Overview
This is a fantastic opportunity to join a developing Finance compliance function and help strengthen the University of Sheffield’s approach to financial control and compliance.
Whether you are an audit professional looking for your first move out of practice, or you already have established in-house experience, this role offers a great platform to develop your skills and career.
Reporting to the Head of Financial Assurance, you will support the delivery of the University’s financial compliance framework across our academic Schools and Professional Service departments. You will carry out compliance audits, track agreed actions, support policy development and provide clear advice to colleagues from across the institution.
The University is a large and complex organisation, with around 25,000 students and an annual income of around £900 million. This role requires both strong technical assurance and analytical skills and the ability to communicate financial and compliance issues clearly to colleagues who may not have a finance background.
As the University’s compliance framework matures, the volume and depth of assurance work is increasing. This post has been created to strengthen delivery capacity and will provide wide exposure to the University’s financial operations.
We are looking for an analytically-minded audit, assurance, compliance or finance professional who can combine sound technical judgement with practical communication skills, collaborative working and a commitment to improving how controls operate in practice.
Main duties and responsibilities
- Deliver financial compliance healthchecks across the University’s academic Schools and Professional Service departments, including planning, data analysis, fieldwork, reporting, and follow up.
- Extract and analyse financial data to identify trends, exceptions, risk areas and potential control weaknesses.
- Translate compliance risks and findings into clear, practical messages for finance and non-finance colleagues, including the causes, consequences and required actions.
- Maintain the assurance action tracker, monitoring agreed actions through to completion and escalating delays where appropriate.
- Manage the central Financial Compliance mailbox, acting as a first point of contact for enquiries and providing clear, professional advice.
- Support the Head of Financial Assurance to develop, maintain and improve the University’s financial compliance framework.
- Support policy updates and process development, ensuring they align with institutional standards and regulatory expectations.
- Support the design and monitoring of remedial actions, helping colleagues address root causes rather than only correcting individual issues
- Provide compliance input into major change initiatives - including an upcoming ERP implementation - to help maintain effective financial controls.
- Build effective working relationships with colleagues across Finance and the wider institution to promote good governance, risk awareness and proportionate control.
- Carry out other duties, commensurate with the grade and remit of the post
Person Specification
Our diverse community of staff and students recognises the unique abilities, backgrounds, and beliefs of all. We foster a culture where everyone feels they belong and are respected. Even if your past experience doesn't match perfectly with this role's criteria, your contribution is valuable, and we encourage you to apply. Please ensure that you reference the application criteria in the application statement when you apply.
Experience working in an internal or external audit, assurance, compliance or financial control role.
Application and Interview
Strong understanding of internal controls, compliance and risk management and assurance principles.
Application and Interview
Ability to perform detailed analysis of financial data, identify patterns or exceptions, and draw evidence-based conclusions.
Application and Interview
Ability to explain financial control, compliance and risk issues clearly to non-specialist audiences.
Application and Interview
Strong written communication skills, including the ability to produce clear findings, actions and guidance.
Application and Interview
Ability to work independently, manage a varied workload, meet deadlines and exercise sound judgement.
Experience supporting the design, implementation or monitoring of control improvements.
Application and Interview
Professional qualification in audit, accountancy, a related discipline, or equivalent relevant experience.
Experience working in Higher Education, the NHS, local government, charity, research, public sector or another regulated environment.
Application and Interview
Familiarity with large ERP systems such as SAP.
Application and Interview
Further Information
Full-time. Flexible options considered.
Head of Financial Assurance
https://sheffield.ac.uk/finance
For informal enquiries about this job contact James Fenton, Head of Financial Assurance: on
[email protected] If you need any support, equipment or adjustments to enable you to participate in any element of the recruitment process you can contact James Fenton, Head of Financial Assurance.
Our vision and strategic plan
We are the University of Sheffield. This is our vision: sheffield.ac.uk/vision ().
What we offer
- A minimum of 41 days annual leave including bank holiday and closure days (pro rata) with the ability to purchase more.
- Flexible working opportunities, including hybrid working for some roles.
- Generous pension scheme.
- A wide range of discounts and rewards on shopping, eating out and travel.
- A variety of staff networks, providing opportunities for social interaction, peer support and personal development (for example, Race Equality, LGBT+, Women’s and Parent’s networks).
- Recognition Awards to reward staff who go above and beyond in their role.
- A commitment to your development access to learning and mentoring schemes; integrated with our Professional Services Shared Skills Framework.
- A range of generous family-friendly policies
- paid time off for parenting and caring emergencies
- access to menopause support in the workplace
- paid time off and support for fertility treatment
- and more
We are a Disability Confident Leader (opens in a new window). If you have a disability and meet the essential criteria for this job you will be invited to take part in the next stage of the selection process.
