Job Description

The role encompasses investigating and managing practice protection matters to achieve the best possible outcomes. The types of matters likely to require investigation and resolution include regulatory investigations and enforcement actions (in particular, ICAEW investigations and FRC case examination and enforcement investigations), claims and complaints, whistleblowing reports and prior year restatements of the financial statements of audit clients.

The role will involve working closely with the partners, members of the Legal Team, members of the Technical Standards Group and other service line technical specialists. From time to time the role will involve direct interaction with regulators and the Investigation Director will be representing the firm.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Day to day management of practice protection matters which require highly experienced specialist accounting and auditing knowledge.
• Investigation of complaints, claims, whistleblowing matters and root cause analysis.
• Ensuring investigations are well documented with reports and bundles suitable for presentation to internal boards and governance committees, external legal advisers, and/or regulators as appropriate.
• Working with service lines to develop action plans and solutions following investigations. Monitoring the implementation of such action plans.
• Strategic risk management - development of plans in response to regulatory developments (particularly in relation to enforcement actions) and themes emerging from investigations. Assessing the impact on quality and risk policies and processes and communicating the impact to partners and staff.
• General regulatory and risk management advice to the QRM team and the business.
• Developing and delivering learning and development programmes
• Special projects and other general quality and risk management support to the Quality and Risk Management partners.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Good experience and knowledge of the regulations and regulatory environment for an accountancy firm. Solid technical expertise in the areas of auditing, financial reporting and professional ethics. Experience of regulatory investigations and enforcement actions (ideally ICAEW and FRC). Ability to communicate effectively and with credibility to external parties such as regulators. The ability to build relationships across the firm and gain the confidence of senior partners (at leadership level). The ability to investigate and resolve problems and determine appropriate actions. An interest in deepening your knowledge of the current regulatory environment and risk management processes.