Government.

We welcome applications from everyone regardless of age, marriage and civil partnership (both same sex and opposite sex), impairment or health condition, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, gender identity or gender expression.

We are a Stonewall Diversity Champion and a Disability Confident Level 3 (Leader) organisation. Key to supporting this work and providing peer support are five Board sponsored Staff Networks (Disability Awareness and Support (DAAS); Minority Ethnic Support Network (MESN); Mind Matters (Mental health and well-being); PRISM (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex +) and Women Together.

Disability Confident

A Great Place to Work for Veterans

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative.

Welsh Language Requirements

The Welsh Government is a bilingual organisation and Welsh language skills are considered an asset to the organisation. We encourage and support staff to learn, develop and use their Welsh language skills in the workplace. 

The following list of language requirements represents an objective assessment by the line manager on behalf of the Welsh Government of the Welsh language skills required to undertake the duties of this particular post.

Desirable
Can read some basic words and phrases with understanding
Can hold a basic conversation in Welsh
Can understand parts of a basic conversation
Can write basic messages on everyday topics

Social Partnership

In Welsh Government, the relationship between the employer and trade unions is based on social partnership. We believe our goals can best be achieved by management and trade unions working together.

Our 3 recognised trade unions are:
•         PCS
•         Prospect
•         FDA

This relationship is underpinned by a partnership agreement. This sets out how our unions work with Welsh Government on issues such as:
•         pay
•         terms and conditions
•         policies and procedures
•         organisational change.

Our Welsh Government trade union colleagues work together to give their members a real say in the workplace. They make sure that the interests of their members are promoted and protected. They also help reduce inequalities and improve terms and conditions.

The Welsh Government has an excellent track record of working in partnership with its trade unions. We encourage staff to get involved. We support you to join a recognised trade union, to ensure your voice is heard in the workplace. and to learn more about trade unions and partnership working.

Competencies / Job Specific Criteria

Behaviours

  1. Seeing the Big Picture – remain alert to emerging issues and trends which might impact your work area.
  2. Making Effective Decisions – present strong recommendations in a timely manner outlining the consideration of other options, costs, benefits, and risks.
  3. Changing and Improving - use technology where possible to increase efficiency.
  4. Working together - establish professional relationships with a range of stakeholders. Collaborate with these to share information, resources and support.

Job Specific Criteria

  1. Candidate will hold a relevant professional qualification (CISA, QICA, PMIIA, CIA, CMIIA or CCAB or equivalent), keep up to date with developments in the profession and maintain own professional development.
  2. Ability to demonstrate sound DDaT audit knowledge and experience in areas such as applications, infrastructure, operating systems, databases, information security and data analytics.
  3. Experience of providing real-time audit advice in a project or programme environment (desirable).

Assessment Process

Candidates must provide evidence for all 4 behaviours and the job experience criteria 1 & 2 (job experience  3 is desirable so this is optional).

The sift stage will consist of 2 stages:

  1. Candidates will be assessed against job specific criteria 1 & 2 (job experience 3 is desirable so this is optional). Candidates who meet job experience  criteria 1 and 2 will progress to the 2nd stage of the sift process.
  2. Candidates will be assessed against the 4 behaviours..

Candidates successful at sift stages 1 and 2 will be invited to interview. The interview will consist of questions based on the Civil Service Behaviours framework and the job experience  criteria.

Link to framework: Success Profiles - Civil Service Behaviours (publishing.service.gov.uk)

There will also be a 5 minute presentation. Details of the presentation topic will be shared with candidates prior to interview.

Please ensure that you read the Welsh Government Recruitment Guidance before completing your written evidence and whilst preparing for interviews.  Applicants may find the use of the STAR approach helpful when evidencing their behaviours.

Link to the Recruitment Guidance for External Candidates (link).

Other Information

  • Unless stated otherwise in ‘actual starting salary’, all candidates will start at the minimum of the pay scale being appointed to (this includes existing civil servants).This is not negotiable.
  • Unless stated otherwise in ‘type of opportunity’, this recruitment advert is not open on a Loan or Secondment basis.
  • For more information on the eligibility criteria and terms and conditions for Loan and Secondment positions in Welsh Government, please see external recruitment candidate guidance.
  • Unless stated otherwise in ‘Location of Post’ the role/s recruited to via this campaign can only be worked in the UK, not overseas.
Michael Parfitt - michael.parfitt@gov.wales

How to apply

All applications for this vacancy should be made online via the Welsh Government's online application system.  If you have an impairment which would prevent you from applying on-line, please e-mail SharedServiceHelpdesk@gov.wales to request an application pack in an alternative format, or to request a reasonable adjustment related to an impairment in order to submit your application.

To apply, you'll need to have an account on our online application system.  Click the 'Apply' button below, and you'll be asked to 'Log in' if you already have an account, or 'Register' if you don't yet have an account.  Registration takes just a few minutes to complete.  You'll need an e-mail address to be able to register.  Once you've registered for an account and logged in, you'll be taken to the online application form, which you'll need to fully complete and submit before the deadline on the closing date.  

If you’d like to apply for this vacancy in Welsh, please use the ‘Newid Iaith / Change Language’ link at the top of this page, to take you to the Welsh version of this advert, from which you can apply in Welsh.

For further information regarding the Welsh Government recruitment process, please see the Recruitment Guidance for External Candidates (link).

When evidencing your suitability for the post, it is recommended that you refer to the Civil Service Competency Framework (link)

Grievance and Complaints

Anyone who believes they have been treated unfairly, or has a grievance or complaint, about how the process was conducted should either write to the Head of Resourcing, Welsh Government, Cathays Park 2, Cardiff CF10 3NQ or email SharedServiceHelpdesk@gov.wales.  If you are unhappy with the outcome of the complaint raised with the Welsh Government and feel that the principles of appointment on merit through fair and open competition have not been met you have the right to pursue your grievance with the Civil Service Commission.

This vacancy is closed to applications.