Sector: Internal Audit
Location: Hampshire
Type: Interim
Ref: BBBH72160_1764581017
Salary: £500 - £750 per day
Interim Head of Assurance and Internal Audit - Basingstoke 2 days per week
Duration: Interim contract
Location: Basingstoke / Hybrid
Salary: Competitive day rate
An exciting interim opportunity has arisen for an experienced Head of Assurance and Internal Audit to lead and strengthen a mature, organisation-wide enterprise control environment. This role plays a key part in supporting strategic and operational resilience by ensuring risks are understood, well-mitigated, and effectively governed.
About the Role
As the Interim Head of Assurance and Internal Audit, you will provide leadership and direction across the organisation's assurance framework, ensuring that controls are robust, transparent, and aligned with organisational objectives. You will oversee and enhance the effectiveness of the internal audit function, ensuring it delivers high-quality, risk-based assurance and supports continuous improvement.
You will report to the Risk and Assurance Director and manage a team of internal audit and assurance professionals, promoting a culture of accountability, strong governance, and organisational learning.
Key Responsibilities
Define, maintain, and evolve the organisation's assurance architecture across the three lines of defence.
Lead the development of assurance maps and support the identification and remediation of gaps in second-line activities.
Develop and oversee a risk-based internal audit plan, ensuring high-quality delivery and value for money.
Ensure audit outputs clearly identify critical issues and support management in the timely resolution of control weaknesses.
Strengthen internal audit methodology, processes, and documentation to ensure clarity, consistency, and transparency.
Build strong, constructive stakeholder relationships while maintaining independence, professional scepticism, and objectivity.
Lead and develop the Assurance and Internal Audit team, fostering a high-performance culture focused on continuous improvement.
Promote strong organisational values, including equality, diversity, inclusion, health, safety, and wellbeing.
About You
Essential:
Proven experience leading an internal audit function and delivering risk-based audit planning.
Strong background across risk, controls, and assurance, with deep understanding of enterprise control environments.
Excellent stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to influence senior leaders and collaborate effectively across all levels.
Able to build constructive relationships that encourage openness, trust, and accountability.
Skilled at training and guiding stakeholders on assurance roles, responsibilities, and expectations.
Desirable:
Experience in maturing enterprise control frameworks, particularly integrating people, processes, and technology.
Familiarity with COSO or equivalent control frameworks, and experience working in regulated sectors.
Skills:
Internal audit, operational audit, financial audit, internal controls, process improvement. Qualified accountant or auditor
