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KPMG is looking to consolidate its leading position within the Insurance marketplace by appointing talented and enthusiastic auditors into newly-created manager roles. Our insurance audit department is expected to grow significantly in the next 3 to 5 years based on recent audit tender results. In addition, the forthcoming new requirements from the IASB will generate a significant amount of change in the insurance industry. As a trusted partner within the industry, KPMG will be supporting insurance companies throughout this accounting change across a range of disciplines including financial reporting, actuarial, IT and management consulting disciplines.

Successful applicants will have the opportunity to be working on some of the largest opportunities in the marketplace and will be exposed to excellent career development within a fast-growing, multi-disciplinary team. Working alongside directors and partners, you will be in a senior client facing role, forging strong relationships with top tier insurance clients.


The Role:


As an Audit Manager, you’ll be involved in all aspects of leading and delivering audit engagements, from planning through to completion on a broad spectrum of Insurance clients. The role will include executive level client interaction and exposure to multiple clients on an annual basis, as well as daily tasks such as:

- Leading a field work team including supervising and coaching more junior members of staff to help them reach their full potential Reporting to audit Partners and Directors on all salient points arising from audits
- Acting as the initial point of contact throughout the year for your clients; managing timetables, anticipating costs, raise fees and agree dates for cash collection. Planning and execution of audit fieldwork and statutory reporting across a portfolio of clients Project management of all aspects of audit including agreeing audit timelines, team briefings, and supervision and delivery of audit work
- Budgeting and monitoring the financial performance of projects, focusing on optimising profitability Identifying, researching and helping to resolve complex audit issues Preparing client deliverables, building relationships with the client staff and acting as an ambassador for the firm
- You may also have the opportunity to work on specific audit related projects across the audit function
- Being a performance manager to trainee accountants

The Person:


Qualifications & Skills:


- Must possess professional qualification; ACA, ACCA or CPA (or international equivalent)
- Must demonstrate gravitas and impact to earn trust and respect amongst senior leadership and the team
- Established strong leadership skills and proven ability to provide clear directions and constructive feedback

Knowledge & Experience:


- Significant financial statement audit experience, ideally within professional services
- Extensive external audit experience with financial services clients, ideally in the Insurance sector
- Demonstrated practical knowledge of FRS, IFRS and topical matters relevant to insurance audits
- Experience in IFRS 17, US GAAP, Solvency II and CASS rules preferable, though not essential
- Proven ability to identify and pursue business opportunities whilst maintaining a solution mind-set
- Knowledge of developments within the financial sector and proven ability to proactively build strategic partnerships and influence senior leaders Drive and resilience to deliver in a pressured environment
- Commitment to building the reputation of KPMG through the quality of work, knowledge and experience relevant to the industry

In the UK, KPMG audits more listed companies than any other professional services firm. Our success and reputation rests upon the quality and integrity of our services - not to mention our people. Rest assured; you will be working as a highly valued member of our 3,000 strong UK Audit practice.

We are looking for qualified accountants, currently working at Senior Manager level, to join the audit practice in our Birmingham office.

Our client base is from a wide range of business sectors, ranging in size from owner-managed businesses to multi-national organisations. As an audit senior manager you will get to work with a wide range of clients within a cross functional office. Many of our clients are international and have subsidiaries all over the world, giving our work a truly global perspective.




The Responsibilities:




Manage and deliver external audit engagements from planning through to completion. The role will require proficiency in IFRS, UK GAAP. US GAAP would be beneficial but not essential. You will have your own portfolio of clients with responsibility for agreeing audit timetables, briefing the audit team, including other specialists, monitoring budgets and supervising the KPMG audit process. This will include:

- To manage engagements, overseeing in-charge and Manager work ensuring compliance with client, statutory and KAM requirements, appreciating relevant internal and external market factors, ensuring the effective and timely delivery of engagements
- Oversee and direct the budgeting, planning, co-ordination and control of engagements in accordance with client, statutory, KAM and business requirements to ensure effective service delivery and maximised recoverability
- Direct, coach and mentor Assistant Managers and Managers to assist them in the effective delivery of engagements and the direction of their subordinates ensuring cost effective, timely completion and effective service delivery to the required standard on each engagement
- Nurture and seek worthwhile relationships with clients, business departments and staff, for the sharing of information and to identify and progress current and future Audit requirements
- Contributes towards the creation, implementation and delivery of the Audit Business Plan and offer support in relation to issues identified as a result of organisational or client focus change
- Assist the Director and Partner in monitoring the effectiveness of Audit services delivered, providing feedback and reflection on the quality of service accordingly
- Preparation of reports to senior management and audit committees




The Individual:




- Currently working at Senior Manager level and able to demonstrate leadership skills and ability to act as a role model.
- Drive and resilience and ability to thrive in a pressured environment.
- Knowledge and experience of external auditing and experience of systems/controls testing as well as substantive auditing, including consolidations, group audit, review of statutory accounts and disclosures.
- Sound working knowledge of IFRS, UK GAAP. US GAAP would be beneficial but not essential.
- Well-developed supervisory skills e.g. coaching and motivation.
- Strong project management techniques including decision-making ability, analytical skills, time management, organisation and evaluative skills.
- Strong communication and inter-personal skills, both verbal and written.IT literacy with sound knowledge and experience of Excel/Word.
- Proven research skills e.g. information seeking and knowledge sharing, understanding and interpreting information/applying knowledge.
- Able to demonstrate strong business development acumen.




Qualifications and Skills:




- Professionally qualified with a recognised accountancy body, ACA, ACCA or CPA or country equivalent
- Significant experience as Senior Manager gained in an external audit capacity in a Big 4 Accounting firm
- Currently in a Big 4 Accounting firm
- Demonstrate experience of current accounting and financial reporting standards including IFRS

Joining KPMG means joining a talented team of exceptional colleagues who bring innovative thoughts and a natural curiosity to the work they do each day. No one type of person succeeds at KPMG; a diverse business requires diverse personalities, characters and perspectives. There really is a place for you here.

We are looking for newly qualified auditors to join the audit practice within one of our regional offices which are based in Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds and Newcastle.

You will work on a portfolio of clients within a cross functional office, alongside our advisory and tax functions.

The Responsibilities:

Planning and project managing all aspects of audits including:
Controls and substantive testing (including audits of consolidations and statutory accounts)
Ensuring projects comply with KPMG and International Auditing Standards
Budgeting and monitoring the financial performance of projects, focusing on optimising profitability
Leading teams on the ground, reporting directly to the manager and partner
Building relationships with the client staff and acting as an ambassador for the firm
Report writing for Audit Committees and management
Identification of ways to differentiate KPMG - how can we bring new and innovative ideas to our clients?

Qualifications and Skills:

• ACA, ACCA qualified or equivalent
• Strong IT literacy, including Excel, Powerpoint and Word
• Current experience within an Audit Function
• Experience of in-charging on Audits
• Must demonstrate a good working knowledge of UK GAAP and IFRS

Experience and Background:

We think our people really stand out from the crowd. We are looking for equally exceptional people to join us, with the following skills and characteristics:

• Creativity
• Commercial focus
• Ability to think big picture, out of the box
• Strong technical skills
• Accountability and decision making ability
• Attention to detail, organised with a commitment to quality
• Willingness to take on additional responsibility and opportunities and a commitment to personal development
• Leadership skills and ability to act as a role model
• Drive and resilience and ability to thrive in a pressured environment
• Relationship building skills
• Excellent communication skills, both written and spoken

Job Responsibilities & Duties:


• Work with Partners and Directors in delivering IT External Audit to the Financial Services and Corporates sector
• Lead small teams of consultants and auditors in delivering technology risk services & IT External Audit to the Financial Services & Corporates sector
• Take responsibility for a portfolio of audit clients (external audit) and deliver IT audit services to this portfolio to time, budget and quality
• Assume ownership of key client relationships and identify revenue-generating opportunities with specific clients
• Developing compelling services and solutions to technology-risk related issues faced by insurers
• Build and develop relationships with key Financial Service & Corporates market contacts (inc CIO, Head of Information Security, Head of IT Audit, COO)
• Oversight of delivery of IT advisory and audit projects, including coaching of junior staff and delivery of training on IT risk and control

Skills, Experience & Qualifications:


• Extensive ITGC experience within Financial Services
• Proven experience in an IT risk and control / audit environment and managing a large IT External Audit portfolio.
• Able to identify and assess complex IT risks and controls, to relate them to the wider business environment and to express opinions clearly.
• Strong project management skills including being able to manage multiple assignments simultaneously, to manage teams effectively, and to deliver projects on time and to budget.
• Able to add value to assignments through an analytical approach to work, and adept at challenging existing processes to identify and implement smarter ways of working.
• Able to develop excellent client and internal relationships at all levels of seniority.
• Proficient at creating and delivering captivating presentations to audiences comprising groups of clients, prospects and/or internal staff.
• Able to motivate and lead teams of up to 5 people and also work on own initiative.
• Experience in business analysis and understanding of core business processes within a financial services environment.
• Experience of auditing application controls for a range of business processes within a financial services environment.
• UK Financial Services experience is essential
• Must have the right to work in the UK

TheDepartment



Sitting within the FS Regions department is our London Region Centre ofExcellence for pension’s audit. The team, led by a Director and supported by 1other Director and 3 managers, is responsible for the audit of c.70 pensionschemes based across the wider London Region and South East. Our schemesinclude defined benefit, defined contribution, hybrid and earmarked pensionschemes, typically with assets up to £500million.



The London Region Centre of Excellence is one of 6 operating across the UK andas a firm, KPMG audit some 480 schemes including 45 of the top 100 schemes bysize making us No. 1 in this market. The Milton Keynes/Watford team works closely with the other Centres ofExcellence and therefore the role includes the opportunity to work with a widerpool of clients.

The Responsibilities:

Working in a part time capacity (c.21 hours per week) you will manage anddeliver pensions audit engagements from planning through to completion. Therole will require proficiency in UK GAAP and the Pensions SORP. You will haveyour own portfolio of clients with responsibility for agreeing audittimetables, working with Trustees and scheme administrators, briefing the auditteam, including other specialists, monitoring budgets and supervising the KPMGaudit process. This will include:
• To manage a portfolio of pensions audit engagements, overseeing in-charge andaudit assistants work ensuring compliance with client, statutory and KPMGrequirements, appreciating relevant internal and external market factors,ensuring the effective and timely delivery of high quality audit engagements
• Oversee and direct the budgeting, planning, co-ordination and control ofengagements in accordance with client, statutory, KPMG and businessrequirements to ensure effective service delivery and maximised recoverability
• Providing coaching and guidance to both on- and off-shore staff working onyour engagements
• Nurture and seek worthwhile relationships with clients, business departmentsand staff, for the sharing of information and to identify and progress currentand future Audit requirements
• Contributes towards the creation, implementation and delivery of the AuditBusiness Plan and offer support in relation to issues identified as a result oforganisational or client focus change
• Assist the Director in monitoring the effectiveness of Audit servicesdelivered, providing feedback and reflection on the quality of serviceaccordingly
• Preparation of reports to senior management and Trustee boards
• Assist with business development opportunities. This would involve initialmeetings, preparing proposal documents and presenting at pitches.
There will be opportunity and encouragement for additional responsibilitiesoutside this day to day role, such as assisting with pensions-specific trainingcourses for in-charges and audit assistants, involvement in local client eventsand taking on a performance manager role.

The Individual

• Leadership skills and ability to act as a role model
• Drive and resilience and ability to thrive in a pressured environment whilstworking as a team with support from Partner, Directors, Senior Managers (whereapplicable) and in-charges
• Knowledge and experience of auditing and experience of systems/controlstesting as well as substantive auditing including applying this to the pensionssector
• Well-developed supervisory skills e.g. coaching and motivation
• Project management techniques; this role will test and develop your expertisein decision-making, analytical skills, time management, organisation andevaluative skills
• Strong communication and inter-personal skills, both verbal and written
• Proven research skills e.g. information seeking and knowledge sharing,understanding and interpreting information/applying knowledge
• Well-developed understanding of the wider commercial background KPMG operatesin demonstrating awareness of the issues facing our clients on a day to daybasis

Qualifications and Skills

• Time and exam Qualified Accountant - ACA, ACCA or country equivalent
• Sound working knowledge of UK GAAP and the Pensions SORP
• IT literacy with sound knowledge and experience of Excel/Word
• Recent and significant experience as a Manager in an audit capacity within atop 10 accountancy firm
• Current experience of accounting and financial reporting standards includingIFRS and UK standards
• Significant audit experience for pension schemes