Want a career in internal audit?

What is internal audit?

A highly regarded discipline within a financial function, internal audit (also known as operational and risk review) provides a process and business unit review service that adds to shareholder value by improving business and financial controls. If you choose to go down this route, the main purpose of your role is to review risk management, control and governance processes and then identify improvement opportunities. You will then provide recommendations to drive change in the business. Internal audit addresses the entire range of operating activities and performs a wide variety of assurance and consulting services. It is an essential function of any business and is concerned with the financial workings of the entire organisation.

Why choose internal audit?

Internal audit is a great entry point into an organisation after working in practice. It’s a particularly popular route for those who want to utilise their current auditing skill set whilst gaining insight into the commercial side of a business. If you work in internal audit, you will generally have excellent opportunity to travel (locally and / or overseas), potentially taking up between 10% and 100% of your time.

Your time will be spent visiting each business area, reviewing their processes and procedures and understanding how they operate. You will have a real opportunity to get close to your business  and gain a comprehensive understanding of it first hand. You will also work closely with senior managers across a variety of operating units early on in your career. You will generally be at the heart of the business and facilitate improvements in conjunction with the management team.

Career progression 

There are two main career paths for internal auditors. You can either:

• Continue to specialise and become the Head of Internal Audit
• Broaden your skill set and move on to become Finance Manager (and then Finance Director) of a particular operating unit

Who should become an internal auditor?

If you have a background in practice and have strong technical audit skills, you are likely to do well in this role. You will need excellent commercial acumen so that you can quickly grasp the complexities of each different operating unit before offering concise and analytical reports to the business. Although the role draws heavily on your technical ability, it is crucial you have good interpersonal skills so that you can liaise with heads of business.

Salary of an internal auditor

Professionals can expect €55 - 75k for an internal audit role. While professionals seeking a head of internal audit function can expect salaries of between €100 - 130k.

Contact us

Are you interested in a job in internal auditing? Get in touch with our accounting & financial services recruitment team.