The Government Internal Audit Agency (GIAA) plays a vital role at the heart of government, providing independent assurance, insight and advice to around 140 public sector organisations, including the majority of UK Government departments. As digital technologies, data and artificial intelligence reshape the delivery of public services, government faces increasingly complex opportunities and risks. To help meet these challenges, GIAA is seeking an exceptional leader to strengthen its specialist assurance capability and help ensure that government remains resilient, accountable and equipped for the future.



As Director of Transformation and Assurance, you will join the Executive Committee and lead a high-performing directorate responsible for specialist assurance services across areas including Digital, Data and Technology, major transformation programmes and project delivery. Working with senior leaders across government, you will help shape strategy, influence decision-making on some of the most significant and complex issues facing the public sector, and ensure that assurance keeps pace with an increasingly dynamic operating environment. You will drive innovation, build capability and provide leadership that enables GIAA and its clients to navigate change with confidence.



We are looking for an inspiring, dynamic and engaging executive leader with a track record of leading large-scale, technology-enabled change in complex environments. Your experience may have been gained through senior leadership roles in audit, assurance, risk, transformation, consulting, digital, technology or operational delivery, but in every case you will bring the strategic judgement, credibility and influence needed to operate at the heart of government. You will be recognised for your ability to navigate complexity, provide trusted advice on significant organisational challenges, build high-performing teams and deliver meaningful impact. If you are motivated by public purpose and excited by the opportunity to help shape the future of assurance across government, we would like to hear from you.



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Recruitment Timetable



Closing date

23:55 on 9 November 2026



Long listing

Week commencing 9 November 2026



Preliminary interviews

Week commencing 16 November 2026



Short listing

Week commencing 23 November 2026



Assessment

Weeks commencing 30 November and 7 December 2026 (virtual)



Final panel

Week commencing 14 December 2026 (in person in London)




How to apply




Please submit your application no later than 23:55hrs on 9 November 2026.



You will need to provide some basic personal information:

• Your CV - setting out your career history, highlighting specific responsibilities and achievements that are relevant for this role, including numbers of people managed, relevant achievements in recent posts, together with reasons for any gaps within the last two years;


• Statement of suitability - (limited to 1250 words) explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with particular reference to the essential criteria in the person specification;


• Diversity monitoring - as part of the online application process you will be asked a number of diversity-related questions. If you do not wish to provide a declaration of any of the characteristics you will have the option to select 'prefer not to say'.

It is essential that in your written application you give evidence, using examples, of proven experience. These responses will be developed and discussed with candidates invited to interview.




For a confidential discussion about the role, please contact: GIAAsearch@gatenbysanderson.com