About the Council
St Helens Borough is undergoing a transformation; not just in the regeneration of our towns and the economic growth in our key industries, but we have also undergone substantial change as a council. We have energetic officer and political leadership which is determined to get things done; and have undergone a council wide restructure with a renewed impetus on performance and outcomes for local people, something that was positively highlighted in our recent LGA Corporate Peer Revisit, and further supported by our recent shortlisting in a national award for Most Improved Council. We are a council with high ambitions, a place that is full of energy and focus, with a passionate and committed workforce and an exciting future ahead.
Our St Helens Borough Strategy 2030 sets out our vision to work together for a better borough, with people at the heart of everything we do, by improving people’s lives together and creating distinct, attractive, healthy, safe, inclusive, and accessible places in which to live, work, visit and invest.
St Helens Borough is a place we’re extremely proud of. It’s beautifully green, hosts a variety of leisure activities, with excellent schools, an affordable housing market and great connectivity, being ideally located halfway between the cities of Liverpool and Manchester.
About the role
Are you an experienced and dynamic professional looking for a leadership role in internal audit?
We are recruiting to a newly created Head of Audit & Risk in the Legal & Governance department of Corporate Services. You will report to the Director of Legal & Governance and lead a range of assurance services, including internal audit, counter fraud, risk and resilience, health & safety and insurance. As Chief Internal Auditor, you would champion best practice in governance, giving an objective, evidence based opinion on all aspects of governance, risk management and internal control.
You will also support the Executive Director of Corporate Services and the Audit & Governance Committee in the discharge of their duties including providing support in relation to the Council’s risk management processes.
You will be required to hold a formal accounting/audit qualification and will need to be able to demonstrate an appropriate level of experience within an Internal Audit environment. Particularly important is the requirement to be able to maintain effective customer relationships and the ability to motivate and develop staff. It is essential to be able to build and maintain organisational knowledge and understanding, and develop and maintain excellent client relationships, especially with management and councillors.
Ideally with management experience within local government, you will have excellent communication skills, an understanding of working in a political environment and the ability to deliver results and find solutions.
This is an exceptional opportunity to join a vibrant and energetic leadership team, for someone who wants to lead and continually improve assurance services within the Council.
Council employees are required to abide by the ethical standards embodied by the 7 NOLAN principles of conduct in public life. These include selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership.
We welcome applications from the BAME community
For an informal discussion about the role, please contact: Jan Bakewell, Director of Legal & Governance on 01744 673209 / janbakewell@sthelens.gov.uk.
Interviews will be held w/c 6 September 2022
