Client Audit Director (ABLBlock)

The Client Audit Director is responsible for leading the independent Client Audit Team and overseeing the management of audit activities across the Asset Based Lending (ABL) Block Discounting and Wholesale portfolios (c1.5bn exposure).

The role will ensure client audits are delivered to a high quality in-line with risk appetite and audit frameworks focusing on robust oversight designed to protect capital detect fraud and conduct risks identify systemic control weaknesses and provide transparent consistent reporting & insight.

The role will require building strong relationships across senior Credit Originations and Portfolio Management Teams providing constructive challenge and value add insights to provide comprehensive audit outputs on the quality of collateral we are financing and identify underlying issues with our borrowers.

The role will be to manage inspire and develop the in-house team maximising productivity developing team skillsets and balancing capacity including the use of external resources where necessary. You will embrace accurate data capture analysis data driven decision making and data governance.

The successful candidate must have a desire to challenge the status quo while using AI to drive automation to super-charge delivery and drive process consistency to deliver insightful reporting and escalation.

Success of this newly formed team within Risk Services will provide a solid foundation to assess synergies with other audit activity in Shawbrook to build a centre of audit excellence across the Group.

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee audit activity to ensure compliance with audit and risk frameworks and policies.
• Manage team workload proactively forecasting and addressing capacity challenges. At times perform audits to ensure capacity is managed effectively.
• Perform quality checking to ensure consistency in audit testing findings and actions.
• Own and embed procedures and control documentation to demonstrate effective process design consistency and transparency of activities.
• Review audit scope sampling and testing strategies independently including stepping beyond standard templates where risk indicators arise.
• Manage data and information to develop insightful analysis of portfolio risks and reporting on team performance emerging risks and audit outcomes.
• Lead the escalation of material audit findings to ensure transparency and risk mitigation.
• Oversee and drive development and embedding of AI solutions to automate and systemise audit processes in core business applications.
• Coordinate the embedding of Conduct controls into the Audit process.
• Attend key stakeholder meetings and forums to present performance escalate exceptions and actions and provide insights from audit performance.
• Work collectively with Originations Credit & Portfolio Teams to assess potential new customers within the Operational Resilience Team to ensure alignment of processes controls and documentation.

Qualifications :

Skills & Experience

• Background in asset-based lending audit collateral monitoring or credit risk oversight within financial services.
• Experience in auditing financial performance and/or forensic accounting may also be beneficial in the role.
• Strong technical knowledge of ABL structures block discounting and wholesale collateral models.
• Experience using generative AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT Microsoft Copilot) to improve efficiency in analysis reporting documentation and operational processes while applying appropriate governance confidentiality and data handling controls.
• Proven people and team management and development experience.
• Strong data literacy with experience applying analytics to risk identification and fraud detection.
• Deep understanding of the three lines of defence model and PRA/FCA expectations.
• Demonstrated ability to challenge senior stakeholders constructively and influence at Committee level.
• Proficient in MS Office especially MS Excel.
• Relevant professional qualifications are desirable (e.g. ACA ACCA CIA or equivalent).
• We assess candidates on experience skills and impact.

Key Attributes

• Independent and courageous.
• Strong commercial and risk judgement.
• Analytically rigorous and data curious.
• High integrity and professional scepticism.
• Forward-looking with a progressive view of assurance

Additional Information :

Your Wellbeing - We take your health and well-being very seriously by providing a range of benefits to give you and your family peace of mind. These include:

• Market leading family friendly policies such as access to our Maternity Adoption and Paternity policies from Day 1 of your employment
• Free access to Headspace a mindfulness & meditation digital health app
• Free access to Peppy digital health app that offers personalised support through fertility treatment becoming a parent or menopause
• EAP (Employee Assistance Programme) - Offering you support on a wide range of subjects including financial concerns mental wellbeing and more general queries around family work housing and health
• Cycle to work scheme
• Discounts on gym membership
• Contributory pension scheme & death in service

Your Lifestyle - Its important you strike the right balance between your work and personal life. We provide benefits to support you when at work and when youre enjoying your leisure time.

• Minimum of 27 days holiday per year
• Option to buy or sell holiday days through our flexi-holiday scheme
• Discounts on gym membership nationwide
• Access to discounts on a range of high street and online brands
• Community support and charitable giving

Your Contribution - Were focused on rewarding those that go the extra mile in helping us achieve our goals.

• Participation in our annual discretionary bonus scheme designed to reward your contribution to our success
• Proudly Shawbrook recognition scheme focused on recognising our role models and thanking our colleagues for a job well done

Remote Work :

No

Employment Type :

Full-time

Experience: years
Vacancy: 1