Assurance Centre of Excellence Manager

About the team

We've all experienced the impact of extraordinary technological change over recent years. All of our clients are impacted by digital advancements, and so our propositions need to respond to that. We're also seeing that our clients are changing how they work - increasingly working remotely and across multiple locations.

For PwC, this means designing an operating model where we'll improve quality, deliver outstanding value to our clients, and create a better experience for our people.

PwC Assurance Centres of Excellence (CoEs) are one of our key priorities to respond to this challenge.

As part of the Assurance CoE you will work with a broad and diverse range of clients, unconstrained by the traditional PwC Business Unit structure, and consequently providing exposure to clients of varying sizes, industries and complexity. Within the Assurance CoE you will utilise cutting edge technology to execute delivery of more complex and judgmental Assurance activities virtually, outside of London. In doing so you will improve the quality, efficiency, and innovation in these areas.
We have a range of opportunities available in the areas of:

• Auditing of Pensions balances; and / or

• Auditing of Share Based Payments; and/or

• Audit of Tax

However the list of areas delivered by the CoE is expected to grow rapidly, in line with strategy, over the next 5 years. This will provide a unique opportunity to build a depth as well as breadth of experience in more complex areas of Assurance.

In this position you will have a key management role on Assurance assignments where you will utilise and further develop your knowledge and skills.

As a Manager within the Assurance CoE you will:

• Play a critical role in ensuring the quality of delivery of these more complex areas, in line with technical (both accounting and auditing) requirements and operating procedures.

• Be responsible for a team of individuals, providing coaching and ongoing support to ensure high quality delivery.

• Provide audit and business advice to a variety of clients.

• Provide an on-site co-ordination role for audit clients including planning, day to day management of the team, liaising with clients and completing audit assignments.

• Build and maintain strong relationships with new and established audit clients.

• Work and liaise with other members of the audit team and colleagues in other parts of the firm as necessary to provide a high quality client service.

• Utilise your strong business awareness and sound reporting skills

• Have the chance to give back to community and social welfare projects, often using your business skill

• Access to internal mobility both nationally and internationally

As part of an Assurance CoE you will make a difference by:

• Developing deep, respected specialisms in more complex areas, enabling you to perform roles earlier in your career than is typically possible

• Working with (and becoming!) brilliant, high performing experts in their field

• Making a difference, by driving innovation and thought leadership

• Working across a diverse client base

• Interacting directly with clients, but do so virtually - enabling you to work more flexibly than is typically possible.

• Helping drive PwC Assurance strategy, by shaping a critical element of our delivery model.

The work is location agnostic, and as such we are looking for individuals to be based in any regional UK office (with a nucleus of individuals in our Manchester office).

Requirements

Successful candidates will have:

• Qualified ACCA accountant with circa 18 month PQE

• A drive and aptitude to build deep accounting and auditing specialisms in more complex areas.

• A willingness to drive change by:

  • helping further define the CoE model

  • embracing virtual working and other technology; and

  • defining and leveraging our virtual working practices of the future.

• Excellent written and oral communication skills, at all levels.

• Strong influencing skills.

• An ability to work under own initiative, and under pressure.

• A willingness to build relationships with other PwC specialists to better provide a high quality, efficient and robust service

• A desire to challenge the status quo

• Demonstrable experience of managing multiple engagements

• Demonstrable experience of coaching junior members of teams to develop both technical and professional skills

• Experience in applying professional skills in the audit of pension balances or share based payments is highly desirable.

Experience in applying their professional skills in the audit of pension balances or share based payments is highly desirable.

This role offers the potential for flexible working. It is expected, at most, only very minimal travel will be required with the vast majority of interactions (with clients and core engagement teams) being virtual in nature.

Assurance

Assurance is a dynamic place to be right now, and the variety of opportunities on offer is unprecedented. It's work that really does matter. It matters for businesses, governments and society at large. Our team provides confidence on the most complex decisions companies have to take and this provides a wealth of opportunities to everyone who joins us and works with us.

The skills we look for in future employees

All our people need to demonstrate the skills and behaviours that support us in delivering our business strategy. This is important to the work we do for our business, and our clients. These skills and behaviours make up our global leadership framework, 'The PwC Professional' and are made up of five core attributes; whole leadership, technical capabilities, business acumen, global acumen and relationships.

Diversity

We work in a changing world which offers great opportunities for people with diverse backgrounds and experiences. We seek to attract and employ the best people from the widest talent pool, as well as those who reflect the diverse nature of our society. And we aim to encourage a culture where people can be themselves and be valued for their strengths. Creating value through diversity is what makes us strong as a business and as an organisation with an increasingly agile workforce, we're open to flexible working arrangements where appropriate.