Network Rail
Functional Audit Manager (Regions)
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Who We Are
At Network Rail, we keep Britain moving—maintaining and operating a safe, reliable railway for passengers and freight users. We are committed to delivering a high-performing network that puts customers, safety, and continuous improvement at the heart of everything we do.
The Southern Region is one of the busiest and most complex parts of the railway. Our teams support millions of journeys every day, working across integrated track and train operations to deliver a safer, more reliable, and more efficient railway system.
We are entering an exciting new chapter as we integrate with train operating companies under one national leadership, creating even greater opportunities to shape the future of rail and Southern offers a fast-paced, rewarding environment to grow your career and make a real difference.
As part of this, the Governance, Risk, Assurance & Improvement (GRAI) team plays a critical role in enabling the Southern Railway System to operate with confidence—connecting governance, risk management, assurance, and improvement to support better outcomes across the Southern Rail System.
About The Role
About the Role:
The Southern Governance, Risk and Assurance (GRAI) team are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Functional Audit Manager to lead our regional audit team.
This role will contribute to the overall assurance strategy and efficiency of the Southern Rail System. You will be responsible for leading and directing an audit team, overseeing internal operating controls, processes, and practices, ensuring compliance with the Health and Safety, Quality, Environment, and Asset Management Systems and technical standards.
Through data analysis, your team will provide valuable assurance insights to the GRAI leadership team, Southern Region senior management, and Integrated Business Units.
You will also operate as part of a wider governance, risk, assurance, and improvement community, where audit insights contribute to data-informed decision-making and continuous improvement activities across the organisation.
What You'll Be Doing
- Lead and implement the regional 3 Lines of Defence Integrated Assurance Plan and assurance mapping, ensuring risks are covered, controls are effective, gaps are identified, and duplication is removed.
- Responsible for the coordination and delivery of the Regional Annual Assurance Questionnaire process on behalf of the Southern Rail System.
- Lead and develop a high-performing functional audit team, building capability, setting standards, and driving continuous improvement across audit delivery.
- Plan and deliver the audit programme through a blended resource model, including commissioning and managing external audit providers to execute audits in line with the agreed audit work bank.
- Design, lead, and manage the delivery of audit and assurance services across the Region. Define audit scope and objectives in line with organisational priorities and regulatory requirements.
- Coordinate third-line assurance activity across the Region, including planning, delivery, and reporting of regional audits.
- Support delivery of second-line audit plans and first-line self-assurance, ensuring a consistent and joined-up assurance approach.
- Oversee audit planning, delivery, and reporting, ensuring findings are clearly communicated and acted on. Work with key stakeholders to strengthen governance and drive continuous improvement.
- Conduct detailed analysis of assurance and risk data to identify trends, insights, and areas for improvement in a format that enables effective use by analytics, improvement, and performance teams.
- Prepare comprehensive audit reports, presenting key insights, risks, and opportunities for improvement with actionable recommendations to senior leadership.
- Ensure compliance with relevant internal policies, external regulations, and industry best practices.
- Collaborate with Integrated Business Units and Regional functions to support alignment of business processes, emerging risks, and opportunities for continuous improvement.
- Contribute to a coordinated approach to assurance and improvement by sharing knowledge and identifying opportunities for cross-functional learning and development.
- Manage the arrangements for your direct report's safety and competence.
- The job holder needs to be willing to travel across the Southern region to support audit delivery.
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How To Apply External
Salary: £55,596 - £67,813 Plus an Inner London allowance of £3,270. Late applications will not be accepted.
Benefits:
- Generous annual leave, plus statutory days, with the option to buy or sell additional leave
- Defined benefit pension scheme, providing long term financial security
- Flexible and hybrid working arrangements
- Travel benefits, including:
- Up to 75% subsidised rail and underground season tickets
- Up to 75% discount on leisure rail travel
- Interest-free loans for season tickets and station car parking
- Health and wellbeing support
- Enhanced family policies
- Carer's leave, recognising caring responsibilities outside of work
Network Rail Benefits: To find out about what benefits we offer, click here
Closing date: 04 August 2026 - Late applications will not be accepted. We retain the right to close the advert before the listed closing date based on application volumes.
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Drugs And Alcohol Standard
Depending on the role, candidates that are made a conditional offer, may be required to undergo and pass a drugs and alcohol test. Your offer will be rescinded if you record a positive test. All positive drugs and alcohol test results will be securely held on Sentinel database and a five-year suspension from applying for a safety critical role, a role which requires PTS certification, or a Key Safety role on Network Rail Managed Infrastructure will be enforced.
Network Rail adheres to pre-employment Baseline Personal Security Standard (BPSS), this is government standard for pre-employment vetting. BPSS government standard pre-employment vetting requires Network Rail to screen a potential employee's unspent criminal convictions and undertake 3-year career checks. Employment at Network Rail is subject to employees meeting the BPSS government standard pre-employment vetting.
Network Rail welcomes applications regardless of age, disability, marital status (including civil partnerships), pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation, transgender status, sex (or gender), employment status, trade union affiliation, or another irrelevant factor. We will interview all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria.
Keeping people safe on the railway is at the heart of everything we do, safe behaviour is therefore a requirement of working for Network Rail. Applicants should demonstrate their personal commitment to safety in their application.
Network Rail positively embraces flexible working, recognising that employees may wish to balance work and family/home life.
Essential
Your experience and skills
- Experienced Lead Auditor
- Lead Auditor qualification, preferably in ISO management system standards (e.g. in 9001, 45001, 14001, and 55001)
- Excellent report writing and presentation skills.
- Good interpersonal, influencing, communication, and organisation skills at a senior level.
- Demonstrable leadership skills, with the ability to supervise and mentor a team effectively.
- Experience integrating assurance activities into a coherent, risk-based Integrated Assurance Plan.
- Ability to work effectively within a multi-disciplinary environment, contributing to collaborative outcomes across assurance, risk, and improvement activities.
- Strong communication skills, with the ability to convey complex information clearly and appropriately to different audiences.
Desirable
- Knowledge of maintenance or operations management, processes, and techniques.
- Good understanding of the railway industry.
- Membership of a professional institute such as the Chartered Quality Institute (CQI) or Institution of Occupational Health and Safety (IOSH)
- A strong understanding of risk assessment and internal control frameworks.
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