Location
Wandsworth Town Hall or Partner Location, London

Hours
Full Time - 36 hours per week, working in the office 3-5 days a week

Salary
£31,515 - £44,304 per annum

About the Role
Start your career with the South West London Audit Partnership (SWLAP), an ambitious and forward-thinking internal audit team serving five London Boroughs: Richmond, Wandsworth, Kingston, Merton, and Sutton. We play a key role in helping local authorities deliver high-quality services to residents by providing independent advice, promoting good governance, and supporting continuous improvement. You will gain exposure to a diverse range of services and work alongside experienced professionals committed to developing your skills and career.

We are seeking a motivated Graduate Audit Trainee with strong analytical, communication, and problem-solving skills and an interest in public sector auditing. As a Graduate Audit Trainee, you will become an integral member of our team, supporting audit assignments across all five councils and gaining valuable hands-on experience in audit testing, fieldwork, and reporting. Working closely with experienced auditors, you will develop a broad understanding of local government services while enhancing the skills needed for a successful career in audit.

SWLAP embraces innovation and technology in audit. You will have opportunities to work with data analytics, digital tools, and emerging technologies to deliver efficient and insightful audit work.

We are committed to supporting your professional development and will support you to work towards a recognised professional qualification in internal audit. The Partnership will fund an approved course of professional study and provide mentoring and practical experience to support your development and progression within the profession.

You will support both our clients and colleagues, helping to ensure audit work is delivered to a high standard while contributing to continuous improvement and upholding the vision and values of SWLAP.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities
- Support the delivery of audit engagements across council services and schools, undertaking testing, analysis, and other audit work under the guidance of senior team members.
- Assist in planning, fieldwork, and reporting activities across a range of service areas and partner councils.
- Liaise with clients, attend meetings including scoping and end of audit meetings.
- Plan and organise your work to high professional and quality standards within agreed time constraints and reporting deadlines.
- Extract and analyse data from various business systems using appropriate audit techniques and digital tools.
- Liaise with senior management, officers, and other parties as required.
- Maintain accurate audit records and support effective administration of audit assignments.

Experience
Degree with upper second-class honours (2:1) or above. Demonstrable experience developing strong analytical, research, critical thinking, and communication skills. Ability to gather, interpret, and evaluate information from various sources and reach evidence-based conclusions.

About you
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, able to present findings clearly.
- Good organisational and time management skills, able to manage multiple tasks and meet deadlines.
- High attention to detail and commitment to producing accurate, high-quality work.
- Ability to build effective working relationships with colleagues and stakeholders at all levels.
- Confidence working with data and information, proficient in Microsoft 365 applications.
- Interest in using data, technology, and innovative approaches to improve audit work.
- Experience with Power Platform tools, SQL, Python/R, or visualisation tools such as Power BI is advantageous.
- Curiosity and willingness to learn and develop technical knowledge of audit, risk management, and internal controls.

This role suits an analytical, curious, motivated, and enthusiastic individual keen to develop a rewarding career in public sector audit and contribute to improving services for local communities.

Qualifications
Degree with upper second-class honours (2:1) or above. Commitment to working towards a recognised professional qualification in internal audit, supported by the Partnership.