Charged with cementing the UK’s
status as a science and technology superpower by 2030, DSIT is positioning
itself as one of the most innovative departments in government.
We want to be fully geared up for success in our ambitions
to drive economic growth, create the high-skilled, high-paid jobs of tomorrow,
and champion our science sector in pursuing bold discoveries.
The role of our non-executive directors within the audit,
risk and assurance committee (ARAC) is essential to our delivering on all of
these ambitions. We are looking for non-executives who can offer sound advice,
offering a fresh perspective on how our department operates.
To that end, the ARAC committee will ensure that DSIT is
properly fulfilling its public duties, exercising sound financial management
and using all the tools at our disposal to deliver for the public we serve.
The ARAC committee will keep a close eye on DSIT’s risk
management framework.
It will scrutinise DSIT’s accounts ahead of audits. And it will advise the
department on both its counter-fraud measures and whistle-blowing
policies.
We are looking for people from a wide variety of different
backgrounds and sectors – drawing on the tremendous talent that exists right
British society.
There are five roles in total spanning the public finance,
commercial, cyber security, legal and science functions of the department. If
you have skills and experience to offer in these areas, we would love to hear
from you. There could not be a more exciting time to join DSIT and, working
together, we can realise the brightest of futures for science, innovation and
technology in the UK.
The Rt Hon
Michelle Donelan
Secretary of State
for Science, Innovation and Technology
DSIT is seeking to
appoint five non-executive directors to its audit, risk and assurance committee
(ARAC) including a:
·
Public finance
and audit expert
·
Commercial and
delivery expert
·
Cyber security
expert
·
Legal expert
·
Science and
innovation expert
We are recruiting
non-executives to provide advice and bring an external perspective to our
department’s work. Note that our non-executive directors do not have
‘executive’ decision-making powers.
The role of the audit, risk and assurance committee (ARAC)
The audit, risk and assurance committee (ARAC) supports the board
and the accounting officer (the Permanent
Secretary). The committee makes sure that the department delivers its duties
and operates in a manner that is financially sound, efficient, and makes
effective use of its resources to deliver its mission.
The ARAC reviews the
effectiveness of DSIT’s risk management framework and works to ensure the
efficient operation of financial and non-financial risk management and
governance arrangements. Additionally, the ARAC scrutinises the DSIT accounts
ahead of submission for audit, works with external auditors to address the
results of the audit and advises DSIT on its anti-fraud and whistle-blowing
policies.
The ARAC also have an
increasing role in considering new and emerging risks to the department
(including emerging cyber risks) and scrutinising the delivery of significant projects.
The committee’s membership
includes the chair, the lead non-executive director and five
additional non-executive directors. The committee is supported by the
Chief Operating Officer, the Chief Financial Officer and representatives from
the National Audit Office (NAO) and the Government Internal Audit Agency
(GIAA).
The ARAC sits around six times
per year, with members also attending committee meetings of our department’s
public bodies. ARAC members are encouraged to join talks and roundtables
organised for the committee with subject matter experts. This is to
continuously improve the effectiveness of the committee and equip members with
insights that can stretch and challenge our executive team.