Senior Internal Auditor

Senior Internal Auditor

Contract type: Permanent – 35 hours per week (requests for part-time will be considered)

Location: London, UK
UK hybrid working – a minimum of 40% of working time is spent face-to-face in the London office, external meetings or travel. 60/40 hybrid working at WaterAid means roughly three days wherever you work best and two days together in person.

Salary: £52,468 per year with excellent benefits

*We offer competitive, market-aligned starting salaries. While most roles are offered at the advertised starting salary, we may adjust this in exceptional cases depending on a candidate’s experience, skills, and potential.

Change starts with water. Change starts with you.

Every day, millions of people live without clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene. WaterAid exists to change that – for everyone, everywhere. Join us, and your energy will help unlock people’s potential and create a fairer future.

About WaterAid

We’re a global federation driven by one vision: a world where everyone, everywhere has clean water, sanitation and hygiene by 2030. Powered by our values of Respect, Accountability, Courage, Collaboration, Integrity and Innovation, we work alongside communities, partners and supporters to make change happen.

About the role

As our Senior Internal Auditor, you will support WaterAid to continuously strengthen internal controls and effective risk management by the delivery of internal audit engagements working closely with management to drive sustainable change.

In this role, you will:

• Deliver risk-based internal audits to provide assurance that financial and other control procedures are appropriate and implemented as designed.

• Respond to requests for assistance and advice from management in respect of any matters relating to systems of control, risk management and governance.

• Input to the development of the Internal Audit function

• Support management in developing a fraud aware culture and in fraud response, including undertaking investigations where required

• Champion WaterAid’s commitment to equity, inclusion and safeguarding.

Requirements:
To be successful, you will need:

• Honesty, integrity, tenacity and sensitivity

• Experienced auditor

• A professional CCAB (Consultative Committee of Accounting Bodies) accounting qualification or accredited member of the CIIA (Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors)

• A willingness to travel and an ability to work independently with limited supervision

• Strong numeric, analytical and financial skills, with an aptitude for budgeting and financial management

• Good understanding of risk management and internal controls

• Excellent communication and report writing skills, with either native proficiency or advanced professional proficiency in English

• Confident to communicate with all levels of management and Trustees

• Excellent time management and organisational skills and ability to juggle multiple assignments and meet competing deadlines

• Strong IT literacy

• Proficiency of auditing using data analytics techniques and AI

• Strong interpersonal skills and proven ability to work across different cultures

• Strong influencing skills and ability to build a strong network within and across WaterAid and with peers in the sector.

• Ability to support and coach secondees and supervise their work as required

Although not essential, we’d prefer you to have:

• Experience of working in the INGO sector

• Qualifications and/or experience in fraud investigations e.g. Certified Fraud Examiner

• Knowledge of French or Portuguese

• Knowledge of language/s from countries where WaterAid works

View the full job description here

Closing date: Applications close 12:00 PM UK time on 27 May 2026. Interviews are expected to take place week commencing 08 June 2026.

*Interviews may be scheduled on a rolling basis, and the role may close earlier if a suitable candidate is found. Therefore, we encourage you to apply at an early stage.

How to apply: Click Apply to complete the pre-screening questions and upload your CV and cover letter

Can I use Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology in my application?

At WaterAid, we strongly advise against using AI technology at any stage of the recruitment process. Our goal is to ensure a fair and transparent process that provides every applicant with an equal opportunity to succeed. We value hearing about your unique experiences and perspectives in your application, and, if shortlisted, during the interview as well.

Pre-employment screening

To apply for this role, you must be able to demonstrate your eligibility to work in the UK. All pre-employment checks will be carried out according to local law and WaterAid’s Safer Recruitment policy. All UK based roles require a basic Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

Benefits:
• 36 days’ holiday (including 8 Bank Holidays)
• Option to buy an extra 5 days’ annual leave
• Employer pension contribution up to 10 %
• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements
• Season ticket loan
• Free annual eye tests
• ‘Give as you Earn’ charitable giving scheme
• Enhanced parental leave (maternity, adoption/surrogacy, shared parental and paternity)
• Sabbaticals
• One paid volunteer day each year

As part of our annual leave policy, all employees receive three additional days of annual leave on top of their standard allocation of 25 days. These days are designated to cover the period when our UK office closes between Christmas and New Year, allowing all UK WaterAiders to take a well-deserved break.

These days are automatically scheduled and cannot be changed or moved. Annual leave is accrued based on your start date. If sufficient leave has not been accrued by the time of the closure, the 3 days will be taken as unpaid leave or pro-rated, depending on your circumstances.

Our People Promise

We will work with passion and focus to make sure everyone everywhere has clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene. WaterAid is a place of purpose – where people have a real commitment and shared responsibility for the impact we have. We are a global community with diverse backgrounds and perspectives, motivated by inspiring, stimulating work. We are determined to be a place where people feel safe and able to contribute their voice and truly live our values.

Equal Opportunities

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, beliefs, customs, traditions, ways of life and status. This includes, but is not limited to, race, ethnicity, caste, colour, gender, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth, disability status, neurodiversity, age, marital and family status, sexual orientation and gender identity, health status, place of residence, economic and social situation.

Safeguarding

We are committed to protecting everyone we come into contact with. We have a zero- tolerance approach to abuse of power, privilege or trust across our global work, and to any form of inappropriate behaviour, discrimination, abuse, bullying, harassment, or exploitation. Safeguarding the people and communities we work with, our staff, volunteers and anyone working on our behalf is our top priority, and we take our responsibilities extremely seriously. All offers of employment are subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks (which can include counterterrorism, safeguarding and criminal records checks).

Together, we’ll change the world through water.

Join us and be part of the change!