Senior Manager - Corporate Independence

Our purpose focuses on how we contribute to society, and how our business decisions can contribute to greater trust and solving important problems. In order to achieve our purpose and deliver a first-class service to our clients, we need first-class support internally. The people who power us - our internal teams - have a vital role to make sure we have all the right resources, services and technology to be the best we can be. Not all of us work directly with external clients.
The Firm's Independence Team is looking for a Manager or Senior Manager who is solutions-focussed, skilled at building relationships, enjoys being at the heart of change, and who wants to be part of a cohesive, vibrant and growing team.

The role requires someone who has a practical, thorough and positive approach to problem solving, who is good with details and able to cope with pressure. You must be confident in liaising with individuals at all levels throughout the firm, enjoy acquiring new knowledge and be able to deliver difficult messages on occasion.

The position would suit someone with a strong track record of providing advice to clients or colleagues or who has a working knowledge of audit.

Prior independence knowledge is not required and comprehensive training will be provided, but you must have a willingness to learn a new technical area, a client service mentality, excellent coaching and communication skills and you want to join a growing and dynamic team that provides critical business support to the firm in a complex and changing regulatory environment.

Being at the heart of PwC

PwC's ambition to grow through acquisitions and development of new innovative ways to serve clients, mandatory firm rotation, the ongoing climate of regulatory change, and the increased focus on globalisation all mean that PwC's ability to maintain Independence from our audit clients is ever more business critical for PwC.

The Independence team has a vital role to play in enabling PwC's growth, whilst protecting our reputation and brand, and the team will be at the heart of change in the firm over the next few years.

The opportunities that we are offering will provide you with:

• Breadth and insight into the activities of the firm by consulting on a xLoS basis;
• The ability to contribute directly to the firm achieving its performance goals, especially regarding growth, leading firm and quality;
• Ability to build a network of partners and staff across the firm and the wider PwC network and be seen as someone who can help them with complex issues;
• An ability to enhance and refine your listening, influencing and communication skills;
• The chance to be part of a solutions-focussed, cohesive, vibrant team and;
• An opportunity to develop a solid technical base and understanding of the independence rules which underpin everything we do as a Firm.

The Team

Independence is led by three partners reporting to a member of the UK firm's Management Board.

The department's role is to support the partners and staff within PwC through the provision of policy and guidance to the firm in respect of a number of regulatory areas, including Independence, Business Conduct and Ethics. The department also provides certain operational processes in support of those policies and is responsible for monitoring compliance with said policy and procedures.

The Corporate Independence Team consists of approximately 33 staff lead by a partner and a director. The team is responsible for working with the practice to ensure that the firm meets its regulatory responsibilities as required under PwC Global Independence policy and FRC, IFAC, SEC, EU regulations and other territories' rules.

The Corporate Independence team devotes time to consulting regularly with practice staff to help them understand the complex nature of the independence rules and to give them solutions-focussed guidance to help structure the services the Firm would like to provide to our clients.

In addition to this advisory mandate, the team is also responsible for the critical task of managing potential conflicts of interests / ethical walls across the whole of PwC.

As a manager or senior manager within the Corporate Independence team, you will be responsible for undertaking the following tasks:

• Providing advice and guidance regarding queries submitted by the practice. This will involve both the initial interpretation of the firm's independence rules against specific query related facts and the development of initial advice on matters under review, and also the review of junior team member's advice.

• Managing and coaching junior team members on various aspects of Independence (e.g. non-audit services, EU and SEC regulations, FRC Ethical Standards, core processes).

• Exhibiting role model behaviour in addition to helping junior members of the team fulfil their potential by assisting with their soft-skill learning and personal development.

• Day to day management of core Independence processes which are key to operational activities.

• Managing own portfolio of consultations and assessments with key stakeholders in the practice to give guidance on Independence considerations.

• Other ad-hoc projects as the department so determines from time to time, including the provision of general support to other independence activities.

We require the following skills for this role:

• Ability to demonstrate a clear understanding of commercial / client-facing issues, and empathy with the client facing practitioners who the Independence team support;
• Intellectual capacity to make good judgements with strong analytical, organisational, project management skills and attention to detail;
• Excellent communication skills, able to interact with self-confidence at all levels, as well as managing internal relationships, e.g. with key stakeholders;
• Ability to interact with others' demands providing support and/or influencing, with the flexibility to change behaviour where necessary;
• A conscientious, ambitious team player, with good self-management skills and an ability to take initiative; and
• Strong coaching & people management skills