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Assurance Consultant, Hybrid, London

15 month Fixed Term Contract

Summary

We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced individual with a background in financial services to join our Assurance Team as an Assurance Consultant. In this role, you will use your knowledge of payments and risk to undertake complex assurance work, support a team of assurance auditors from a SME prospective and be involved in a variety of projects.

Key Accountabilities

• Collaborate with auditors through all stages of Participant Self Certification assurance activities including attending review meetings with stakeholders of all levels through to Senior Directors, operational, technical and audit areas.
• Perform quality reviews on assurance documentation for Participant reviews to agreed departmental standards, ensuring thorough audit trails are maintained, all issues and recommendations are agreed with Participants/Suppliers before being reported, and provide constructive feedback and coaching to Assurance Auditors.
• Complete assurance activities for new on-boarding Participants and major change.
• Review assurance materials and develop new participant assurance work programmes and assurance statements, recommending new approaches to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the assurance policy and process in the interest of all stakeholders.
• Support the implementation of effective continuous improvement solutions.
• Provide subject matter expertise for relevant internal and external stakeholders such as audit, operations, risk, service lines, security, participant/supplier, regulatory engagement and project working groups.
• Work closely with the Risk and other functions within Operations to ensure that risk and control issues for Participants are being tracked, within an agreed action plan.
• Deputise where necessary for the Senior Assurance Manager and support the Head of Onboarding and Assurance including representation at senior committees, new Participant and decision maker meetings.
• Interview, train and mentor new assurance auditors.
• Action requests for assurance information from other departments within Pay.UK or external stakeholders.
• Effectively monitor and mitigate risks at a process level.
• Plan and deliver the assurance work and processes within the team being able to prioritise as appropriate. Produce plans and reporting to a high standard as directed by the Senior Manager and Head of OBA.
• Ensure timely reporting of progress on all deliverables to key stakeholders.
• Responding in an agile manner to ad-hoc requests for information e.g. Head of, Exec and Regulatory bodies, Participants.

Industry Services – Design & Delivery

• Provide effective stakeholder communications and reporting using standard materials where appropriate. As the industry is highly regulated, mandates, governance and collaborative programmes of work are the norm.
• Provide management reporting of assurance activities and escalation, where necessary, to evidence the achievement of KPI / best practise standards.
• Develop and maintain excellent working relationships across Pay.UK departments, Participants, suppliers and other external stakeholders.

Skills, Experience & Qualifications

• Have considerable breadth of knowledge of business practice, risk identification and mitigation and risk and control frameworks. A comprehensive understanding of IT systems and controls gained from an operational business or internal audit environment.
• Demonstrate the ability to liaise with management of external organisations, ranging from one-man businesses to multinational corporations.
• Experience in identifying control weaknesses and explaining them so others understand what options there may be in mitigation of risk exposures.
• Strong attention to detail, with a sharp eye for accuracy.
• Good analytical skills, with sound problem-solving and decision making abilities.
• A minimum of 5 years' experience Internal Audit, Risk and Assurance preferably in financial services.
• A strong knowledge of IT security and data protection.
• Expertise of a risk-based approach to internal control and reporting.
• Experience of influencing others, up to and including Senior Management and Directors, through persuasion, understanding and argument.
• Experience of auditing external bodies advantageous.
• Relevant industry qualifications such as CIA or PIA, CISA (or equivalent) desirable.

At Pay.UK, we value diversity and inclusivity. Research has shown that candidates from underrepresented groups may hesitate to apply unless they meet all the requirements listed. We encourage all qualified candidates to apply, regardless of how closely their skills and experience match the requirements. We are committed to supporting accessibility needs and creating a welcoming environment for all employees. Become part of our team and contribute to the creation of an inclusive work environment that values everyone's unique input.

Who we are

Pay.UK maintains and develops the UK retail payment systems and standards that are core to the economy being able to function on a day-to-day basis.

From Bacs to Faster Payments and cheques – we act as the single operator for all UK retail payments. We put the needs of consumers and businesses at the heart of everything we do, working in the public interest to ensure that the systems the country relies on for its banking transactions are safe, open, innovative and resilient.

Our payment systems underpin the services that enable funds to be transferred between people and institutions. In 2024, the UK's retail payment systems processed 11 billion transactions worth over £10 trillion through Bacs Direct Credit, Direct Debit, Faster Payments, and cheques, and our Current Account Switch Service has facilitated over 9 million switches since its launch in 2013.

Every day, individuals and businesses use the services we provide to get their salaries, pay their bills and make online and mobile banking payments. Our vision for the future is to enable a vibrant economy, with Pay.UK delivering the best-in-class payment infrastructure and standards for the benefit of consumers and businesses nationwide.

Benefits & Additional Information

• 12% Non-contributory pension
• Discretionary annual bonus
• 30 days annual leave (excluding bank holidays)
• Private medical insurance, life assurance, income protection, health cash plan, dental insurance, Bupa medicals etc
• Employee assistance programme
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Season ticket loan
• Annual fitness subsidy of up to £500 per annum
• Working from home policy - minimum 40% in the office (e.g. 2 days in the office over a 5 day working week)

Please note:

• Some of our benefits are only available to colleagues upon successful completion of the probationary period.