ISQM1 Risk and Evaluation Manager

Overview

BDO continues to work on the enhancement of its system of quality management (SOQM) to support its desire to improve and sustain audit quality and drive a consistent quality standard across all areas of assurance work.

The SOQM is part of compliance with the International Standard of Quality Management (UK) 1 (ISQM1) which was implemented as at 15 December 2022 and was evaluated for the first time during 2023.  ISQM1 requires audit firms, including BDO LLP, to design and implement a system of quality management to ensure that the Firm and our personnel fulfil responsibilities in accordance with professional standards and other requirements and that reports issued are appropriate in the circumstances. ISQM1 also requires ongoing monitoring and an annual evaluation of the system of quality management under a reasonable assurance framework.

The BDO ISQM1 team is responsible for supporting the SOQM in collaboration with the business owners in the firm, this includes undertaking risk assessments, control design and testing and evaluating inputs from across the firm to conclude on the annual evaluation of the SOQM.

BDO is looking for a talented and proactive Risk and Evaluation Manager to join our ISQM team. This role is crucial in ensuring the quality and integrity of our quality risk management processes as well as supporting the annual evaluation process and conclusion. You will be responsible for a range of activities that support our SOQM and ISQM framework, including risk horizon scanning, annual risk assessment, and the review of key reports and data points which are assessed during the annual evaluation of the SOQM.

The Manager will work closely with the ISQM Directors responsible for Risk and Evaluation and work with the ISQM1 Senior Managers leading the respective business and IT processes; and manage stakeholder relations with business stakeholders to assess risk and the evaluation of the SOQM.  The Manager will be expected to prepare draft governance papers for the ISQM1 Operational Responsibility Committee (ORC), the Moderation Committee (MC) and the Committees with ultimate responsibility for the firm’s SOQM.

Responsibilities

• Conduct risk horizon scanning to identify emerging risks and trends and articulate the impact on the SOQM.
• Plan and support the performance of the annual risk assessments to evaluate potential impacts on the SOQM and identify new or emerging quality risks and any changes to existing quality risk.
• Review key internal reports and data points linked to audit quality and undertake other monitoring activities to evaluate the impact on the SOQM, these inputs include understanding of external reports and regulatory updates.
• Coordinate process and control owner certifications and objective owner attestations to verify and evaluate business operation of controls and other activities related to the effective operation of the SOQM.
• Collate and prepare information for periodic dashboard reporting to provide an early indication of matters which could impact the achievement of the quality objectives and mitigation of quality risks.
• Prepare governance papers based on the collation and evaluation of reports and data points to support ORC and MC decision-making and support the ISQM evaluation. This includes being able to identify and articulate trends and themes from different areas of the business.

Requirements

• Strong analytical skills with the ability to identify and assess risks.
• Prior experience of running risk workshops including an awareness of factors which impact the delivery of audit quality.
• Excellent attention to detail for reviewing and preparing reports including identifying risk trends and themes.
• The ability to evaluate internal data and reports alongside the current external factors and market conditions that could trigger a potential area of concern or change for the SOQM.
• Proficiency in collating and presenting data for dashboard reporting.
• Strong communication skills to convey findings and recommendations clearly.
• Significant understanding of controls and their application in the workplace including design, sufficiency, operating effectiveness, deficiencies, and recommendations.
• Effective coordination skills to manage the issuing and tracking of submissions linked to owner certifications and attestations. Ability to manage and follow-up where there are delays and report any issues identified on the submissions for consideration by oversight committees.
• Excellent analytical, interpersonal and communication skills both written and verbal.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, ever-changing, rapid-growth environment with multiple projects and tasks.
• The ability to articulate complex issues clearly and credibly to a range of stakeholders including leadership.
• Strong networking skills and the ability to build relationships across the firm, develop strong rapport with key stakeholders and gain the confidence of Partners and other senior staff.
• Experience of working in a large professional services firm and an understanding of the regulatory environment.
• SOX or previous ISQM1 experience desirable.

About You

You are a free-thinking, savvy professional who is passionate about risk and quality management. You thrive in a dynamic environment, take a leading role in influencing others to implement actions that contribute to the success of the firm and you are committed to delivering exceptional client service. Your ability to see things from a fresh perspective and your straightforward, human approach make you a perfect fit for our team.

Why Join Us?

At BDO, we are redefining service quality for our sector. We offer a seamless, agile, and flexible working environment where you know what you will get — delivered by people, not process. Join us and be part of a team that sets the standard for client service, delivering our best day, every day.

You’ll be able to be yourself; we’ll recognise and value you for who you are and celebrate and reward your contributions to the business. We’re committed to agile working, and we offer every colleague the opportunity to work in ways that suit you, your teams, and the task at hand.

At BDO, we’ll help you achieve your personal goals and career ambitions, and we have programmes, resources, and frameworks that provide clarity and structure around career development.

We’re in it together

Mutual support and respect is one of BDO’s core values and we’re proud of our distinctive, people-centred culture. From informal success conversations to formal mentoring and coaching, we’ll support you at every stage in your career, whatever your personal and professional needs.

Our agile working framework helps us stay connected, bringing teams together where and when it counts so they can share ideas and help one another. At BDO, you’ll always have access to the people and resources you need to do your best work.

We know that collaboration is the key to creating value for the companies we work with and satisfying experiences for our colleagues, so we’ve invested in state-of-the-art collaboration spaces in our offices. BDO’s people represent a wealth of knowledge and expertise, and we’ll encourage you to build your network, work alongside others, and share your skills and experiences. With a range of multidisciplinary events and dedicated resources, you’ll never stop learning at BDO.

We’re looking forward to the future

At BDO, we help entrepreneurial businesses to succeed, fuelling the UK economy. Our success is powered by our people, which is why we’re always finding new ways to invest in you. Across the UK thousands of unique minds continue to come together to help companies we work with to achieve their ambitions

We’ve got a clear purpose, and we’re confident in our future, because we’re adapting and evolving to build on our strengths, ensuring we continue to find the right combination of global reach, integrity and expertise. We shape the future together with openness and clarity, because we believe in empowering people to think creatively about how we can do things better.

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