Director of Internal Audit

The FCA has retained Green Park to manage this role; send applications directly to Green Park .

About the FCA

At the FCA, we’re creating a fair and more resilient financial system. We’re establishing more transparent relationships between financial services and customers, building trust in financial markets and protecting vulnerable consumers.

We’re currently on an exciting journey as we drive forward significant organisational, people, process, and technology transformation to become a more forward-thinking, proactive regulator. We will use data more effectively to drive better regulatory decisions and build greater cohesion across our broad financial services remit.

Significant improvements in digital enablement, business intelligence, market data and information management maturity are all being pursued to maintain our position as a world leader in financial services regulation.

In March 2025, the FCA launched a new 5-year strategy to deepen trust, rebalance risk, support growth and improve lives. The FCA will focus on four priorities:

Be a smarter regulator; predictable, purposeful and proportionate. The FCA will improve its processes and embrace technology to become more efficient and effective.

Support sustained economic growth , by enabling investment, innovation and ensuring the continued competitiveness of the UK’s world-leading financial services.

Help consumers navigate their financial lives by working with industry to boost trust, product innovation and ensuring the right information and support is available for people to take financial decisions.

Fight financial crime , focusing on those who seek to use the fact they are regulated to do harm. It will go further to disrupt criminals and support firms to be an effective line of defence.

The Role

The Chief Internal Auditor is a pivotal senior leadership role at the heart of the FCA, reporting directly to the Chief Executive and Chair of the Audit Committee and contributing to the FCA’s most senior decision-making forums, while retaining the independence fundamental to the role. This creates a distinctive opportunity to influence how the FCA manages its most significant risks, strengthens its control environment and delivers its Strategy, providing senior leaders and the Board with independent assurance, insight, challenge and foresight.

As the FCA becomes a more innovative, agile, assertive and digitally led regulator, the Chief Internal Auditor will have the mandate to shape the next evolution of Internal Audit and assurance across the organisation. Working closely across the Three Lines, they will strengthen the alignment of assurance, while harnessing data, technology and AI to build an increasingly digitally enabled, forward-looking Audit function. For an ambitious audit / assurance leader, this is an opportunity for genuine enterprise-wide influence and to shape how assurance adds value to one of the UK’s most significant financial institutions.

The role can be based in our Edinburgh, London, or Leeds office, with hybrid working practices and an expectation of being based in the office 60% of the time.

Key responsibilities

Strategy

Develop and deliver a long-term strategy for Internal Audit, aligned to the FCA’s ambition to be a more data-led, innovative, agile and assertive regulator. Shape the FCA’s approach to assurance, ensuring Internal Audit provides independent insight that strengthens governance, risk management and the control environment, while identifying opportunities to improve organisational effectiveness and business performance.

Operating Model, Quality and Standards

Develop and deliver a digitally enabled audit operating model, using internal and external expertise while maintaining appropriate budgetary control, coverage and quality.

Embed internal auditing standards and requirements into day-to-day practice, further developing the quality assurance and improvement programme across Internal Audit. Monitor the function’s effectiveness and efficiency, with regard to the Principles of International Standards for Internal Auditing and relevant corporate governance and financial services requirements.

Partnership & Aligned Assurance

Build and maintain effective relationships with Risk, management, and relevant external stakeholders and professional networks, to ensure appropriate coverage of the FCA’s key business risks and a coordinated approach to assurance.

Support the FCA’s annual external audit process, including effective engagement with the National Audit Office.

Leadership & Influence

Participate proactively as an expert adviser to key management, board and committees throughout the FCA; and providing clear and effective reporting to the Audit Committee on Internal Audit activity, significant findings and the wider assurance and control environment.

Oversee the FCA’s internal whistleblowing arrangements.

Act as an effective team member and corporate leader, working collaboratively with stakeholders and peers to achieve business goals.

People & Accountability

Lead, direct, coach, motivate and continuously improve the capability of the internal audit function. Foster an environment of knowledge sharing, challenge and continuous learning within the function, helping the team capture and apply relevant best practice. Advance change within the organisation by supporting new initiatives that improve audit and assurance and reinforce a continuous improvement mindset.

Skills/Experience required

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. (To learn more about the Disability Confident Scheme Click Here )

Minimum

Credible independent advisor with experience influencing Boards, Audit Committees and executive-level stakeholders on audit, assurance, governance, risk and control.

Strong commercial and organisational awareness, with the judgement to operate effectively in a complex, regulatory, political or public-interest environment.

Significant senior leadership experience within an internal audit / assurance function in a large and complex organisation, with a particular focus on fast moving technological and data orientated environments

Experience of developing and delivering a risk-based internal audit strategy, plan and operating model; translating organisational strategy and risk into clear audit and assurance priorities, plans, and measurable outcomes, through technology, data, analytics, AI or other innovative approaches

Evidence of leading, developing and motivating multidisciplinary teams and building an inclusive, high-performing culture, and communicating effectively with diverse audiences

Hold a relevant audit, risk, assurance or accountancy qualification

Experience of internal audit or assurance in a complex, highly regulated environment, covering areas such as operational resilience, cyber security, AI, financial crime, third-party risk or data analytics

Essential

Enterprise leadership & collaboration: Builds trusted relationships and empowers others to deliver organisation-wide outcomes.

Strategic thinking & judgement: Navigates complexity, connects strategy and risk, and exercises sound judgement in making balanced decisions.

Influence & constructive challenge: Builds credibility with senior stakeholders, communicates clearly and provides effective, evidence-based challenge.

Leading change & innovation: Champions new thinking, leads change effectively and creates momentum for continuous improvement.

The FCA’s Values & Diversity

Our ambition is to create a diverse and inclusive workplace that reflects the society we serve, helping us to be a better