Auditors review and evaluate a local council’s activities to ensure that resources are used efficiently and cost effectively. They normally work in corporate finance or internal audit departments.

Work Environment

This is an office-based job, but involves visiting a number of different departments within the council.

You would normally work a standard 37 hour week.

Daily Activities

Auditors make sure that council departments are using their resources in the best possible way and that they have clear procedures for allocating public money, such as putting work out to tender fairly. The work is likely to include:

• planning and carrying out audit reviews of the workings of council departments;
• designing audit tests and deciding how best to take a representative random sample of a department’s records and checking that the procedures work efficiently;
• undertaking reviews of each department’s systems to see whether managerial and financial controls work well;
• designing and undertaking other reviews to assess how accurate and open activities are;
• carrying out specific investigations that would detect fraud and deter individuals from fraudulent activity;
• drawing conclusions from your work and writing reports, making recommendations and in some cases designing and carrying out further activities, based on your conclusions;
• giving advice to managers on the most cost effective and efficient way to tackle a particular issue.

Skills & Interests

Auditors need to:

• be a good communicator - able to explain potentially complicated procedures to a range of people,
• be able to write reports clearly and succinctly,
• have good organisational ability, paying great attention to detail,
• be able to prioritise your work and use your initiative,
• be a good team worker,
• be highly IT literate,
• enjoy working with figures,
• be able to make decisions and justify them to others.

Entry Requirements

It is likely that you will have a degree in a discipline with a significant financial content. You are also likely to have a relevant professional financial qualification, for example from the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA).

Non-graduates must complete a course of foundation studies or have a qualification from the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT).

If you are over 21 with no academic qualifications and have three years work experience and the support of an employer who confirms your numeracy and communication skills, you can be admitted to the foundation stage. Senior entrants must be 25 or over and have five years experience in accountancy, financial management or an audit post.

Estimated salary range

£23,300 - £33,200

Please note that salary information is a guide only and there may be local agreements in place. For further information about salaries for particular positions, please contact your local council directly.

Future prospects & opportunities

There is a career route from auditor to senior auditor and then audit Manager.

You may be able to move into another financial or treasury role either within your authority or in a different location.

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