A day in the life of Steve
I lead teams of audit professionals to test and deliver assurance to Executive Management as to how effectively Barclays is mitigating risk within its UK Retail Banking business. Risks we focus on include issues affecting reputation, customer interest and financial impact. In London we're a team of 30, but internationally 600 people work in the Internal Audit function, so my job has a global remit.
Name
Steve
If you seek to continually challenge and stretch yourself, Barclays offers the opportunity to take your career to all the places you aspire, literally and otherwise.
Role
Audit Manager
Works in
Barclays Internal Audit, UK Banking
Location
London, UK
My working day
My work is often project-based, assessing the full spectrum of risks relating to a specific part of the business. To do this I collaborate with people not just in my team but in functions across Barclays, senior-level stakeholders and colleagues based all over the world.
In the morning, 09:00 to 11:00
If I’m in the Canary Wharf office I’ll usually start the day with an early meeting, checking in with the rest of the team to ensure they’re progressing well on work and that our business stakeholders are happy. Then I’ll check my emails and calendar to decide on priorities for the day ahead, identifying what needs my urgent attention.
Around lunch, 11:00 to 14:00
By this time of the day I’m usually well into my work, engaging with specialists from Barclays Risk, Legal and Compliance departments, and colleagues from the areas in which we’re carrying out an audit. A lot of my work isn’t desk-based – instead I’m often out visiting key centres around the business including branches, call centres or processing centres.
Early afternoon, 14:00 to 17:00
Taking stock of issues and debates that have arisen in the morning, I usually spend the afternoon conducting further research. This involves investigating concerns and seeking opinions and advice from colleagues externally or in other Barclays departments to develop a deep understanding of the potential business risks I should highlight in my audit report.
End of the day, 17:00 to 18:00
Before heading home I meet again with my Audit colleagues to discuss their queries, check in with my direct reports to ensure their mentoring and development needs are met, and speak with my boss, escalating any feedback or issues. As a team we often go out together after work. Recently we’ve had rounders matches and rowed on the River Thames.
My career at Barclays
I joined the company in December 2005 as an Audit Senior. I pursued opportunities to work on high-profile projects where I could demonstrate my skills, including a five-week assignment in Dubai, analysing risks to the United Arab Emirates business, and a post-acquisition audit in Uganda in 2007, after which I was promoted to Audit Manager.
How I started out
I graduated from the University of Nottingham in 2002, with a degree in Geography, Business and the Environment. Keen to move into the financial sector and work in the City of London, I joined PricewaterhouseCoopers, performing audits in the consumer, industrial and retail sectors, and trained to achieve my ACA (Association of Chartered Accountants) qualification.
Your career at Barclays
Experienced professionals
Barclays offers unrivalled opportunities in the financial services sector are ideal for candidates with a record of professional excellence.
