Assurance Methodology and Transformation Manager

Management Level

Manager

Job Description & Summary

A career in our Auditing Services practice, within Assurance Support services, will provide the opportunity to support our engagement teams and clients by providing advice and counsel on accounting, financial reporting, and strategic business issues. In joining, you’ll help ensure a complete and relevant exchange of information among our consultants and in turn with engagement teams and clients, provide experts advice on a variety of specific topics, support engagement teams in resolving complex issues, and supporting clients and their subsidiaries in evaluating the potential impact of accounting and reporting standard setting initiatives. You'll develop strong relationships with our engagement teams and established audit clients and enhance our ability to meet greater investor expectations with the challenges of an increasingly complex business environment.

Our team works closely together to ensure quality and consistency throughout the Assurance practice by developing tools, guidance, and training. You’ll provide engagement team support, inspection support, and pre issuance reviews along with supporting PwC in the standard setting process.

To really stand out and make us fit for the future in a constantly changing world, each and every one of us at PwC needs to be a purpose-led and values-driven leader at every level. To help us achieve this we have the PwC Professional; our global leadership development framework. It gives us a single set of expectations across our lines, geographies and career paths, and provides transparency on the skills we need as individuals to be successful and progress in our careers, now and in the future.

As a Manager, you'll work as part of a team of problem solvers, helping to solve complex business issues from strategy to execution. PwC Professional skills and responsibilities for this management level include but are not limited to:

• Develop new skills outside of comfort zone.
• Act to resolve issues which prevent the team working effectively.
• Coach others, recognise their strengths, and encourage them to take ownership of their personal development.
• Analyse complex ideas or proposals and build a range of meaningful recommendations.
• Use multiple sources of information including broader stakeholder views to develop solutions and recommendations.
• Address sub-standard work or work that does not meet firm's/client's expectations.
• Use data and insights to inform conclusions and support decision-making.
• Develop a point of view on key global trends, and how they impact clients.
• Manage a variety of viewpoints to build consensus and create positive outcomes for all parties.
• Simplify complex messages, highlighting and summarising key points.
• Uphold the firm's code of ethics and business conduct.

Main purpose:

This is an exciting opportunity for individuals to join our enthusiastic and dynamic team.  The purpose of this role is to contribute to PwC’s New Equation and Africa Strategy, which focus on two interconnected needs - the need to build trust and the need to deliver sustained outcomes.

One of our key trust drivers is the quality of our external audits. As an integral part of the SMA Assurance Quality Organisation, the Methodology, Reporting & Audit Technical (MRAT) team focuses on assisting engagement teams in planning, executing, and reporting on quality assurance engagements. The group works collaboratively with others in the Assurance Quality Organization to support teams in resolving issues that critically impact listed and non-listed engagements –  particularly through the Real Time Assurance (RTA) programme and support for regulatory inspections.

The MRAT team is also at the forefront of changes impacting the profession that result from new auditing standards, as well as trends that have been identified from Root Cause Analysis (RCA) and efficiency objectives by providing support to Partners and their engagement teams in respect of Audit Methodology, Aura and a wide range of other Efficiency and Quality matters. 

We are looking for individual(s) with drive and an interest in Audit Quality and who will supplement and elevate our current team to new heights. It is important that candidates be willing and interested to learn, and that they have a passion to assist and support Partners and engagement teams across the South Market Area.

Responsibilities/Output:

Primary responsibilities will include, but will not be limited to, the following:

• Engagement and team support in decision making to help build the auditor of the future;
• Use knowledge and experience to conduct real time assurance reviews in the capacity of a primary reviewer and as supervisory reviewer to junior members on our team;
• Using the knowledge and experience gained as an assurance Manager, to assist engagement teams with Methodology queries through the MRAT Helpdesk;
• Using the knowledge and experience gained as an assurance manager to assist engagement teams with ad-hoc consultations submitted through the Consult database;
• Promote behavioural change amongst assurance Partners and their engagement teams through face to face interaction and challenging of audit approaches;
• Be at the forefront of development of tools and templates to drive quality;
• Develop and present training;
• Conduct exploratory discussions with Partners to understand the needs of the business to drive projects and outcomes to improve engagement quality; and
• Analyse and monitor audit quality throughout the practice and report findings and status to Assurance Leadership.

Secondary / Ad hoc responsibilities may include, but may not be limited to, the following:

• Reviewing the methodology compliance of any proposed new assurance software tool in the SMA;
• The establishment and facilitation of building working relationships within the African network;
• Liaise with key contacts with the East and West market areas;
• Travelling to various South Market Area regions and
• Support the core global team and represent our market area in global forums.

Requirements:

Qualification Level: Chartered Accountant (South Africa)             

Experience Required: minimum of 3.5 years post-articles experience as an audit engagement manager.

Competencies/Skills:

• Well-developed writing and verbal skills;
• Good interpersonal, emotional intelligence and relationship skills;
• Intellectual curiosity - professional scepticism and critical thinking skills;
• Strong presentation skills;
• Should be confident in their communication of information to the local and Africa region;
• A good knowledge of  PwC methodology (including US Audit guide considerations) as well as the requirements of the International Standards on Auditing;
• Experience on integrated and SEC reporter audit engagements will be beneficial;
• Ability to perform research;
• Analytical skills, solution driven and a keen eye for detail;
• Ability to work both as part of a team, and independently and with PwC colleagues of all senior levels;
• Self-motivated, good project and time management skills with the ability to take full responsibility for tasks from beginning to end, whilst working under pressure, and meeting deadlines;
• Flexible and proactive in identifying areas where assistance is required;
• Technical research skills and ability to answer technical help desk queries with thoroughly documented technical references and exhibiting good knowledge of PwC methodology and ISA but using plain language and explaining the rationale for your answer; and
• Comfortable with G-Suite (Google documents, google sheets etc.), MicrosoftOffice (MSWord, MSExcel) with experience in CoPilot, Alteryx, PowerBI and other tools considered beneficial.

Driver’s License Required: Yes

EE Requirements: All applicants. Preference will be given to Employment Equity Applicants.

Travel: Yes

Working arrangements: Although flexibility and the opportunity to work from home on occasion can be discussed, this is a mostly in-office position

Travel Requirements

Up to 20%

Available for Work Visa Sponsorship?

No

Job Posting End Date

November 30, 2024