Director of Audit Quality Review
Posted by: Saxton Bampfylde
Employed By: Financial Reporting Council
Job Title: Director of Audit Quality Review
Salary: £145,924
Contract: Full-time
Location: London or Birmingham, hyrbid
Application Deadline: Friday 9 January 2026
The purpose of the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) is to serve the public interest and support UK economic growth by upholding high standards of corporate governance, corporate reporting, audit and actuarial work. One of our strategic objectives in meeting this is our proportionate regulation of accounting, audit, assurance and actuarial work. This work will expect and encourage high quality by those responsible, acting as an improvement regulator and dealing effectively and fairly with cases where there are significant or serious shortcomings.
The FRC has been through a period of significant transformation, increasing its impact and influence and building its capability and capacity. Alongside supporting public trust and confidence in audit, corporate reporting and governance, it will play a key role in supporting and contributing to UK economic growth and competitiveness.
The Director of Audit Quality Review will be a central leader within the Supervision Division and will oversee the FRC’s statutory programme of audit inspection and supervision in support of high audit quality and audit market resilience. Working alongside the Executive Director of Supervision and fellow Directors, this individual will provide forward-looking, evidence-based oversight of major audit firms, assessing audit quality, identifying risks to market resilience, determining required actions, and ensuring firms are held to account for delivery. They will also lead the annual programme of inspections of public interest entity audits and ensure robust selection criteria, consistent quality standards and effective reporting to the FRC Board.
This individual will guide and develop the Audit Quality Review team, a group of highly skilled professionals, and will play a key role in shaping the FRC’s evolving approach to audit supervision, including continuous improvement initiatives, the development of supporting processes and systems, and management of an annual budget of approximately £11.5 million. The role also has an important international dimension, involving cooperation with overseas regulators, including participation in joint inspections and engagement through global regulatory networks.
The successful candidate will be a qualified accountant with senior-level experience as an auditor or audit inspector. They will bring deep technical understanding of UK audit and international accounting standards, strong judgement, and an ability to distil complex information into clear and actionable insight. They will have the credibility to engage with and influence the most senior leaders within audit firms, experience of handling sensitive or challenging situations, and the ability to communicate with real impact. They will also be an inspiring people leader, capable of attracting, developing and motivating highly skilled professionals within a specialist regulatory environment.
How to apply
Saxton Bampfylde Ltd is acting as an employment agency advisor to the Financial Reporting Council on this appointment. For further information about the role, including details about how to apply, please visit www.saxbam.com/appointments using reference QAMAZI. Alternatively email Belinda.beck@saxbam.com. Applications should be received by noon on Friday 9 January 2026.