Head of Audit - Group Operations & Technology

Coventry Building Society; Coventry; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading financial services provider in the UK seeks a Head of Audit to oversee the Internal Audit function while ensuring effective stakeholder management and audit engagement delivery. The ideal candidate will have significant audit management experience and strong skills in leadership and stakeholder engagement. This role operates on a hybrid basis, requiring visibility in Coventry or Manchester for key meetings. Competitive benefits include an annual bonus, pension contributions, and private medical insurance.

Benefits

28 days holiday plus bank holidays

Annual discretionary bonus

Company car allowance

Private Medical Insurance

Qualifications

• Significant experience in internal/external audit management.
• Exceptional stakeholder management experience.
• Broad experience of preparing high-quality audit reports.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the delivery of the Internal Audit function’s objectives.
• Develop and oversee value-adding assurance engagements.
• Manage Executive stakeholder relationships and attendance at governance meetings.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Leadership

Audit management

Risk management

Communication skills

Education

Chartered Internal Audit qualification

CISA

ACA/ACCA qualification

Job description

# Head of Audit - Group Operations & Technology*Location*Location:Location:Coventry, Hybrid, ManchesterLocation is a required field## About the roleThe Head of Audit role is critical to the overall delivery of the Internal Audit function’s objectives and assurance agenda, providing essential independent and objective assurance, advice and insight to the Group Board Audit Committee and Group ExCo. The person in post will have responsibility for senior Executive stakeholder management, developing and overseeing the delivery of value-adding assurance and advisory engagements, and articulating the views of and/or specifically representing the Group Chief Internal Auditor / Internal Audit function in different Society governance meetings. This will include direct exposure to the preparation and presentation of materials for the Group Board Audit Committee and Group ExCo.Overseeing and controlling the day-to-day delivery of approximately half of the annual Internal Audit Plan, the Head of Audit will provide leadership, insight and direction to the approach and methodology used by Internal Audit colleagues to assess the Society’s / Bank’s business as usual operations and integration efforts. The role will focus on activities associated with Operations and Technology, being concentrated on processes fundamental to delivering the organisation’s customer and member service standards, while also including elements of change prioritisation and delivery, and strategic digital development.By overseeing the definition and execution of focused audit engagements, the role holder will have responsibility for ensuring the impactful delivery of opinions, guidance, challenge and insight related to the improvement of risk management, control and culture for the Group. As a new role within the Internal Audit function, it will have a specific focus on supporting the delivery of assurance of the integration of the Society and The Co-operative Bank.*We operate on a team led* *hybrid approach with at least 2 days a month in the Coventry or Manchester office. There will also be an expectation to be on site for stakeholder meetings when required.***Our benefits include:*** 28 days holiday a year plus bank holidays and a holiday buy/sell scheme* Annual discretionary bonus scheme* Personal pension with matched contributions* Life assurance (6 times annual salary)* You’re entitled to a company car allowance* Private Medical Insurance**Find out more about the fantastic benefits of joining Coventry Building Society****.***We reserve the right to close this advert early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications*To be successful in this role it’s essential you:* Have significant internal/external audit management experience including an ability to develop both straightforward and innovative assurance approaches that reflect the strategic priorities of the organisation.* Exhibit strong leadership capabilities that can effectively oversee the delivery of complex engagements flexibly, to time and quality.* Demonstrate exceptional stakeholder management experience and skills, being proficient at engaging with Executive level leaders and their senior leadership teams.* Focus on delivering value and insight in conjunction with independent assurance.* Have excellent awareness of internal audit standards, requirements and industry good practice, combined with strong skills which optimise assurance coverage.* Have extensive experience in managing, developing and supervising colleagues.* Display broad experience of preparing high quality audit reports and/or papers for senior management and risk/governance committees.Desirable experience will be:* A Chartered Internal Audit (Certified/Chartered Auditor), IT Audit (CISA) and/or accounting (ACA/ACCA) qualification.* Understanding and experience of financial services regulations and expectations.In 2025, Coventry Building Society purchased The Co-operative Bank. Bringing together our purpose-led building society with the UK’s original ethical bank was the start of an exciting journey.Trusted by over four million people, we’re a mutually owned business free from shareholders, and with our combined experience of almost 300 years, our ethics and dedication will continue to guide us. Together, we have shared values and an ethical approach towards our members, customers and colleagues.We’re officially recognised as a ‘Great Place to Work’ and our benefits go beyond basic pay, with a discretionary bonus scheme, a culture of reward and recognition and comprehensive support for wellbeing. We’re serious about equality, of race, age, faith, disability, and sexual orientation and we celebrate diversity. By working together, we know you’ll build more than just a career with us.**Flexibility and why it matters**We understand the need for flexibility, so wherever possible, we’ll consider alternative working patterns. Have a chat with us before you apply to see what the possibilities are for this role. **Proud to be a Disability Confident Committed Employer**We’re proud to offer an interview or assessment to every disabled applicant who meet the minimum criteria for our vacancies. As part of the application process, disabled applicants can opt in for the Disability Confident Interview Scheme. If there are ever occasions where it is not practicable to interview all candidates that meet the essential criteria, such as when we receive a high number of applications, we commit to interviewing disabled candidates who best meet the minimum essential and desirable criteria.## LocationCoventry View on map