UK

United Kingdom · Compliance, quality and safety · Director/VP (16-20 years)

Director of Internal Audit

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  • Experience bandDirector/VP (16-20 years)
  • Direct reports5-8 reports
  • Reports toChief Audit Executive (CAE)
  • UK framework levelUsually a director, accountable for a division and its numbers

Also advertised as Head of Internal Audit (CQHS) · Audit Director, Compliance & Safety · VP, Internal Audit (CQHS)

Built on 43,079 real UK job descriptions we analysed · grounded in what real qualifications cover

Two short quizzes about you

1From this job to a course

The qualifications matched to this job

ATHE Level 7 Extended Diploma in Accounting and Finance ATHE Ltd · Level 7 · covers 1 of 10 standards
Qualifi Level 5 Extended Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety Qualifi Ltd · Level 5 · covers 2 of 10 standards
City & Guilds Level 6 Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety Practice City & Guilds Limited · Level 6 · covers 1 of 10 standards
GQA Level 5 Diploma in the Practice of Process Safety Management GQA Qualifications Limited · Level 5 · covers 1 of 10 standards
GQA PAA\VQ-SET Level 3 Diploma for a Bulk Storage Operator (Technician) GQA Qualifications Limited · Level 3 · covers 2 of 10 standards
TQUK Level 3 Diploma in Management (RQF) Training Qualifications UK Ltd · Level 3 · covers 1 of 10 standards

Matched from the standards this job is measured against: a suggestion, not an official ruling.

The units you would start with

Audit and Compliance - Advanced ATHE Level 7 Extended Diploma in Accounting and Finance
Health and Safety Audit Qualifi Level 5 Extended Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety
Health and safety audits City & Guilds Level 6 Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety Practice
Understand how to comply with the relevant Regulations, Industry Standards and Management Requirements for Process Safety GQA Level 5 Diploma in the Practice of Process Safety Management
Comply with External and Internal Obligations within a Bulk Storage Operations Environment GQA PAA\VQ-SET Level 3 Diploma for a Bulk Storage Operator (Technician)
Prepare for and support quality audits TQUK Level 3 Diploma in Management (RQF)

The future skills this job leans on

AI Fluency working with AI as a thinking partner
Data Fluency turning numbers into a decision
AI Governance Fluency using AI responsibly
Sustainability Fluency building care for people and planet into the work
Your Plan Illustration

Built for Director of Internal Audit

6 units that map to this job, from the qualifications that cover it.

  1. Audit and Compliance - Advanced ATHE Ltd · covers 1 of 10 standards Level 7
  2. Health and Safety Audit Qualifi Ltd · covers 2 of 10 standards Level 5
  3. Health and safety audits City & Guilds Limited · covers 1 of 10 standards Level 6
  4. Understand how to comply with the relevant Regulations, Industry Standards and Management Requirements for Process Safety GQA Qualifications Limited · covers 1 of 10 standards Level 5
  5. Comply with External and Internal Obligations within a Bulk Storage Operations Environment GQA Qualifications Limited · covers 2 of 10 standards Level 3
  6. Prepare for and support quality audits Training Qualifications UK Ltd · covers 1 of 10 standards Level 3
These are the real units behind this job, in the order they rank for it. Nothing here is marked done, because this plan has not been started by anyone yet. Yours would fill in as you go.

2AI and this work

Will AI change your work as a Director of Internal Audit?

Nobody can say exactly how. Here is what this job is being asked for next, and where to start.

The new skills this role is being asked for

  • AI Governance & Ethical AI Auditing
  • ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) Assurance
Why each one is rising

The future skills this job leans on

We'll only ever tell you what we can actually back up. No hype, no scare tactics.

What happens when you start

Next, a free account. We build your Director of Internal Audit plan as you set up, starting with the free Automation Fluency module. No card.

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3What this role really is

This role leads internal audit work across compliance, quality, health and safety. It sets the audit strategy for these areas and checks that controls are working, particularly where they keep people safe and operations compliant.

4What you'd actually use

The tools this job runs on, and how well you'd need to know each one.

GRC Platform (e.g., Intelex, LogicGate, ServiceNow GRC) Strategic

Leading the selection, implementation, and optimisation of the GRC platform for the entire CQHS audit function. Defining the enterprise-wide GRC data architecture and ensuring integration with other key business systems. Using it to track and report on the overall control environment to the Board.

Audit Analytics (e.g., Galvanize/Diligent, IDEA) Architect

Setting the strategy for continuous auditing and monitoring within CQHS using these tools. Defining data governance standards for audit analytics and championing their use to identify anomalies and improve audit efficiency. You're not writing the scripts, but you're defining what needs to be built.

EHS/QMS Software (e.g., Enablon, Cority, MasterControl) Strategic

Assessing the suitability and effectiveness of the organisation's EHS/QMS platforms for managing CQHS risks. Providing assurance to the board on their configuration, access controls, and data integrity. You'll understand the system's capabilities and limitations at a high level.

Data Visualization (e.g., Power BI, Tableau) Strategic

Designing and championing the use of executive-level risk dashboards for the Audit Committee. This means translating complex audit data into clear, actionable visualisations that provide a real-time view of the control environment and emerging risks.

Advanced Excel (Power Query, Power Pivot, VBA) Advanced

Understanding the limitations of Excel for large-scale audit analytics and championing the move to more robust tools. You'll still use it for ad-hoc analysis, budget tracking, and reviewing complex data models built by your team, but you'll push for better solutions where appropriate.

5What you get to decide, and how that grows

Power in a job isn't your title. It's what you're allowed to decide. Here's how it grows as you move up.

The choiceComing in Where you are nowThe step above
Annual Audit Plan Scope & Prioritisation N/A N/A Propose audit areas and risk ratings to Lead Auditor.
Annual Audit Plan Scope & Prioritisation N/A N/A Propose audit areas and risk ratings to Lead Auditor.
Audit Methodology & Tool Selection (within CQHS) N/A N/A Recommend specific tools/methodologies for individual audits to Lead Auditor.
Audit Report Approval (pre-CAE) N/A N/A Draft audit findings and reports for Lead Auditor review.
Team Hiring & Performance Management N/A N/A Provide input on junior auditor performance and development.
Budget Allocation (CQHS Audit Function) N/A N/A N/A

6How you'll be judged

The scoreboard, and what is not on it. The hard targets, how often each is actually looked at, and the quiet signals that never reach a dashboard.

Audit Plan Completion Rate
Percentage of planned audits completed within the annual cycle.
Target · 100% of the annual audit plan completed.

If we planned 20 CQHS audits for the year and completed all 20, that's 100%. If two were pushed to next year, it's 90%. We aim for no deferrals without strong justification.

High-Risk Finding Remediation Rate
Percentage of high-risk audit findings that have been fully remediated by their agreed-upon due dates.
Target · Greater than 90% of high-risk remediation plans implemented by their due date.

Out of 10 high-risk findings in Q1, 9 were closed on time. That's 90%. The one outstanding needs a clear explanation and revised plan for the Audit Committee.

Audit Budget Adherence
How closely the actual spend for the CQHS audit function aligns with the approved annual budget.
Target · Within ±5% of the approved annual budget for the CQHS audit function (excluding unforeseen, approved scope changes).

If your budget is £500,000, you should aim to spend between £475,000 and £525,000. Going over requires a good reason and prior approval.

Regulatory Non-Compliance Incident Reduction
The trend in the number of significant regulatory non-compliance incidents directly attributable to control weaknesses identified by internal audit.
Target · A year-on-year reduction of at least 15% in such incidents.

If we had 4 major regulatory fines in 2023 linked to audit findings, we'd aim for 3 or fewer in 2024. This shows our work is preventing real problems.

Board Audit Committee Confidence
The level of trust and confidence the Board Audit Committee places in the internal audit function's reporting and insights.
  • Consistently high ratings from Audit Committee feedback surveys. Committee members proactively seek your input on strategic risk matters. Your reports are accepted without significant challenge on factual accuracy or independence. They'll ask 'What does Internal Audit think about X?' in other meetings.
Executive Leadership Engagement
How actively and constructively executive leaders engage with internal audit findings and recommendations.
  • Executive leaders respond promptly to audit reports, actively participate in closing meetings, and show a genuine commitment to addressing findings. They'll invite you to their leadership meetings to discuss risk, not just to present audit results. You're seen as a partner, not just a critic.
Team Development & Retention
The growth and stability of your direct reports and the broader CQHS audit team.
  • High retention rates within your team (e.g., >85%). Positive feedback in annual performance reviews regarding development opportunities. Successful promotion of team members to higher levels within audit or the business. You're building a strong bench, not just filling seats.
Strategic Risk Foresight
The ability of the audit function to anticipate emerging CQHS risks and integrate them into the audit plan before they become critical issues.
  • You're regularly presenting on emerging risks to the Audit Committee and executive team. Audit plans are proactively adjusted to cover new regulatory landscapes or operational shifts. The business often comes to you asking for your perspective on new risks, rather than you having to chase them.

7Would you like it

Both sides. What people enjoy, and what grinds them down.

What people enjoy
Protecting the Organisation

You get a real buzz from knowing your work helps prevent major safety incidents, environmental damage, or regulatory fines. You're driven by the sense that you're a critical guardian of the company's integrity and future.

Successfully identifying a systemic control weakness in hazardous waste disposal that, when fixed, prevents a potential £1M fine and environmental damage. That's a good day.

Driving Continuous Improvement

You're not just happy finding problems; you want to see them fixed properly and permanently. You're motivated by helping the business become better, safer, and more efficient through your insights and recommendations.

Working with the Quality team to redesign a critical inspection process based on your audit findings, leading to a measurable reduction in product defects.

Strategic Influence & Board Engagement

You thrive on engaging with senior leadership and the Board, influencing strategic decisions, and seeing your insights shape the company's risk management framework. You want your voice to be heard at the highest levels.

Presenting a compelling case to the Audit Committee that leads to a significant investment in a new EHS management system, knowing you drove that decision.

What frustrates people
  • The 'Internal Police' Stigma: Constantly fighting the perception that you're there to get people in trouble, rather than to improve the process and protect the company.
  • Political Downgrading: Finding a clear high-risk issue, but facing pressure from senior management to downgrade it to 'medium' or 'low' before it gets to the Audit Committee.
  • Repeat Findings: Presenting the same finding you wrote last year because management agreed to a remediation plan but never actually implemented it.
  • Resource Constraints: Having a massive audit universe but limited budget and headcount, meaning you can't audit everything you'd like to.
  • Scope Creep: An audit of a simple process uncovers a major issue, and suddenly your two-week engagement balloons into a two-month investigation that you're not staffed for, pulling resources from other planned audits.
What this role does not give you
  • A quiet, low-stress environment where everyone agrees with you.
  • A role where you're solely focused on technical execution without people management.
  • Immediate gratification for every finding – some remediation takes years.
  • A path to directly run a business unit (though it provides great exposure).

8Who you work with

This role directly shapes the organisation's risk posture in critical areas like safety and regulatory compliance. Your insights drive executive decisions on control investments, operational changes, and strategic direction, ultimately protecting the company's licence to operate and its financial health. Get it right, and we're resilient. Get it wrong, and the consequences can be catastrophic for our people, our finances, and our brand.

Inside the business
  • Chief Audit Executive (CAE)
  • Executive Leadership Team (CEO, COO, CFO)
  • Board Audit Committee
  • Heads of Compliance, Quality, Health & Safety
  • Legal Department
  • Operations Leadership
Outside the business
  • External Auditors (PwC, Deloitte, EY, KPMG)
  • Regulatory Bodies (e.g., HSE, Environment Agency)
  • Industry Associations
  • Key Suppliers and Partners

9What you need before you start

Not a wish list. The things you would be expected to already have.

  • Extensive experience (10+ years) in internal audit, with a significant portion focused on Compliance, Quality, Health, and Safety within a complex organisation.
  • Proven track record of leading and managing audit teams, including performance management and talent development.
  • Demonstrated ability to interact and influence at a senior executive and Board level, presenting complex information clearly and concisely.
  • Deep understanding of enterprise risk management frameworks and how to translate them into an effective audit plan.
  • Strong commercial acumen and the ability to link audit findings to broader business objectives and financial impact.

10What to practise next

Where the job is going, and what to do about it starting this week.

Advanced Data Analytics & Visualisation for Continuous Auditing

Moving from periodic audits to continuous monitoring requires a deeper understanding of how to set up automated data feeds, apply sophisticated analytical models, and visualise real-time risk indicators. This allows us to spot issues faster and focus human effort where it's most needed.

Real-time Data Integration · Predictive Analytics in Audit · Automated Anomaly Detection · Interactive Dashboard Design · Data Governance for Audit Analytics

  • This quarter: Review existing continuous monitoring efforts (if any) and identify gaps.
  • Next 6 months: Work with your Lead Auditors and Data Analytics specialists to define requirements for a new continuous audit dashboard.
  • Next 12 months: Oversee the development and deployment of a pilot continuous audit dashboard for a high-risk CQHS area.
  • Ongoing: Regularly review new features and capabilities of our audit analytics platforms.

Quick win: Identify one high-volume, low-complexity control (e.g., mandatory training completion) and work with your team to automate its continuous monitoring and reporting through an existing data visualisation tool.

11Staying current once you are in

What people here do to keep up
  • Regularly attending industry conferences and workshops focused on internal audit, risk management, and specific CQHS regulations (e.g., IIA conferences, HSE seminars).
  • Maintaining active membership in relevant professional bodies (e.g., IIA, IOSH, CQI).
  • Engaging in continuous learning on emerging technologies like AI, machine learning, and advanced analytics, specifically their application in audit.
  • Participating in executive leadership development programmes to hone strategic thinking and influence skills.
  • Seeking out opportunities to mentor junior professionals, both within and outside the audit function.

12The rising capability

The rising capability

Zavmo analysis

What's rising in its place

This is where the work is heading, and the higher pay with it. Get fluent here and the shift stops being a threat and starts being your edge.

AI Governance & Ethical AI Auditing

As our organisation increasingly uses AI in operations, product development, and even CQHS processes (e.g., predictive maintenance, safety analytics), the need to audit the AI itself for bias, fairness, transparency, and data privacy becomes critical. Regulators are already looking at this, and we need to be prepared.

  • AI Risk Frameworks
  • Explainable AI (XAI)
  • AI Bias Detection & Mitigation
  • Data Lineage & Provenance for AI
  • AI Ethics & Regulatory Compliance

ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) Assurance

ESG reporting is no longer optional; it's a critical expectation from investors, regulators, and customers. Internal Audit has a vital role to play in providing assurance over the accuracy and reliability of ESG data and the effectiveness of related controls, particularly for environmental and social aspects that fall under CQHS.

  • ESG Reporting Standards
  • Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions Accounting
  • Supply Chain ESG Risks
  • Social Impact Metrics
  • Double Materiality

13What you’ll use

What you’ll use

Skills this role draws on

Technical

  • Risk-Based Auditing (Strategic Design)
  • COSO Framework Application (Enterprise Level)
  • ISO Standards Auditing (Strategic Oversight)
  • Root Cause Analysis (Oversight & Challenge)
  • Audit Report Writing & Issue Validation (Executive Review)

14The pathway

The pathway

How you actually get there, here

How you become one varies far more by country than what one does. This is the UK route. Most people take one of these ways in; the right one depends on where you're starting from.

  1. 1

    Lead Internal Audit Manager (CQHS)

    3-5 years

    Skills to master

    • Managing multiple complex audit programmes, leading larger audit teams (3-5), developing strategic audit plans for specific business units, and presenting to senior management. You'd have already proven your ability to handle significant audit findings and influence stakeholders.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Consistently delivering audit programmes on time and within budget.
    • Strong positive feedback from executive stakeholders on audit insights and engagement.
    • Successfully mentoring and developing junior auditors, with clear progression for your direct reports.
    • Demonstrated ability to identify and respond to emerging risks proactively.
  2. 2

    Senior Manager, Risk & Compliance (from the business)

    4-6 years

    Skills to master

    • Deep operational experience in managing CQHS risks and compliance programmes within a large organisation. You'd understand the 'auditee' perspective intimately, coupled with a strong grasp of control frameworks. You'd need to develop an independent, objective audit mindset.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Successfully managed large-scale CQHS compliance programmes or risk functions.
    • Demonstrated ability to implement effective control environments within the business.
    • Strong understanding of regulatory requirements and internal governance.
    • Proven ability to lead and influence across different business units.
  3. 3

    External Audit Partner (from Big 4/Advisory)

    2-4 years

    Skills to master

    • Transitioning from client-facing external audit to internal audit's strategic advisory and assurance role. This includes understanding internal stakeholder dynamics, building an internal team, and adapting to a continuous improvement mandate rather than just opinion issuance. You'd bring strong technical audit skills and client management experience.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Managed a portfolio of complex audit clients, including those in regulated industries.
    • Proven ability to build and lead large audit teams.
    • Strong technical accounting and auditing expertise.
    • Demonstrated ability to manage client relationships at a senior level.

15Where this role leads

The long view: This role can lead to Chief Audit Executive, Chief Risk Officer or Chief Compliance Officer, taking on wider responsibility for governance, risk or compliance across the organisation.

The ten Future Fluencies

Zavmo analysis

The credential is what you can do today. These are what keep you valuable.

A qualification proves you can do the job as it's defined today. These ten are what decide whether you're still the obvious person for it in five years. They're the capabilities employers are now writing into senior roles faster than people are learning them. Zavmo weaves them through whatever you study, so you come out with both: the credential and the fluency.

The highlighted ones are the Fluencies your role leans on hardest, from how Director of Internal Audit is actually changing.

Where it leads

Roles this leads to

Also named as a next step, with no page in the catalogue yet:

  • VP, Risk & Compliance (Business Side)

How you would learn this

One to one, on the work you already do

A tutor sets the task against your own job and marks the reasoning, at your pace. There is no cohort to fall behind.

A lesson from Audit and Compliance - Advanced, worked against Director of Internal Audit.

Audit and Compliance - Advanced Level 7

Applied to your work in Director of Internal Audit

This unit aims to provide learners with an understanding of the regulatory environment, professional ethics, and current issues in audit and compliance, enabling them to plan and conduct audits in accordance with relevant standards and regulations.

How the thinking builds
  1. 1 Remember
  2. 2 Understand
  3. 3 Apply
  4. 4 Analyse
  5. 5 Evaluate
  6. 6 Create
An illustration of a Zavmo lesson, built from this role’s own route. The unit, its objective and every criterion above are the awarding body’s own words, not an example.

It is £70 a month, billed monthly. Your free first module is Future Fluency, and you can cancel any time.

See Your Progress Grow Illustration
Director of Internal Audit
  • Risk-Based Auditing (Strategic Design)
  • COSO Framework Application (Enterprise Level)
  • ISO Standards Auditing (Strategic Oversight)
  • Root Cause Analysis (Oversight & Challenge)
  • Audit Report Writing & Issue Validation (Executive Review)
This is your Mind Palace on learn.zavmo.ai. Every skill above comes from this role's own record, not an example borrowed from another job. A node lights up when you evidence it, and what you build stays yours between jobs. That is the part a course cannot do.

16The detail, folded away

Everything else the record holds

The career branches in full, how AI is already showing up in the day-to-day, and the questions people ask about this job. Here when you want them, out of the way while you decide.

Where it leads next, rung by rung

Where it leads

The career path, and where it branches

Director of Internal Audit is a start, not a ceiling. Each step below asks for new skills and hands back more autonomy.

  1. Chief Audit Executive (CAE)

    3-5 years

    Executive Leadership

    • Defining the overall vision and strategy for the entire Internal Audit function.
    • Managing relationships with the CEO and other C-suite executives.
    • Overseeing audit technology strategy and investment across all domains.
    • Talent strategy and succession planning for the entire audit department.

  2. VP, Risk & Compliance (Business Side)

    4-6 years

    Executive Leadership

    • Designing and implementing business-side control frameworks.
    • Managing operational incidents and crises from a business perspective.
    • Developing and executing risk mitigation strategies.
    • Engaging directly with external regulators and industry bodies.
Working with AI on the job

Working with AI

Where AI is starting to help

Let's be real, leading an audit function is demanding. You're juggling strategy, team management, stakeholder engagement, and still need to keep an eye on the details. AI isn't here to replace your strategic brain, but it can certainly take a huge chunk out of the grunt work, giving you more time to focus on what truly matters: high-value assurance and risk leadership.

Imagine cutting down the time spent on routine reviews, report drafting, and risk analysis. For a Director, this means more capacity to mentor your team, engage with the Board, and proactively address emerging risks, rather than getting bogged down in operational minutiae. We're actively building an AI-first culture, and you'll be at the forefront of applying these tools to transform our CQHS audit capabilities.

Automated Audit Programme Generation

Feed new regulatory updates, internal risk assessments, and historical audit data into an LLM. It'll generate a comprehensive first draft of your annual CQHS audit plan, complete with proposed scopes, key controls, and potential testing areas, saving you days of manual planning.

Executive Summary & Board Report Drafting

Input raw audit findings, remediation statuses, and risk context, then let AI craft concise, impactful executive summaries and even first drafts of Board Audit Committee presentations. You'll spend your time refining the message, not wordsmithing from scratch.

Regulatory Impact Analysis & Summarisation

Upload new, complex regulations (e.g., a major update to ISO 45001 or a new HSE directive). AI can quickly summarise key changes, identify direct impacts on our existing controls, and even suggest areas for immediate audit focus, keeping you ahead of the curve.

Team Performance & Coaching Insights

Use AI to analyse team performance data (e.g., audit completion rates, finding acceptance, review note density) to identify coaching opportunities and skill gaps. It can even help draft personalised feedback or development plans for your direct reports, making your leadership more effective.

Common questions

Common questions

How do you become a Director of Internal Audit?

Common routes in include Lead Internal Audit Manager (CQHS) (3-5 years), Senior Manager, Risk & Compliance (from the business) (4-6 years) and External Audit Partner (from Big 4/Advisory) (2-4 years). Times vary with prior experience.

Where can a Director of Internal Audit progress to?

This role can lead on to Chief Audit Executive (CAE) (3-5 years) and VP, Risk & Compliance (Business Side) (4-6 years), depending on the skills you build.

What new skills matter most for a Director of Internal Audit?

Increasingly, AI Governance & Ethical AI Auditing and ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) Assurance. These are the skills our record of this role lists as growing.

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17Where to go from here

Other roles at Level 7

Same depth of qualification, different job. Useful if the work appeals but this particular role does not.

 More jobs in compliance, quality and safety

Stay in the field you know and move sideways rather than up.
If you leave this industry

The skills built in this role apply across industries with complex regulatory demands, including manufacturing, energy, pharmaceuticals and financial services. Expertise in risk, control and governance carries across sectors.

This role profile is © 2026 Growth Engineering Technologies Ltd. Built from UK occupational standards and regulated qualification data, and written for Zavmo.

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