Head of Financial Assurance, Internal Audit, Risk, Insurance and Counter Fraud

Job Title: Head of Financial Assurance, Internal Audit, Risk, Insurance and Counter Fraud

Grade: I

Directorate: Finance

Responsible to: Chief Finance Officer

Last Review Date: January 2026

Job Purpose

To lead and develop a new Risk, Insurance and Internal Audit team by developing a robust service plan that ensures implementation of key service and performance objectives for the risk, insurance and internal services on behalf of the Finance Directorate and the wider organisation.

Lead by example in modelling and embedding the council’s values and behaviours to help build a sustainable highly effective organisation and develop our reputation as a successful council delivering great value for its residents.

Provide outstanding leadership and direction to the service, driving service transformation and ensuring excellent joint working with Members and other stakeholders

Values & Accountabilities

Our Shared Values:

• Together, we hold ourselves to account to get things done. We do this by demonstrating accountability and integrity.
• Together, we make possible what cannot be achieved alone. We do this by being collaborative and focusing on impact.
• Together, we will listen and act to continually improve. We do this by being responsive to local people and the issues they raise and adapting our approach to achieve better outcomes.

Corporate Accountabilities:

• To work with colleagues to achieve service plan objectives and targets.
• To comply with data protection legislation and the council's Information Security Policy, including supporting policies.
• To be willing and able to work in a flexible and agile way with regard both to hours of work and location of work, including remote and home working, as required, subject to service needs and requirements.
• To participate in performance development, talent reviews and one-to-ones and to contribute to the identification of your own and team development needs and goals.
• To actively promote and comply with the council's diversity and equality policies.
• To ensure full compliance with the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 etc., the council's Health and Safety Policy and all locally agreed safe methods of work.
• To fully understand and be aware of the commitment to Section 17 'Duty of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 to prevent crime and disorder'.
• At the discretion of the senior management, to undertake other activities as, from time to time, may be agreed consistent with the grade and nature of the role.
• To undertake and maintain relevant mandatory training in line with legislation.

Key Service Accountabilities:

• Contribute to the development of the Finance Directorate as a member of the Financial Services Management Team, reporting to the Assistant Director Strategic and Corporate Finance, Internal Audit, Risk and Insurance.
• Service Planning – to contribute to and deliver the objectives from the Financial Services Business Plan in relation to the risk, insurance and internal audit services as well as cross cutting corporate initiatives. (eg risk and assurance mapping arrangements).
• Quality - To ensure all aspects of the service are provided to the highest professional standards developing policies and procedures for the risk, insurance and internal audit services and monitoring and controlling implementation. To put in place arrangements to undertake external evaluation of the quality and value for money of the services on a regular basis.
• People - Be responsible for the management, motivation and well-being of yourself, your staff and colleagues, including recruitment, training of audit staff and performance management setting targets for the delivery of services.
• Impact - To establish and maintain effective positive relations at the highest level within the organisation and take the lead in client meetings in providing advice and influencing discussions where complex or sensitive issues arise around financial governance, risk, internal audit or insurance matters.
• To develop and implement an enterprise risk management framework across the council and its partners to ensure the effective and efficient management of risk at all levels.
• To manage and lead on the development of the Internal Audit Service so that it meets its statutory obligations under the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015 which require the council to ensure it has effective internal audit arrangements to evaluate the effectiveness of its risk management, control and governance processes.
• To deliver an efficient and effective Insurance service that complies with all relevant statutory regulations, codes of practice and agreed procedures. A service that pro-actively assists in the risk management of the council’s assets and liabilities, ensures fulfilment of its claims handling procedures and provides appropriate advice and guidance to the council, its officers and associated members of the insurance programme.

 

Person Specification

Information for Applicants

The person specification provides an outline of the experience, skills, and abilities we expect the successful applicant to possess. You should match your own skills, experience, and abilities to those listed below. Tell us in what way you meet the requirements.

Essential Criteria

• CCAB/CIMA accounting qualification or MIIA (or equivalent CIIA qualification), IRM (Institute of Risk Management) or Fully qualified CII (or equivalent)
• Educated to degree level or equivalent, or comparable experience. 

 

Experience: (All tested in application, interview and assessment).

• Knowledge of the issues facing local government and those relevant to service/functional responsibilities, together with the legal, financial and political context of public sector management and the responsibilities of this post.
• Significant relevant experience in a management position with a record of measurable success leading and developing a similar significant organisational function or service in a large multi-disciplined organisation with comparable scope, budgets and resources.
• Demonstrable success at inter-agency working establishing and building partnerships and productive working relationships within a complex policy and service environment with senior managers and councillors, and a wide range of other bodies, such as partner organisations, communities, public agencies and statutory bodies.
• Evidence of successful resources management in a multi-disciplinary environment, as well as a successful track record in managing large budgets, business planning, quality and performance management including developing strategic financial plans, planning formulating and monitoring complex revenue and capital budgets with varied funding streams and partners.
• Substantial experience of working successfully at a strategic level within an internal audit, risk and insurance environment.
• The confidence and knowledge to provide authoritative advice to staff and elected members on complex internal audit, risk and insurance matters.
• Experience of identifying and developing opportunities for innovation, improvement and change and evidence of successfully instigating and transforming services into a leading edge service provider.
• Able to work under sustained pressure.
• A high level of financial awareness and ability to understand the financial implications of strategy and policy and experienced in developing, writing and presenting reports ensuring they balance the support for the organisation’s strategic aims and objectives with the resources available to it.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, with proficiency in ICT.
• Political awareness.
• Considerable interpersonal skills including the ability to persuade, negotiate and influence.

Values: (All tested in application, interview and assessment).

• To behave in accordance with our values.
• Commitment to the principles of agile working including the ability to work flexibly with regards to both hours of work and location of work including remote and home working as required.
• Understanding of and commitment to principles of equality and diversity and compliance with Thurrock Council policies.