Location: Flexible / UK-wide (with travel to project sites and offices)
At Wates, we're driven by a purpose to create thriving places for communities, while doing the right thing for our people, partners and the environment. As our business continues to grow and evolve, we're looking for a Group Senior Internal Auditor (Operational & Projects) to join our Group Internal Audit team and help strengthen assurance across our projects and operations.
Reporting to the Group Head of Assurance, this is a high‑profile role with exposure across Group Head Office and all Wates businesses. You'll play a key part in delivering a complex, risk‑based audit plan, with a particular focus on operational and project-based audits within a construction and property services project environment. Devolve risk and assurance responsibilities to Business Units, the role will support delivery of audits over divisional assurance practices and adequacy of their controls.
Working closely with an established internal audit team and senior stakeholders across the Group, you'll provide independent, objective assurance on the effectiveness of internal controls, risk management and operational performance – helping embed a strong, risk‑aware culture across Wates.
This role will involve travel to Wates offices and live project sites across the UK.
- Delivering high-quality audits of construction projects and key business processes across all Wates business units, from planning through to reporting
- Leading and contributing to audit fieldwork that generates clear business insights and practical recommendations
- Producing clear, concise audit reports that support decision-making and drive improvement
- Presenting findings and recommendations to project leads, regional managers and senior functional leaders
- Tracking and following up on management actions to ensure audit observations are effectively closed
- Supporting the Group Head of Assurance and Internal Audit Managers with wider activities such as:
- Development of the risk-based audit plan
- Preparation of Audit Committee papers
- Integrated assurance and ad hoc reviews
- Best practice including implementation of a GRC Tool
- Sharing insights and innovative approaches to support the continuous improvement of the internal audit function, including effective use of systems and data
- Maintaining awareness of best practice across the construction and capital projects sector
Knowledge & experience
- Experience of auditing within the property services, construction, build or major capital projects environment
- Strong background in operational, project and/or commercial audits
- Quality assurance experience
- Good understanding of risk management and internal control frameworks within a complex organisation
- Excellent project management and report‑writing skills
Qualifications
- Degree in a construction-related discipline (e.g. Quantity Surveying or similar) – preferred
- Professional qualifications such as RICS, CIOB or IIA – desirable
Skills
- Ability to translate audit findings into clear, actionable insights
- Confident engaging and influencing a wide range of stakeholders at all levels
- Comfortable presenting audit outcomes and challenging constructively where needed
- Strong collaborative approach, with the ability to work across multiple business units
Our commitments:
Wates is proud to be an employer where anyone can thrive, and we welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds. We encourage you to apply even if you don't meet every requirement, as we value transferable skills and assess all applications fairly.
We don't discriminate based on a criminal record; all applications are reviewed on an individual basis against the requirements of the role. Some roles may require additional checks, due to the nature of the work. As a Disability Confident Leader, we offer an interview to applicants with a disability who meet the minimum criteria for the role and opt in to the Disability Confident scheme. Reasonable adjustments are available, please contact us at [email protected]
