Auditor duties and responsibilities

The primary duty of an Auditor is to help organisations improve their operations and ensure financial policies and procedures comply with industry regulations. Their main tasks and responsibilities include:

• Reviewing company accounts and financial control systems
• Compiling, checking and analysing financial data from records, receipts and other documents to determine company assets and liabilities
• Measuring an organisation’s exposure to financial risk
• Developing and implementing new internal control systems to improve operations
• Identifying, researching and analysing problems with company policies and procedures and recommending strategies to solve challenges
• Identifying company strengths and weaknesses and recommending strategies to optimise efficiency
• Enforcing compliance with procedures, policies, regulations and legislation
• Preparing financial statements, reports and commentaries to guide the organisation’s internal processes

Auditor skills and qualifications

A successful Auditor candidate will have various prerequisite skills and qualifications needed to perform duties effectively, these include:

• Proven experience in accounting, auditing and related fields
• In-depth understanding of accounting industry regulations, tax legislation, financial reporting standards and policies
• Working knowledge of accounting, bookkeeping or financial software tools and spreadsheets
• Attention to detail, thoroughness and accuracy
• Integrity and exceptional interpersonal skills
• Exceptional presentation, written and verbal communication skills
• Critical thinking and problem-solving skills
• Excellent research and maths skills

Auditor experience requirements

Auditors typically require three to five years of work experience, depending on whether the position is for internal or external auditing. The ideal Auditor candidate should be experienced in the financial reporting standards and industry rules and regulations guiding your company’s financial conduct. Experience in an accounting role is essential for this job. External Auditors need to have the experience level of a Chartered Accountant. Internal Auditors have less strict requirements and can gain experience on the job. Auditors can also learn valuable insights required to perform on the job during their study.

Auditor education and training requirements

An Auditor typically needs to have a degree in accountancy to qualify for employment. Candidates can become an Auditor through a higher apprenticeship as an Internal Audit Practitioner or a Level 7 apprenticeship as an Internal Audit Professional. Some companies recruit employees as Trainee Auditors. Candidates with an accountancy degree can become an Auditor via the National Audit Office’s three-year graduate training scheme. Auditors may need to be members of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) or the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants.

Auditor salary expectations

According to Indeed Salaries, the average salary for an Auditor in the UK is £33, 492 per year. Actual pay may depend on the employer, the industry, location, experience, qualifications and the job duties and responsibilities.

Job description samples for similar positions

Here are job description samples for similar positions if you are not looking to recruit an Auditor:

• Internal Auditor
• Night Auditor