CMG Assurance and Compliance Manager

We are the UK's aviation regulator and recognised as a world leader in its field. Our activities are diverse, enabling the aviation industry to meet the highest safety standards, and we pride ourselves on our ability to adapt to the constantly evolving aviation environment.

You would be joining a supportive high-trust team who lead on high profile projects, including the opportunity to influence decision making on policy and procedure. The role would involve working closely with a variety of departments internally and across government, industry, and the accounting profession. There is an opportunity for hybrid and flexible working.

The Role

The role of Consumers and Markets Group, Assurance and Compliance Manager is working as part of CMG's Policy & Governance Team with a varied range of responsibilities including oversight of all CMG's revenue and costs. The role also includes responsibility for ensuring that CMG's revenue and costs financial interactions with external parties is robust in terms of accounting rules as a qualified accountant (or similar). The post holder is expected to be able to provide advice and guidance to colleagues in the ATOL licensing team on the finances of ATOL applicants where required, including the financial statements supporting these applications.

Core Accountabilities

The main purpose of this role is to lead on financial assurance in the following main areas:

ATOL Reporting Accountants (ARAs) Scheme.

The role incorporates several responsibilities as follows:

• Development of policy. The role is responsible for formulating and developing the CMG's regulatory approach for the ARA Scheme. This includes development and publication of the work programme to be performed by the ARAs and the associated reporting procedure/structure.



• Oversight, assurance, and compliance. The role is responsible for monitoring and developing an audit programme for the regulated Professional Accountancy Bodies (PAB) within the ARA Scheme, helping to reduce overall risks in the market, of reporting false or inaccurate financial information by ATOL holders.



• The scope of this responsibility is also broad, covering 706 ARAs registered with CAA, who are designated between 6 approved PABs. The role is responsible for ensuring the scheme reporting and review structure fits within the licensing process, improves reporting standards, identifies audit findings, and communicates these to the regulated ARA and the PAB concerned, ensuring that the regulated ARA and/or PAB are sufficiently knowledgeable about both the industry and the specific requirements of ATOL and move into compliance.


Management Accounting - Assurance & Compliance

The role incorporates a number of responsibilities as follows:


• Working with the CMG Group Director and all senior managers across CMG, the role is responsible for forecasting CMG's staff resources, budgets, costs, etc. across the year and ensuring accurate recording and reconciliation such that CMG is able to effectively deliver its business plan. Ensuring that revenue and cost controls are enforced throughout CMG, monitoring and briefing GD CMG on CMG's financial position and prospects, and adapting financial plans with GD CMG throughout the year in response to changing financial circumstances.



• The role is responsible for leading on the development of CMG's Scheme of Charges, including the setting of charges as well as management of ATOL revenue.


Professional Support & Collaboration:


• As a qualified accountant (or similar), the post holder is expected to be able to provide advice and guidance to colleagues in the ATOL licensing team, where required, on the financial reporting of ATOL licenses and applications, including on the financial statements (profit and loss, balance sheet, management accounts) supporting these applications., In terms of financial assurance, the role is responsible for all CMG's financial revenue and costs with external parties e.g., Charge payers such as ATOL holders, airlines, airports, external suppliers. This includes autonomy for decision making in respect of managing and approving purchase orders against budget, assuring that contracts are in place, and liaising with CMG colleagues to ensure that the work is delivered satisfactorily. It also includes decision making on charging and cross charging external parties such has ATOL holders and airports.


Strong communication and influencing skills with internal and external Stakeholders:


• The role also has the discretion / autonomy to provide advice and guidance to regulated PABs in the Scheme on how they comply with the CAA's policy and the rules of the Scheme.



• This requires the post holder to develop effective working relationships with external organisations, in particular the PABs and ARAs (Accountants typically at a senior level, e.g., Finance Director), and to leverage these relationships to influence these key individuals so that the CAA's policy is seen as objective, justifiable and robust.



• Working with the Group Director and senior managers, the role is responsible for producing CMG's proposals for its Scheme of Charges. In this, the post-holder will typically act as a liaison between CMG senior managers and other CAA teams such as Treasury, OGC, Procurement and Finance.


Team Management


• The role incorporates line management of three existing team members including a Business Manager, ATOL Assurance Administrator and Services and Hardware Administrator. You will have demonstrated supporting and developing a team to our key values.
  
  Qualified Accountant or similar


• Qualified or part qualified accountant (ICAEW, ACCA or CIMA)


• Minimum 5 years relevant experience, skills, and competency.


Strong decision making within a regulated environment:


• The post holder is responsible for monitoring and developing an audit programme for the regulated ARAs and PABs within the Scheme, and in this context has the discretion / autonomy to determine which aspects of the scheme, and which regulated PABs, to focus on and the best approach if concerns are identified with performance.
  
  The CAA values high ethical standards and personal integrity among employees. If invited for interview you will be asked to complete a declaration of interest.


Working With Us

We offer a range of excellent benefits such as flexible working arrangements, free onsite gym at Gatwick, discounted gym membership for London, 28 days annual leave, additional 5 days leave purchase scheme, a generous pension scheme and much more!

We are on a journey towards being increasingly adaptable, where our colleagues collaborate as part of cross-functional teams. This approach ensures we never stop learning together. It also means that you may become involved in activities that take you out of your day-to-day role, providing you with opportunities to develop and grow your career with us.

We have embraced hybrid working and offer flexible working patterns, being open to having a conversation about what works for you. We know where and when we work is important in achieving a work-life balance.

We are passionate about diversity and ensuring all are included at the CAA. We are an equal opportunity employer and actively encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds. We use fair and inclusive selection approaches to hire the best person for the job based on merit alone.

As a member of the Disability Confident scheme, applicants who meet the minimum criteria for a role with us will be guaranteed an interview. If you require an adjustment for any reason, please let us know.