ISQM1 Design and Remediation Senior Manager

We’re BDO. An accountancy and business advisory firm, providing the advice and solutions entrepreneurial organisations need to navigate today’s changing world.

We work with the companies that are Britain’s economic engine – ambitious, entrepreneurially-spirited and high‑growth businesses that fuel the economy – and directly advise the owners and management teams leading them.

We’ll broaden your horizons

The Quality and Risk Management Team (QRM) provides leadership, guidance, and tools to help partners and staff manage quality and risk matters. The team is comprised of an Advisory and Compliance Team, a Chief Information Security Office Team, an Economic Crime Team, a Legal Team including a Commercial & Contracts Team, the Independence and Ethics Team and the Regulatory Supervisory Team, plus the Quality Monitoring Team. The team works closely with the firm’s Technical Standards Group and the firm’s leadership.

We’ll help you succeed

Leading organisations trust us because of the quality of our advice. That quality grows from a thorough understanding of their business, and that understanding comes from working closely with them and building long-lasting relationships.

*** Can be considered on a part-time basis (4 days/week) ***

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 Design and Remediation Senior Manager to join our ISQM team. This role is crucial in ensuring the quality and integrity of our quality risk management processes and controls as well as supporting the wider remediation actions from the annual evaluation. You will be responsible for a range of activities that support our SOQM and ISQM framework, including process and control design, collaborating with business stakeholders to develop, agree and implement remediation actions to address any identified deficiencies and report progress to Governance committees.

The Senior Manager will work closely with the ISQM Directors and senior business leadership responsible for the achievement of the Quality Objectives. The successful candidate will manage stakeholder relations in a collaborative manner whilst also providing subject matter expertise in the development and implementation of enhancements to existing processes and controls as well as establishing new and improved quality processes.

Responsibilities

• Following the annual evaluation understand any ISQM deficiencies, findings and ineffective controls and work with deficiency owners to develop remedial action plans to address these, including sufficient time for the processes and controls to be embedded in the business and operations.
• Monitor progress against actions and provide support to the business as required with reference to the delivery of enhancements.
• Identify key controls within processes critical to the achievement of the quality objective.
• Design and document process narratives specifically linked to quality risk mitigation.
• Work with Objective Owners to report on progress and escalate any issues in the remediation of any deficiencies and design of processes and controls, including proposed plans to address the delays in remediation and/or implementation.
• 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 of evidence to support process and control design and remediation of any deficiencies to support ORC and MC decision-making and support the ISQM evaluation. This includes being able to identify and articulate trends and themes from across different areas of the business.

Requirements

• Strong analytical skills with the ability to identify and assess risks.
• Prior experience of running design workshops including an awareness of key controls within processes critical for risk mitigation.
• Confident and credible communicator able to lead design and remediation workshops and deliver detailed process narratives.
• Track record of collaboration with business stakeholders to deliver new process design or improvements and enhancements to current processes.
• Proficiency in collating and presenting data for dashboard reporting.
• Provide guidance and support to teams on quality-related and remediation matters.
• Significant understanding of controls and their application in the workplace including design, sufficiency, operating effectiveness, remediation of any deficiencies and recommendations.
• Effective coordination skills to manage the agreement of actions and tracking of these actions to address quality improvement plans.
• 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 influencing and networking skills and the ability to build relationships across the firm, developing strong rapport with key stakeholders to 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.
• Prior experience leading and delivering continuous improvement initiatives to enhance quality processes and controls including the ability to manage complex projects and meet deadlines.
• Proven experience in a senior management role within ISQM or a related field with a professional qualification in a relevant field (e.g., ACA, ACCA) is preferred.
• Proven experience of managing a team, particularly where team members are not with your direct team or reporting line is preferred.

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.