Internal Audit Manager
Location flexible across our office network, Perth WA or Sydney NSW

• Reporting to the National Manager Internal Audit & Control Assurance
• Hybrid working model (2 days working from home & 3 days working in the office)

Compass Group is listed on the London Stock Exchange (Top 20) and is the global market leader in providing food and support services to customers in the workplace, schools and colleges, hospitals, at leisure and in remote environments. We operate in over 25 countries, employ c.600,000 people, and are a recognised top 10 employer worldwide.

In Australia, Compass Group Australia (CGA) currently generates $2.2bn revenue per annum, servicing over 350 clients across over 700 sites, with c.18,000 employees. We offer a supportive team culture in a value-based organisation with balanced ‘work from home’ arrangements. 

About the Role

The CGA Group Finance team play a critical role in ensuring the financial sustainability of CGA. One of the team key responsibilities is to independently assess CGA internal control and governance frameworks to inform CGA Leadership on ways to improve operations against benchmark and leading practices and provide a point of view (advise and challenge) on CGA  governance, risk, and control frameworks.

The Internal Audit Manager role is responsible for providing specialist expertise in internal audit, control assurance and control process improvements that supports the National Manager Internal Audit & Control Assurance to meet these responsibilities. Specifically, the role maintains and enhances the internal audit framework, prepares and delivers the annual internal audit plan, scopes and manages internal audit engagements, reports findings and tracks management actions through to closure.

Responsibilities:

Internal audit framework and planning

• Maintain and enhance the CGA Internal Audit framework, aligned to CGA strategic objectives, risk appetite and the Risk Management Framework.
• Prepare and maintain the annual CGA Internal Audit Plan, incorporating risk-based assurance priorities, business input, Group Internal Audit considerations and emerging risk themes.
• Define the objective, scope, approach and expected outcomes for internal audit reviews, ensuring clear linkage to business risks, strategic priorities and governance expectations.
• Support the Head of Controls, Assurance and Audit with internal audit methodology, planning papers, governance reporting and stakeholder updates.
• Coordinate with the Financial Controls Manager and Finance System Controls Manager so audit planning reflects relevant control assurance themes (Line 3 assurance) without duplicating management-owned controls activity (Line 1 and Line 2 assurance).

Internal audit delivery and engagement management

• Project manage internal audit engagements with internal stakeholders, co-source providers and outsourced specialists, ensuring scope, timing, quality and deliverables are managed effectively.
• Perform internal audit reviews directly or manage external parties where engagements are co-sourced or outsourced.
• Perform gap, governance and maturity assessments where these are within the approved Internal Audit Plan or prioritised by management.
• Perform ad hoc investigations, advisory reviews or targeted assurance reviews where required and where independence can be maintained.
• Ensure internal audit workpapers, evidence, observations, root causes, ratings and recommendations are documented to a high standard and support defensible reporting.

Reporting, recommendations and action tracking

• Prepare clear, action-oriented internal audit reports that identify root causes, business impacts, practical recommendations and management action plans.
• Capture, monitor and oversee completion of internal audit recommendations and actions, including validation of closure evidence where required.
• Prepare Internal Audit reporting for management and governance forums, including thematic insights, overdue actions, emerging risks and key messages for leadership attention.
• Provide independent advice and constructive challenge to business process owners on governance, risk management and control improvement opportunities identified through audit work.
• Coordinate with Risk Management team, Control Assurance and Audit (CAA) financial controls and finance systems control roles on shared themes, remediation dependencies and reporting alignment where internal audit findings intersect with control assurance activities.

Stakeholder management and governance alignment

• Partner with key stakeholder groups including Group Internal Audit, CGA Risk, the Australia Leadership Team, Finance leadership, operational leaders and external providers.
• Manage relationships with co-source and outsourced audit providers, including engagement scoping, delivery oversight, quality review and budget tracking.
• Support the management of the annual Internal Audit budget, including provider costs, engagement planning and budget-to-actual monitoring.
• Educate the CGA business on the role of Internal Audit within the three lines model, including independence, objectivity, assurance scope and management ownership of controls.
• Contribute to the development of the broader CAA function through knowledge sharing, methodology improvement and practical audit insights.

People and culture

• Develop good working relationships with fellow CAA team members to foster a culture of operational excellence, collaboration and professional challenge.
• Develop and maintain productive working relationships with key stakeholders, building trust while analysing, challenging and influencing constructively.
• Support the CGA Group Finance team and broader Finance team in ensuring the needs of key stakeholders are met while preserving Internal Audit independence.
• Operate in accordance with Compass values and actively support and participate in Compass culture.
• Model high standards of integrity, confidentiality, professional judgement and accountability.

About You

• 6+ years’ professional experience in internal audit, assurance, external audit, risk management or a related governance discipline, ideally within a large corporate or professional services environment.
• CPA, CA, CIA or equivalent professional qualification is preferred.
• Direct experience designing, planning, delivering or managing internal audit reviews, including scoping, fieldwork, evidence assessment, reporting and management action tracking.
• Strong technical knowledge of governance, risk and audit management, including control design assessment and leading practice assurance methodologies.
• Understanding of internal control environments, including SOX-style or ICFR control environments, sufficient to assess audit implications while recognising that control framework ownership sits with management and the CAA control assurance roles.
• Demonstrated structured project management capability, including planning, coordination, stakeholder management, budget awareness and delivery through co-source or outsourced providers.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to produce concise, evidence-based audit reports and influence stakeholders constructively.
• Strong analytical capability, attention to detail, accuracy and ability to meet deadlines in a complex stakeholder environment.
• Proactive approach with a high level of autonomy, professional judgement and accountability.
• Strong coordination and teamwork, with a focus on continuous improvement and practical business outcomes.
• Competent with Microsoft 365; experience with audit management, GRC (Optro), data analytics or dashboarding tools is advantageous.
• Demonstrates integrity, confidentiality and sound judgement.

If you're ready to take the next step in your audit career and contribute to something bigger, we want to hear from you! For any questions, doubts, or for a confidential chat, please reach out to us at talisson@compass-group.com.au or gilzugmeyer@compass-group.com.au 

We are committed to ensuring a recruitment process that is fair, inclusive, and accessible to all. If you require any adjustments or alternative methods of communication during the process, please let us know—our team will support you in the way that works best for you.