Senior Internal Auditor

Job description

We are looking for a Senior Internal Auditor who shares our commitment to excellence and our HEART values: Honest, Efficient, Accountable, Respectful, Trusted. As a key member of our Internal Audit function, you will help shape the future of our organisation by providing independent assurance and driving continuous improvement across our systems and controls.

Reporting to the Internal Audit Manager, you will support the delivery of Southern Housing's Internal Audit Strategy and annual audit plan. You will lead and deliver a range of audits across our diverse business operations, providing valuable insights and recommendations that strengthen risk management, governance and internal controls.

Working closely with stakeholders across the business, you will build trusted relationships, challenge constructively where necessary, and help drive meaningful improvements that support our strategic objectives.

This is more than just a job it's a chance to be part of a team that's trusted, respected, and relied upon to safeguard our mission. You will work in a collaborative, values-led environment where your voice matters, your expertise is valued, and your work has real impact.

Your day-to-day responsibilities will include:

• Developing and maintaining a broad and deep understanding of Sothern's business processes, risk environment and control frameworks to support compliance and continuous improvement objectives.
• Working collaboratively with Southern colleagues and external peers to advise on systems of internal controls, deliver improvements in the risk and control environment and to maintain trusting relationships.
• Supporting delivery of the annual internal audit plan, leading and delivering allocated audits in accordance with prescribed deadlines.
• Planning and performing internal audits in accordance with the Internal Audit methodology and Professional Practices Framework.

This role can be based at one of our offices at London or Sittingbourne and offers hybrid working as agreed with your Line Manager.

What you'll bring:

• Educated to degree level or equivalent through relevant training or experience.
• Qualified professional membership of an internal audit or accountancy body (CIA/CMIIA or CCAB) or working towards.
• Knowledge of risk, regulation and compliance matters are relevant to UK Social Housing, including Regulatory Standards.
• Internal audit experience within a minimum of 2 years proven experience of auditing in a complex business environment.
• Strong knowledge of audit and analytical techniques to review financial, performance, technical, business, and operational controls, and risk management processes.
• Skills to build effective, trusting relationships at all levels of the organisation, challenge the norm where applicable, and influence management and stakeholders regarding the importance of effective controls.
• Project management skills with experience of planning, organising and delivering audit assignments and ad hoc projects in an agile and timely manner.

Closing date: 27 th October 2026, Tuesday at 23:59

Shortlisting: from 28 th October 2026

Interviews: interviews will be held first half of November 2026

Please note: We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications. We encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible so it can be reviewed and considered.

About Us

At Southern Housing, our residents are at the heart of everything we do. As one of the largest housing providers in the UK with over 77,000 homes across London, the Southeast, the Isle of Wight, and the Midlands, we give over 167,000 people somewhere affordable to call their own! We also understand the difference that safe, secure, and affordable homes can make to people's lives.

A career at Southern Housing will allow you to make a difference every day you come to work. Working in the housing sector with us will bring fresh challenges and give you the opportunity to grow and develop, too.