Lead Auditor, 12-Month Fixed-Term Contract
Division: Internal Audit
Department: Internal Audit
Salary: National (Edinburgh and Leeds) ranging from £53,800 to £64,000 and London from £59,200 to £70,000 (salary offered will be based on skills and experience)
This role is graded as: Senior Associate - Regulatory
Your recruitment contact is Raimonda via Raimonda.Stankute@fca.org.uk. Applications must be submitted through our online portal. Applications sent via social media or email will not be accepted.
About the FCA and team
We regulate financial services firms in the UK, to keep financial markets fair, thriving and effective. By joining us, you’ll play a key part in protecting consumers, driving economic growth and shaping the future of UK finance services.
Internal Audit adds value by providing independent assurance on the effectiveness of the FCA’s and PSR’s risk management, governance and control frameworks, supporting them to meet their objectives. Our vision is to be a trusted partner, applying best practice and promoting accountability to deliver insight, support ongoing improvements and support delivery of the FCA & PSR Strategy.
The Internal Audit Division sits at the heart of the FCA, reports to the Board and Audit Committee and acts as the FCA and PSR’s third line of defence.
Internal Audit is offering a twelve‑month fixed‑term contract at Senior Associate level. This role suits someone who thrives in a complex, strategic environment, enjoys varied work, brings a forensic mindset and is comfortable engaging with senior management. Candidates should demonstrate professionalism, credibility, integrity, curiosity, sharp critical thinking and ownership of their work and career development.
Role responsibilities
Support and coordinate non‑financial Internal Audit reviews under the supervision of Review Managers, gaining exposure across the FCA and its regulatory activities
Assess key risks, controls and processes (regulatory and operational), evaluating their design and operational effectiveness in line with Internal Audit methodology and Global Internal Audit Standards
Apply analytical skills to synthesise information from multiple sources and form sound judgements on audit scope, findings and control effectiveness
Use project management disciplines to deliver audits to agreed milestones, manage dependencies and escalate delivery risks promptly
Identify issues and root causes, articulating control weaknesses, gaps and strategic risks supported by sufficient and reliable evidence
Communicate effectively with stakeholders, including senior and executive management, demonstrating confidence, professionalism and constructive challenge
Produce clear, concise and high‑quality audit reports for FCA leadership, setting out evidence‑based findings and value‑adding recommendations
Build and maintain effective working relationships across the organisation, contributing to a collaborative and effective audit function
Skills required
Minimum:
Demonstrated experience delivering work as part of a team, delivering through others, evidenced by meeting agreed deadlines across multiple tasks, projects, or deliverables
Clear and concise written communication skills, demonstrated through producing clear, concise written outputs such as reports, briefings, summaries, or stakeholder updates
Demonstratable experience of analysing information, including reviewing and synthesising information from multiple sources to identify risks, issues, or trends and make evidence‑based judgements or recommendations
Essential:
Demonstrable experience of building and maintaining effective working relationships and communicating professionally with a wide range of stakeholders at different levels of the organisation
Advanced analytical and critical-thinking skills, including the ability to interpret complex or ambiguous issues, question assumptions, distil key messages and develop practical, well-reasoned recommendations
A forensic level of attention to detail, with the ability to rapidly understand complex material and seek, test and validate evidence to support conclusions or verify claims
Confidence to question constructively, ask probing questions and follow issues through to resolution, showing persistence and professionalism when faced with challenge or resistance
Strong interpersonal skills, including the ability to listen attentively, persuade respectfully and collaborate with others to achieve shared objectives
Sound professional judgement, with the ability to weigh evidence, assess options and make balanced decisions
A motivated and creative approach to problem-solving, identifying alternative ways of working that add value and improve outcomes
Benefits
25 days annual leave plus bank holidays
Hybrid model where employees work a minimum of 40% in the office each month (expectation of 50% for senior leaders). Changing from September to a minimum of 50% in the office each month (expectation of 60% for Directors and Executive Directors)
Non-contributory pension (8–12% depending on age) and life assurance at eight times your salary
Private healthcare with Bupa, income protection and 24/7 Employee Assistance
35 hours of paid volunteering annually
A flexible benefits scheme designed around your lifestyle
For a full list of our benefits and our recruitment process as a whole visit our benefits page.
Our values and culture
Our colleagues are the key to our success as a regulator. We are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive culture: one that’s free from discrimination and bias, celebrates difference and supports colleagues to deliver at their best. We believe that our differences and similarities enable us to be a better organisation – one that makes better decisions, drives innovation and delivers better regulation.
If you require any adjustments due to a disability or condition, your recruiter is here to help - reach out for tailored support.
We welcome diverse working styles and aim to find flexible solutions that suit both the role and individual needs, including options like part-time and job sharing where applicable.
Disability confident: our hiring approach
We’re proud to be a Disability Confident Employer and therefore, people or individuals with disabilities and long-term conditions who best meet the minimum criteria for a role will go through to the next stage of the recruitment process. In cases of high application volumes we may progress applicants whose experience most closely matches the role’s key requirements.
Useful information and timelines
Timeline:
Job advert closes: midnight, 23rd April 2026
CV Review/Shortlist: 27th April 2026
Interview: w/c 4th May 2026
Your Recruiter will discuss the process in detail with you during screening for the role, therefore, please make them aware if you are going to be unavailable for any date during this time.