Client Audit Director (ABL/Block)

Shawbrook provides finance to a wide range of customer segments that value the premium experience, flexibility and certainly we deliver.  We are a purpose-led organisation, with a focus on delivering long-term sustainable value for all our stakeholders.

We have a diversified offering, with our innovative lending propositions tailored to meet specific customer needs in carefully selected markets across SME, Real Estate and Personal. Our products range from complex structured credit facilities for growth-focused businesses to mortgages for professional landlords and property investors, as well as simple loans for consumers delivered digitally.  We fuel our lending through customer deposits, which we attract by delivering a premium experience, choice and consistently great value to smart savers.

The business model we have created is unique and difficult to replicate, with our ‘best of both’ approach combining deep human expertise with advanced digital, tech and data capabilities.  This combination not only allows us to deliver excellent customer experiences, but to do so efficiently and at scale.  We are proud of our innovative and agile culture, which drives consistently high employee engagement scores and makes Shawbrook an attractive destination for the best talent. If you’re willing to roll up your sleeves, contribute new ideas and believe anything is possible, you’re our kind of person.

Work with us because you:

• Want to be part of a bank built for the dynamics of the modern world
• Relish a challenge and enjoy a fast-paced, innovative and hardworking culture
• Enjoy finding new and better ways to solve complexity and make things happen
• Want to belong to a diverse culture that stands shoulder to shoulder with minority and underrepresented groups
• Care about society and the environment and want to be part of a business that cares too
• Want to continue to grow professionally and be the best version of yourself

The Client Audit Director is responsible for leading the independent Client Audit Team and overseeing the management of audit activities across the Asset Based Lending (ABL), Block Discounting and Wholesale portfolios (c£1.5bn exposure).

The role will ensure client audits are delivered to a high quality in-line with risk appetite and audit frameworks focusing on robust oversight designed to protect capital, detect fraud and conduct risks, identify systemic control weaknesses, and provide transparent, consistent reporting & insight.

The role will require building strong relationships across senior Credit, Originations and Portfolio Management Teams providing constructive challenge and value add insights to provide comprehensive audit outputs on the quality of collateral we are financing and identify underlying issues with our borrowers.

The role will be to manage, inspire and develop the in-house team maximising productivity, developing team skillsets and balancing capacity including the use of external resources where necessary. You will embrace accurate data capture, analysis, data driven decision making and data governance.

The successful candidate must have a desire to challenge the status quo, while using AI to drive automation to super-charge delivery and drive process consistency to deliver insightful reporting and escalation.

Success of this newly formed team within Risk Services will provide a solid foundation to assess synergies with other audit activity in Shawbrook, to build a centre of audit excellence across the Group.

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee audit activity to ensure compliance with audit and risk frameworks and policies.
• Manage team workload, proactively forecasting and addressing capacity challenges. At times, perform audits to ensure capacity is managed effectively.
• Perform quality checking to ensure consistency in audit testing, findings and actions.
• Own and embed procedures and control documentation to demonstrate effective process design, consistency and transparency of activities.
• Review audit scope, sampling, and testing strategies independently, including stepping beyond standard templates where risk indicators arise.
• Manage data and information to develop insightful analysis of portfolio risks and reporting on team performance, emerging risks and audit outcomes.
• Lead the escalation of material audit findings to ensure transparency and risk mitigation.
• Oversee and drive development and embedding of AI solutions to automate and systemise audit processes in core business applications.
• Coordinate the embedding of Conduct controls into the Audit process.
• Attend key stakeholder meetings and forums to present performance, escalate exceptions and actions and provide insights from audit performance.
• Work collectively with Originations, Credit & Portfolio Teams to assess potential new customers within the Operational Resilience Team to ensure alignment of processes, controls and documentation.

Skills & Experience

• Background in asset-based lending audit, collateral monitoring, or credit risk oversight within financial services.
• Experience in auditing financial performance and/or forensic accounting may also be beneficial in the role.
• Strong technical knowledge of ABL structures, block discounting, and wholesale collateral models.
• Experience using generative AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot) to improve efficiency in analysis, reporting, documentation, and operational processes, while applying appropriate governance, confidentiality, and data handling controls.
• Proven people and team management and development experience.
• Strong data literacy with experience applying analytics to risk identification and fraud detection.
• Deep understanding of the three lines of defence model and PRA/FCA expectations.
• Demonstrated ability to challenge senior stakeholders constructively and influence at Committee level.
• Proficient in MS Office especially MS Excel.
• Relevant professional qualifications are desirable (e.g., ACA, ACCA, CIA or equivalent).
• We assess candidates on experience, skills, and impact.

Key Attributes

• Independent and courageous.
• Strong commercial and risk judgement.
• Analytically rigorous and data curious.
• High integrity and professional scepticism.
• Forward-looking with a progressive view of assurance

Your Wellbeing - We take your health and well-being very seriously by providing a range of benefits to give you and your family peace of mind. These include:

• Market leading family friendly policies such as access to our Maternity, Adoption and Paternity policies from Day 1 of your employment
• Free access to Headspace, a mindfulness & meditation digital health app
• Free access to Peppy digital health app that offers personalised support through fertility treatment becoming a parent or menopause
• EAP (Employee Assistance Programme) - Offering you support on a wide range of subjects including financial concerns, mental wellbeing and more general queries around family, work, housing, and health
• Cycle to work scheme
• Discounts on gym membership
• Contributory pension scheme & death in service

Your Lifestyle - It’s important you strike the right balance between your work and personal life. We provide benefits to support you when at work and when you’re enjoying your leisure time.

• Minimum of 27 days holiday per year
• Option to buy or sell holiday days through our flexi-holiday scheme
• Discounts on gym membership nationwide
• Access to discounts on a range of high street and online brands
• Community support and charitable giving

Your Contribution - We’re focused on rewarding those that go the extra mile in helping us achieve our goals.

• Participation in our annual discretionary bonus scheme designed to reward your contribution to our success
• Proudly Shawbrook recognition scheme focused on recognising our role models and thanking our colleagues for a job well done