Senior Assurance Officer

About the Role

We are seeking a senior assurance professional to drive the delivery of our Independent Assurance Review (IAR) capability across a diverse and complex enterprise-wide portfolio. Operating within the Enterprise Portfolio Management Office (EPMO), this role provides an enhanced second-line independent capability across projects, programs, and portfolios.

This is a strategic, highly collaborative position focused on integrating assurance planning with portfolio risk insights to support earlier intervention, informed prioritisation, and confident investment decision-making. Please note: This is not an audit or a reviewer role . Instead, you will be responsible for service delivery quality, coordination, and value optimisation across reviews to benefit major capital and business investments.

Key Deliverables

Reporting to the Lead of Assurance and Quality, you will work closely with a supporting Assurance Officer to deliver the following outcomes:

• Service Delivery: Plan and coordinate a forward IAR schedule aligned with organisational priorities. Lead planning for individual reviews (scoping, readiness, logistics, timing) and post-review action plans.
• High-Quality Outputs: Ensure reviews are clearly scoped, risk-focused, and decision-relevant. Apply consistent quality standards to oversee the finalisation of clear, succinct reports with actionable recommendations.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Act as the primary point of coordination for project sponsors, executives, and external review panels, maintaining strong relationships to support constructive reviews.
• Assurance Insights: Coordinate assurance performance reporting to identify thematic trends and escalate emerging delivery risks or systemic issues early.
• Continuous Improvement: Direct and enable the contributions of the Assurance Officer while identifying opportunities to improve IAR tools, processes, and ways of working.

Required Skills and Experience

To be successful in this role, you will bring a pragmatic, value-focused approach to assurance alongside the following qualifications:

Experience

• Demonstrated experience delivering or coordinating independent assurance reviews, Gateway Reviews, or equivalent functions within a complex project delivery environment.
• Strong understanding of project, program, and portfolio management concepts, delivery, and enterprise risk.
• Proven experience planning and coordinating assurance activities to tight time frames.
• Extensive experience working with senior stakeholders, including executives, sponsors, and governance forums.
• Ability to synthesise complex information and identify material risks, themes, and decision-relevant insights.

Core Skills

• Highly developed written and verbal communication skills, with specific expertise in drafting clear, concise assurance reports.
• Strong facilitation skills for planning discussions, stakeholder briefings, and review team alignments.
• Exceptional organisational and prioritisation skills within a dynamic, demand-driven environment.
• Sound judgement with the capability to work autonomously while escalating issues appropriately.

Desirable Criteria

• Experience working in a dedicated Gateway Unit or central enterprise assurance function.
• Formal qualifications or accreditation in project/program management or assurance (e.g., PRINCE2, MSP, PMI, or Gateway/Assurance certification).
• Experience collaborating with external review panels or professional services providers.

At Randstad, we are passionate about providing equal employment opportunities and embracing diversity to the benefit of all. We actively encourage applications from any background.