Third Party and ESG Assurance Non FS - Senior Associate

Quality is at the heart of what we do. Combining passionate people with leading technology, we work together to build trust in society. We put the team first and solve important problems by challenging the organisations we audit and being open to challenge ourselves. We take pride in our work and the profession, recognising audit as a deep specialism. It's a really exciting time to be joining us. We're growing our teams across all areas of our Audit practice and investing a huge amount in our people, their skills and the technology available, as we continue to radically modernise our business and the way we serve our clients.A career in our Non Financial Services Audit practice, within External Audit services, will provide you with the opportunity to provide a range of Assurance services and business advice to a variety of clients from small, fast growing clients to large entities. Our clients are often well known brands and many have broad international reach. We focus on using the latest technology to reduce the level of manual testing ensuring you'll focus on the most valuable areas of client service and on enhancing corporate governance and the reliability of our clients' information.Our team helps organisations navigate regulatory complexity while strengthening trust and transparency in their business. While many of the rules of business have changed, the fundamentals haven't. You'll work alongside senior members of the client's management team in planning the audit process from beginning to end, ensuring completeness, accuracy, and fair presentation of our client's information.
Trust is a valuable commodity. It is not given or kept easily. And when it comes to trust, what matters to stakeholders is changing. They want to know that companies are who they say they are, and do what they say they do. That is why today, organisations are being judged on more than financial performance, with reporting on other areas such as ESG, cyber security, and operational resilience playing a more important role in building stakeholder trust. Independent, high quality assurance is increasingly expected. Corporate reporting remains the first port of call for investors trying to understand business performance and prospects - and the risks associated with them.

PwCs UK Audit business comprises over 6,000 staff across 19 offices, and includes both our financial and non-financial audit businesses. PwC's Stakeholder Assurance team provides independent non-financial audit services to enhance the trust and transparency in non-financial reporting, including ESG, Regulatory and Third Party assurance

This is an exciting time to be part of Stakeholder Assurance, as we grow our services to meet the explosion of demand across our extensive audit client base.

About the team

Within PwC's Stakeholder Assurance practice, you'll have the opportunity to work with a market leading team and across a diverse portfolio of clients, from owner managed businesses, private equity backed companies, up to large multinational and listed groups.

We work with well-known clients across a broad range of industries including entertainment and media, pharmaceuticals, technology and communications, energy, utilities and mining, retail, hospitality and leisure, business services, construction and real estate.

We also work across the third sector, spanning a number of government and public sector clients and charities. You'll also have the opportunity to work on global projects, collaborating with PwC colleagues and clients all over the world.

Your role

PwC Stakeholder Assurance professionals bring the right mix of audit experience, industry-specific knowledge and specialised skill sets to bear on a client's risk and control, compliance, reporting functions and data. We provide a full range of assurance services which include pre-assurance assessments and reporting to such standards as ISAE3000, ISAE3402, SSAE 18, AAF 01/20 and SOC2 covering subject matter from risk and controls, operational resilience, ESG and performance data.
The role in Stakeholder Assurance will span all three of our propositions, which includes:

• Non-financial reporting: We provide challenge and scrutiny over a growing array of ESG measures, such as sustainability and carbon reporting (e.g. GHG emissions), social KPIs (e.g. gender pay gap), diversity and inclusion, and sustainable financing (e.g. green bonds).
• Third party controls reporting: Providing comfort over controls to organisations that use service providers. Subject areas typically cover financial controls, IT systems and platforms (e.g. ecommerce, banking etc.), critical business systems (e.g. payroll), cyber security systems, and emerging risk areas such as blockchain technology.
• Regulatory: Ensuring reporting and processes meet standards expected by regulatory bodies.From safeguarding of assets to ensuring banks have sufficient capital and liquidity, we perform high quality audits on existing and new regulatory areas of scrutiny.
• Across all areas of your work you will be encouraged to identify and utilise technology driven solutions to continuously evolve the way we work

A role in Stakeholder Assurance provides successful individuals with the opportunity to:

• Be at the forefront of innovation in reporting and assurance, providing a broad and differentiating experience to the typical financial auditor;
• Have variety in what you do, working across all three Stakeholder Assurance propositions and an even broader set of products, in an area that constantly evolves in response to our clients evolving needs and business risks;
• Develop and progress, in a rapidly growing area of our business;
• Be involved in the development of client proposals and propositions more broadly; and
• Spend every day working on our purpose, to build trust in society and solve important problems.
• You'll be constantly learning and your ideas will be welcomed in an atmosphere of collaboration and teamwork.

Responsibilities

Building on and utilising your previous audit and assurance skills and experience, your responsibilities will include:

• Understanding client processes and designing and developing suites of assurance work over them;
• Planning and delivering assurance or similar assignments for a range of governance, risk, regulatory, operational and financial purposes;
• Communicating findings to clients and preparing written reports;
• Building and maintaining effective working relationships with clients;
• Managing and being part of a team to deliver a project both on time and on budget;
• Leading and coaching junior staff;
• Conducting work in accordance with a range of assurance standards; and
• Supporting new opportunities and propositions.
• Given the nature of our audit business, you may be required on occasion to work on engagements outside of those mentioned above, including but not limited to financial audits and in other industries.

Essential skills and experience

To succeed in the team, you will have a demonstrable skills and experience as follows:

• Chartered Accountant / ACA / ACCA / ICAS qualified accountant (or international equivalent) or have equivalent work experience in Audit (including international candidates who technically qualify in their home country by experience) - other experience may be considered;
• Planning and delivering audit or assurance engagements in line with PwC and regulatory standards;
• Designing, testing or monitoring of internal controls;
• Client handling and relationship management and an ability to challenge and escalate issues effectively;
• The ability to work effectively in a team, building good working relationships with both colleagues and client personnel at all levels;
• Passion for delivering and promoting quality in all aspects of your work and applying professional scepticism;
• Managing and developing junior team members through delegation, supervision and coaching;
• Genuine curiosity toward our clients' business, their purpose and strategy to be able to effectively understand their stakeholders assurance needs; and
• An interest in / passion for building trust in society, for example in areas such as ESG, Sustainability and Climate Change.

Desirable skills and experience

• Some knowledge of assurance standards such as ISAE 3000, ISAE 3402, AAF 01/20, AT-C 320 / SSAE 18, and SOC2;
• Working flexibly across a variety of multi location teams; and
• Experience in developing and supporting new opportunities and propositions.