Voluntary role: Independent Member of the Audit and Risk Assurance Committee

Are you an experienced public sector finance leader? Could you contribute at board level to scrutinise and assure financial management, risk, control and governance in an independent public body? Would your career benefit from that experience?

We are seeking an independent, financially qualified, Member of our Audit and Risk Committee. The Committee is a critical part of our governance which supports the Board and Chief Executive manage risk, control, governance and finances.

Formed of two non-executive Board members, and an independent member, the Committee is also attended by the Chief Executive and Accounting Officer, and other senior officials.

It meets quarterly, with one additional meeting each year to scrutinise the annual report and accounts. Each meeting is held virtually, for two hours.

This is a voluntary position, which will suit a finance leader in the public sector seeking exposure to working at board level in an arm’s-length body. The time commitment is for meeting preparation and attendance, and any other engagement and support agreed to enable you to contribute at your best, for example through briefings with senior staff, the Committee Chair or others in advance of key issues being debated.

The Office for Environmental Protection’s mission is to protect and improve the environment by holding Government and public authorities to account. We cover England, Northern Ireland, and environmental matters reserved to the UK government. We have 80 staff based in Worcester and Northern Ireland.

We report independently to Parliament and the Northern Ireland Assembly on progress against environmental targets. We also report on how effectively environmental law is implemented, and advise on changes to environmental laws. We receive complaints from the public, and investigate and can enforce potential failures to comply with environmental law by public bodies.

To find out more about the OEP, what we do, who we are and our current work, visit the OEP website . You may want to review the annual report from the Audit and Risk Assurance Committee, to understand the work of the Committee.

Given our independent role to hold government and other public authorities to account, we manage conflicts of interest very carefully. We are open to applicants in a wide range of roles. It is likely to be most difficult to manage conflicts of interest from applicants working within those organisations most often subject to our oversight in Defra and its arm’s-length bodies.

Drawing on your professional expertise and experience, you will provide independent insight, constructive challenge and objective scrutiny. You will help the OEP maintain high standards of governance, accountability, financial management and organisational resilience as it delivers its mission to protect and improve the environment.

You will;

• Provide independent and objective scrutiny of the OEP’s governance, risk management, internal control and assurance arrangements.
• Review the comprehensiveness and reliability of assurances provided to the Committee and the Board, identifying gaps and areas where further assurance may be needed.
• Advise and constructively challenge senior leaders on the effectiveness of internal controls, audit arrangements and the management of strategic and emerging risks.
• Scrutinise financial management, financial reporting and the annual report and accounts, helping to ensure that public money is used properly, transparently and with regard to value for money.
• Engage effectively with internal and external audit, supporting the Committee’s oversight of audit plans, findings, recommendations and management responses.
• Contribute fully to collective Committee discussions and decisions, while exercising independent judgement and maintaining appropriate confidentiality.
• Promote high standards of integrity, propriety, accountability and public service.

A relevant professional qualification in accountancy or audit such as CCAB, CIMA (or equivalent).

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

This role is a voluntary position and is not being recruited for through fair and open competition.

Application

All applicants will be required to complete a CV, providing details of past experience and employment, qualifications and a personal statement.

Your personal statement should outline how you meet the criteria outlined in the person specification providing examples to demonstrate your experience.

This is not a name blind, recruitment but an application to a voluntary role.

You can use up to 500 words in your personal statement.

Sift

After the closing date, your application will be reviewed by an internal selection panel.

Interview

You may be invited to take part in an informal interview to discuss your suitability for this voluntary role. This will be organised informally by the vacancy holder who will invite you to take part in a MS Teams call.

Offer

If successful, applicants you will be sent a formal offer by e-mail and asked to declare any potential conflicts of interest. You will also receive a formal offer through Civil Service Jobs.

If successful you will need to undergo Right to Work and BPSS security checks.

Salary

There is no salary for this voluntary role.

Location

Due to the nature of the role, the successful applicant will work remotely.

Reasonable Adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

• Contact the OEP at recruitment@theoep.org.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
• Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process.

Accessibility

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

Criminal Record Check

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service or Access NI on your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.