Senior Auditor position description

We carry out public sector audits on behalf of the Controller and Auditor-General. We help to maintain the financial integrity of New Zealand’s system of government by providing independent assurance that public organisations are operating, accounting for, and reporting their performance as Parliament intended.

Primary objectives

Senior Auditors complete audit work. They will also lead audit teams during the planning, execution, and reporting phase of the audit of lower-risk entities. When leading an audit team, Senior Auditors will work closely with clients and the respective Audit Manager to ensure that audits are completed efficiently and to a high standard.

The entities Senior Auditors work with may include for-profit and public benefit entities within central government and/or local government.

General responsibilities and objectives

The main responsibilities of a Senior Auditor are to:

• complete audit work adhering to the expectations set out in the Quality Manual by agreed deadlines. This involves exercising professional judgement to solve audit and accounting issues and producing clear, factual, and concise working papers;
• coach other members of the audit team, ensuring that they understand what is expected and that their work is of an appropriate standard;
• contribute to effective client and collegial relationships through professional interaction and communication; and
• lead audit teams if required, ensuring that they perform high-quality audit and assurance engagements on lower-risk entities. This includes:
  • engaging with client representatives before and during all phases of the audit (both financial and non-financial;
  • ensuring that the agreed audit approach is implemented and that all necessary work to collect sufficient appropriate audit evidence has been completed by the audit team;
  • supervising and coaching other members of the audit team, ensuring that they understand what is expected, and that their work is of an appropriate standard; and
  • monitoring audit progress against the Audit Plan and the audit budget, ensuring that the Audit Manager and relevant client contacts are kept informed of progress and issues as they arise.

The value you will bring

Knowledge and experience

• Knowledge of and experience applying the Accounting Standards Framework (for-profit entities and public benefit entities) and the International Standards of Auditing.
• At least three years’ post-graduation experience in external audit, preferably in the public sector.
• Experience supervising and coaching others.

Qualifications

Chartered Accountant (CA) with the Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ) or a member of a similar overseas professional body.

Staff management and relationships

Staff reporting to this position

• Audit New Zealand operates a pooled structure with audit teams forming for each audit engagement. When they are in charge of audit teams, Senior Auditors have responsibility for their teams, particularly while working on client sites and when audit teams are staying away from home. They also provide leadership to their audit teams, supervising and coaching team members while on the job during each audit.

Internal relationships

• Colleagues within Audit New Zealand, including Audit Directors, Audit Managers, in-house specialists (including those in the Specialist Audit and Assurance Services team, the Information Systems Audit and Assurance team, the Professional Practices Group, and Tax), and other people in their local office.

External relationships

• Clients within their portfolio, including where appropriate second-tier managers (in financial and non-financial roles) and members of their teams.

Commitment to te Tiriti o Waitangi

Te Tiriti o Waitangi | The Treaty of Waitangi (the Treaty) is New Zealand’s founding document and part of the nation’s constitutional framework. Our independence means we have a role to play in ensuring that the public sector is delivering on its Treaty obligations. As a statutory body performing a public function, we also need to carry out our work in a way that upholds the Treaty. Our vision is to be seen as trustworthy by both Teaty partners, able to hold public organisations accountable in a way that iwi, hapū, and whānau Māori, as well as Parliament and the wider public, can have confidence in.

To help give effect to our commitment to the Treaty, we are building our capability to develop meaningful relationships with Māori and to focus on matters that make a real difference for iwi, hapū, and whānau Māori.

Health and Safety responsibilities

• Work safely and take responsibility for keeping yourself and colleagues free from harm.
• Report all incidents and hazards promptly.
• Know what to do in an emergency.
• Co-operate in implementing return-to-work plans.
• Be a visible role model at all times.
• Follow the Office’s safety rules and procedures.

Key competencies