CASS Audit Manager

Department: Advice, Audit & Accounts

Employment Type: Permanent - Full Time

Location: City, London

Compensation: £68,500 - £75,000 / year

Description

Key Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of CASS audit clients. 
• Lead CASS audits from planning through to completion. 
• Plan engagements, perform risk assessments and identify key CASS controls.
• Review client money, custody asset and safeguarding arrangements, including reconciliations, governance arrangements, control frameworks and breach management processes. 
• Design and review audit testing, including substantive, analytical and controls-based procedures. 
• Identify key issues that may affect audit or assurance opinions and escalate these to directors and partners with clear recommendations. 
• Prepare and review audit completion documentation, including audit highlights reports, CASS reports and summaries of findings. 
• Review the work of team members, providing constructive feedback, coaching and technical guidance. 
• Mentor, train and support trainees, part-qualified staff and newly qualified team members. 
• Communicate findings, recommendations and key regulatory matters clearly to clients, managers and partners. 
• Build and maintain strong client relationships, acting as a key day-to-day contact on engagements. 
• Liaise with Compliance, Risk, Finance, Operations, IT audit and other specialist teams to ensure a coordinated service to clients. 
• Monitor engagement progress, budgets, recoverability and deadlines, identifying opportunities to improve efficiency while maintaining quality. 
• Support business development activities, including contributing to proposals, client discussions and the development of our CASS offering. 
• Keep up to date with FCA rules, regulatory developments and industry practice relating to CASS, safeguarding and financial services assurance. 
• Ensure all work is completed in accordance with regulatory requirements, professional standards and firm procedures. 

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

• ACA or ACCA qualified (or equivalent)
• Current Audit Manager, or experienced Assistant Manager, with experience managing audit or assurance engagements. 
• Strong Financial Services audit experience, ideally including investment firms, payment institutions, e-money institutions or other FCA-regulated businesses. 
• Strong experience of CASS audits, particularly CASS 6, 7 and 8.
• Good understanding of the FCA CASS rules, safeguarding requirements and wider regulatory expectations for financial services firms. 
• Strong technical audit and accounting knowledge, including UK GAAP and auditing standards.
• Experience reviewing reconciliations, control frameworks, governance arrangements and risk management processes. 
• Ability to identify control deficiencies, regulatory issues and practical recommendations for remediation.
• Experience supervising, coaching and developing junior team members.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to explain technical matters clearly to clients and colleagues at all levels.
• Highly organised, with the ability to manage multiple assignments, prioritise workloads and meet deadlines. 
• Commercially aware, with the confidence to identify opportunities to add value to clients and support business development activity.
• Proactive and self-motivated, with the ability to use initiative and work independently when required.
• Adaptable and responsive to changing priorities, regulatory developments and client needs.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to delivering high-quality work. 
• Ability to establish credibility and trust with clients, colleagues and senior stakeholders. 
• Experience in audit quality, technical review or regulatory assurance would be advantageous. 

Benefits