Senior Manager: Technical Audit Support - ISQM and Financial Audit Support at Auditor-General of South Africa

  Requirement Overview

• To provide support to the Business Unit Leader and Deputy Business unit Leader: Technical Audit Support to establish, facilitate, implement, maintain and where necessary improve audit quality management financial audit technical support for all audit engagement processes.

The incumbent must ensure adherence, through the following:

• Scanning the AGSA audit landscape to identify audit quality risks and support needs and respond appropriately.
• Lead the audit quality remediation process in the AGSA through:
• Driving and monitoring the identification and classification of deficiencies in the AGSA’s System of Quality management (SoQM)
• Driving and monitoring the implementation of remedial actions from the audit quality proactive (before issuance of audit reports) and monitoring review results
• Collaborate with quality management and the Risk & Ethics business units, and other key relevant role players,  to facilitate the AGSA’s adherence to ISQM 1.
• Devise a proactive audit quality review programme (including the oversight of pro-active quality reviews on audit files) that will have the highest impact on the achievement of audit quality across the AGSA products.

This job requires an authoritative knowledge of public sector auditing and quality standards, concepts and principles in

• Providing a technical auditing interpretive and advisory service in relation to auditing matters, quality management and other related matters; and
• Responsible for, managing and leading a team of audit quality reviewers and audit specialists to co-ordinate efforts to ensure an effective and efficient functioning of the ISQM remediation and financial audit technical support function (as it relates to application guidance) within the BU. 

Roles & Responsibilities

Strategic functions

• Provide strategic input in the development of AGSA quality and audit related strategic initiatives.
• Contribute to the Business Unit (BU) compilation of the Performance Scorecard and drive timely delivery of the scorecard initiatives.
• Ensure that the BU strategic objectives are aligned and contribute to the achievement of the strategic objectives of the AGSA.
• Support the Business Unit Leader and Deputy Business Unit leader in managing key strategic projects of the BU.
• Product Management: ISQM remediation and financial audit consultations and application guidance
• Continuously scan the developments in the profession and emerging issues to identify audit support needs in the audit of annual financial statements.
• Influence the developments in the profession/standard setters/legislative owners with public sector audit insights
• Develop, roll out and maintain guidance related to this AGSA product
• Proactive assessment of technical support needs on this audit product and devising means to address these needs
• Continuously scan for innovative ways of providing support and or improving the quality of the audits we conduct in this space
• Training auditors and leadership on  technically complex matters
• Conceptually integrate the diverse functions of accounting, auditing, legislation, legal matters, ethics, into technical guidance.
• Formulate new technical policies, procedures and guidance to be followed by the audit staff and develop improved ways of executing the audit.
• Assess the impact of research outcomes and identify stakeholders affected.
• Consult with internal stakeholders to evaluate proposed practices & procedures for validity & practicality.
• Ensure the compatibility and congruence of auditing guidelines with the Auditor General mandate as per the Constitution, Public Audit Act and Professional Best Practices.
• Lead the implementation of the remediation process in line with AGSA remediation policy and procedures.
• Remediating the findings identified in the monitoring and pro-active reviews by facilitating a root cause analysis process.
• Identification and classification of deficiencies with the SoQM
• Drive continuous messages on audit quality to ABUs to enhance quality on the audit files.
• Devise proactive audit quality review programme (including the oversight of pro-active quality reviews on audit files) that will have the highest impact on the achievement of audit quality across the AGSA products.
• Manage dissemination of information to stakeholders through written guidelines and through the implementation of multiple means of communication to ensure that technical messages are received by audit staff.
• Supervise the work of a team of specialists when providing technical views on audit consultations, developing audit guidance and executing the remediation process.
• Guide the technical specialists (managers) in the planning of project decisions.
• Monitor project execution and adherence to timelines and quality requirements.
• Perform project management on all projects in the centre to ensure that deadlines are met.
• Provide technical inputs to the other functions within TAS in respect of technical documents issued to auditors.
• Perform project management on all projects in the centre to ensure that deadlines are met.

Stakeholder Management:

• Liaise and interact with all key stakeholders & management to share information, resolve challenges and make recommendations for improvements.
• Engage with various audit business units and provide the required support.
• Provide technical support and advice on financial audit and quality matters to audit business units through technical opinions/guidance pro-actively and on request during audit cycles to ensure that quality audits are performed.
• Provide technical guidance on audit matters impacting the audits at Technical fora.
• Support BU leadership with technical administrative functions for technical support stakeholders such as relevant and timely responses on consistency matters, emerging issues, stakeholder feedback, and regular feedback on progress on technical support developments.
• Timely and relevant inputs to/from other Technical Audit Support centres in other areas of specialism on integrated support tools.
• Influence business units to implement remedial actions and engage process owners pro-actively
• Actively partake in all ISQM forums within the AGSA
• Support to stakeholder BU in the preparation for reporting
• Advise audit business unit, AIF, leadco,EXCO and QMAC through submissions & memoranda on relevant audit quality strategic projects.
• Liaise and interact with all key stakeholders & management to share information, resolve challenges and make recommendations for improvements.
• Oversee where necessary discussions with ABUs on the pro-active review findings on their audit files and manage stakeholder expectations during the pro-active reviews

People Management

• Manage team performance to drive productivity.
• Motivate, coach and mentor staff to ensure maximum productivity and development of the staff to their full potential.
• Appointment of contract in staff/pooling of staff to ensure that risks and resource requirements are properly addressed.
• Implement the activities outlined on the BU People Plan.
• Cascade Vision achievement/ organisation alignment messages and commitments.
• Contribute to transformation/culture plans.
• Participate in initiatives to attract talent.
• Ensure on-going development of specialist skills and transfer of specialized skills in BUs.
• Performance management of centre in line with Balance scorecard and staff as per individual performance contracts
• Support collaboration and resource sharing initiatives for managers and assistant managers in the different centres in technical audit support to improve succession planning and technical audit support business continuity.
• Recruit and appoint staff and manage retention of staff

Financial management:

• Responsible for compiling and managing the centre budget to ensure adherence to the required financial performance standards.
• Ensure compliance with internal processes and procedures.

Ad-hoc duties:

• Perform and/or manage other projects, tasks and assignments not stipulated on the Job description as and when required.

Skills, Experience & Education

Qualifications
Registered CA (SA)

Experience

• At least 5 years experience in a managerial role
• Public sector audit experience is a requirement.
• Experience in research and development of guidance related to audit of annual financial statements will be an advantage.
• A good performance record of accomplishment in the specialist area of auditing compliance is an advantage.
• Experience in leading and coordinating the activities of a team of qualified professionals.
• Experience in building a new team and executing on a mandate.
• Demonstrated leadership skills.
• Ability to manage and execute projects.
• Soundly skilled in providing vision and strategy.
• Critical thinking and risk awareness.
• Effective problem solving ability.
• Conflict management
• Exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Effective interpersonal and relationship building skills.
• Sound mentorship and coaching ability with desire to develop self and others.
• Highly adaptable, managing change and ambiguity with ease.

Added advantage:

• Public Sector experience
• 7-10 years in depth technical experience and/or audit quality experience an added advantage
• A valid driver’s license is an inherent requirement of the position.

Closing Date : 20 January 2026