Audit Scotland
Governance and Assurance Manager
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Governance and Assurance Manager
Audit Scotland provides the Auditor General and Accounts Commission with the services they need to carry out their duties. Together we ensure that the Scottish Government and public-sector bodies throughout Scotland are held to account for the proper, efficient and effective use of public money. We employ around 340 staff in a wide variety of roles, working from our main offices in Edinburgh and Glasgow, and through a network of regional offices across Scotland.
Are you an experienced governance, risk, assurance or information governance professional looking for your next leadership challenge? We're seeking someone with strong analytical skills, sound judgement and the ability to influence senior stakeholders to lead a diverse portfolio of governance, risk, compliance and organisational resilience activities. If you enjoy driving improvement and developing a collaborative and high-performing function, we'd love to hear from you.
Overall purpose of the role
The Governance and Assurance Manager leads Audit Scotland's governance, assurance and information governance functions, ensuring the organisation has effective frameworks, oversight and controls to support accountability, compliance, informed decision-making and organisational resilience. The role provides professional leadership across governance, risk, assurance, information governance and public accountability services, while contributing as a member of the Performance and Corporate Governance management team to the development of an integrated, flexible and resilient corporate support function.
What you will be doing
Governance, assurance and risk management
- Lead the development, implementation and continuous improvement of Audit Scotland's governance, risk and assurance frameworks, ensuring they remain effective, proportionate and aligned to organisational priorities.
- Oversee corporate governance policies, registers and compliance arrangements, including standing orders, schemes of delegation, terms of reference and statutory reporting requirements, ensuring arrangements remain effective, up to date and support organisational accountability.
- Lead the annual assurance process and oversee internal audit arrangements, including internal audit procurement, development and delivery of the internal audit programme, relationships with the internal audit provider and monitoring of recommendations, ensuring assurance activity is integrated and supports informed decision-making.
- Provide specialist advice and support for governance, risk and assurance reporting to the Executive Team, Board and committees, attending governance forums as required.
- Lead the development and continuous improvement of Audit Scotland's corporate risk management arrangements, including the corporate risk framework, risk appetite, risk reporting and integration of risk, governance and assurance activities to support effective organisational oversight and decision-making.
- Oversee arrangements for externally provided internal audit and legal services, including procurement and contract management as required, ensuring these services effectively support organisational governance, assurance and decision-making.
Information governance and organisational resilience
- Oversee Audit Scotland's information governance, records management and data protection arrangements, including oversight of information governance and data protection incidents, ensuring compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements and supporting safe, effective and responsible use of information, technology and AI-enabled tools.
- Support the Data Protection Officer in fulfilling their statutory responsibilities, providing senior professional oversight of data protection arrangements and deputising for the DPO where appropriate.
- Lead the development, review, testing and continuous improvement of business continuity and organisational resilience arrangements, ensuring learning from exercises and incidents strengthens organisational preparedness.
- Ensure effective compliance monitoring, assurance reporting, audit readiness and engagement with regulators, auditors and external oversight bodies.
- Promote good practice and a culture of governance, assurance and information governance compliance through guidance, training and awareness activity, supporting colleagues and Information Asset Owners to fulfil their responsibilities and adapt to emerging information governance, technology and AI-related risks.
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Public accountability and statutory compliance
- Oversee delivery of public-facing casework services, including FOI, EIR, complaints, DSARs and correspondence processes, ensuring statutory obligations and service standards are met.
- Ensure effective management of organisational compliance and public accountability processes, protecting Audit Scotland's reputation and supporting transparency.
- Manage relationships with regulators and external organisations on matters within the team's remit.
Leadership and organisational contribution
- Lead, manage and develop colleagues within the Governance and Assurance function, building capability, resilience and succession pathways across the service.
- Contribute as a member of the PCG management team, supporting collective leadership, shared ownership of outcomes and flexible deployment of resources across service areas.
- Work collaboratively with colleagues across Executive Office, Planning and Performance and wider Corporate Services functions to deliver integrated services and organisational priorities.
- Lead and support governance, assurance, information governance and organisational improvement initiatives, helping to modernise services through proportionate adoption of technology, automation and AI-enabled solutions.
Person specification - specific knowledge and experience
Essential
- Experience of leading governance, risk, assurance, information governance or compliance activities within a public sector or similarly regulated environment, including the development, implementation or oversight of frameworks, policies and controls. (I)
- Experience of information governance, records management, data protection, information rights and organisational resilience activities, including the application of relevant legislation, management of information governance risks and oversight of compliance arrangements. (S/I)
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with experience of assessing complex issues, applying professional judgement and providing practical recommendations to support informed decision-making. (S/I/A)
- Experience of providing advice, challenge and assurance to senior leaders, boards, committees or governance forums on governance, risk, compliance or organisational performance matters. (S/I)
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build trusted relationships, influence outcomes and work effectively with colleagues and external stakeholders at all levels. (I)
- Experience of leading, managing and developing people, including building capability, managing performance and creating a collaborative and resilient team environment. (S/I)
Desirable
- Knowledge and understanding of the Scottish public sector, including the governance, accountability and regulatory environment in which public bodies operate. (S/I)
- Experience of leading or supporting organisational change, service improvement or transformation activity, including the development of new processes, frameworks or ways of working. (S/I)
S = Shortlisting criteria I = Interview criteria A = Assessment / Exercise
Interested? Next steps
Download the attached role profile for detailed role information. Click apply to submit an application. Please note that due to the volume of applications, we cannot guarantee that CVs will be screened alongside your application form, therefore please ensure your application form includes all information required to demonstrate you meet the essential and desirable criteria for the role. If you require an alternative way to apply under grounds of a reasonable adjustment, please get in touch with a member of the HR team. The closing date for applications is Sunday, 25 October 2026 at midnight. Interviews will be held in-person at our Edinburgh office on 17 and 19 November 2026. A presentation will be required as part of the interview process.
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Audit Scotland
Our vision is that public money is well spent to meet the needs of Scotland's people. To achieve this, we support the Auditor General for Scotland and the Accounts Commission to provide clear, independent and objective assurance on how effectively public money is being managed and spent. Our work covers almost £70bn of public spending, about 250 public sector accounts, and the services and projects that affect all people and communities in Scotland. There has never been a more interesting or important time to join us. We offer a rewarding place to work, a supportive and open culture and a wide range of professional development opportunities. Benefits include 42 days of annual leave including public holidays, an attractive local government defined benefit pension scheme with 17.6% employer contributions, personal development allowances and flexible working hours.
How we work
As well as what we do, how we do it is integral to delivering our vision and critical to our wellbeing and our organisational success. We put our organisational values of equality, independence, innovation, integrity and respect at the heart of everything we do. We work in a hybrid environment, covering time in the office, at home as well as at client sites across Scotland. This isn’t your typical work from home or work from office type job. We’re flexible about working patterns and we’ve transformed how we deliver high-quality public audit. We support you to work in the ways that achieve the best results for you, your team and the business, including your physical location and how you manage your hours. Put simply, we trust you to do your job, and want you to have the ability to have a rewarding work-life balance and best support your individual circumstances, be that childcare, adult carer responsibilities or managing disabilities.
Diversity and Inclusion
We value the unique perspective a diverse workforce brings to what we do. Therefore, we’re keen to increase representation in our workforce and support progression of minority ethnic groups. We are also a proud disability confident employer and an accredited menopause friendly employer.
Reasonable Adjustments
Audit Scotland’s recruitment process may include various stages and activities including application forms, online assessments, and interviews, to assess whether you meet the requirements of the role. As a Disability Confident and a Menopause Friendly employer, we are committed to providing inclusive and accessible recruitment where everyone is supported to perform at their best. When applying for a job with Audit Scotland, you will be asked in the application form if you need an adjustment at any stage of the recruitment process. Please include the reason you require an adjustment and details of what adjustment/s might help. Some examples of adjustments that have been given to candidates include changing the time, location or format of interviews and providing additional time in any assessments and interviews. This is not an exhaustive list, and we will consider any adjustments that you might need. As part of our commitment to equality and diversity, our equality network groups would be delighted to offer an insight into Audit Scotland’s culture of inclusivity. If you wish to hear more about life at Audit Scotland or wish to speak with someone about
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