Principal Auditor

Permanent

Grade D - £45,091 – £53,460

Consultation grade - subject to formal evaluation under the Pay Equity Review

Working 36.5 hours per week

Internal Audit – Birmingham City Council

This is an exciting time to join Birmingham City Council’s Internal Audit Team. We are strengthening and expanding our service as we redefine how internal audit adds value, building a modern, confident, and data‑led Internal Audit Service that supports the Council’s priorities and protects public value.

As a forward‑thinking and ambitious service, we are modernising our audit approach, embracing innovation, investing in new tools and skills, and developing a genuinely data‑led methodology. This enables us to better target risk, provide deeper insight, and deliver assurance that makes a real difference across the city.

If you are passionate about delivering high‑quality internal audit work and want the opportunity to shape how internal audit evolves, we want to hear from you.

About the Role

As a Principal Auditor, you will play a key role in shaping the delivery and future direction of the Internal Audit Service. Operating with a high degree of professional judgement and autonomy, you will help drive a modern, insight‑led audit function.

You will:

Lead and deliver complex, data‑led internal audit reviews, testing systems and controls with minimal supervision.
Apply professional standards confidently and consistently to provide high‑quality, credible assurance.
Assist with audit planning and take ownership of allocated areas of the audit plan, identifying emerging risks and opportunities for insight.
Produce clear, concise audit reports with practical, risk‑based recommendations.
Actively contribute to service development, including supporting new approaches, maintaining quality standards, and reviewing the work of others.
Build effective and trusted relationships with clients, senior officers, and external partners.
Support delivery of the internal audit plan and promote a culture of continuous improvement and innovation

This role offers real scope to influence how internal audit is delivered and to contribute directly to the service’s effectiveness, credibility, and future direction.

Why Birmingham?

Auditing at Birmingham City Council offers an exceptionally varied, complex, and rewarding audit portfolio. The scale and breadth of the organisation provide unique opportunities to work on high‑impact audits that matter to residents and stakeholders across the city.

You will work closely with colleagues across the organisation and with external partners, engaging at senior levels in a collaborative, improvement‑focussed environment where internal audit is valued as a trusted function.

About You

We are seeking confident, motivated, and forward‑looking internal auditors who can demonstrate:

Proven experience delivering internal audit work, including complex systems, processes, and control environments.
A strong understanding of the Global Internal Audit Standards in the UK Public Sector.
The ability to assess risk, analyse and interpret evidence (including data), apply sound professional judgement, and communicate clear, actionable findings.
Strong communication skills, with the confidence to engage constructively with officers at all levels.
The ability to work effectively both independently and collaboratively.
Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage competing priorities.
Curiosity, openness to new approaches, and an interest in how data and innovation can improve audit outcomes.

Ways of Working and What We Offer

This role supports hybrid and flexible working and will involve working across a range of Council services and sites as required.

We offer:

A genuine opportunity to be part of a modern, data‑led Internal Audit Service.
A highly varied and intellectually rewarding working environment.
Support for professional development in a changing audit and risk landscape.
A strong commitment to equality, diversity, inclusion, and flexible working.

Please upload your up-to-date CV via the attachments part of your application, this is required for shortlisting. Unfortunately, we cannot consider any applications without a CV attached.

We encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the communities we serve. Our data tells us that for this level of role, ethnic minorities are underrepresented and therefore we will use positive action to support us to achieve diverse shortlists. This may mean that recruitment times are a little longer, but we think this is worth it to achieve our aim.

Birmingham City Council is an accredited Disability Confident Leader employer, and we are committed to employing, retaining and developing all of our people.

We want to ensure your recruitment journey with us is a positive and equitable one, so please let us know if there are any reasonable adjustments, additional support, accessibility needs, or if there is any way in which we can support you through your application.

For any informal enquires please contact the Resourcing Team <Resourcing@birmingham.gov.uk>

Proof of Right to work in the UK will be required for all applicants in accordance with UK Home Office requirements, before any employment offer can be confirmed.

Birmingham City Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our citizens and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. You can view our Corporate Safeguarding Policy | Birmingham City Council here.

Sponsorship is not available for this post. Applicants must have the right to work in the UK that does not require employer sponsorship for the duration of the appointment.

Job Description and Person Specification