Internal Auditor

Job Introduction

Job Description for Internal Auditor: 

There’s never been a more exciting time to be part of the nuclear sector. New opportunities are being created all the time. At NNL, you’ll be in the ideal place to capitalise on this momentum, face new challenges and develop a long, successful and meaningful career. 

We’re an organisation that’s here to experiment and push the limits of what’s possible. So, if you’re keen to excel in your chosen field, this is the place to do it. Because at NNL, anything is possible.

In order to meet its business obligations as a nuclear company and its customer requirements, NNL must maintain certification against the international management system standards ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 50001, ISO 27001 and ISO 45001. A requirement of all of these standards is to plan, establish, implement and maintain an internal audit programme. 

NNL’s EHSS&Q Team maintain a live internal audit programme implemented by internal auditors to ensure objectivity and the impartiality. The audits provide assurance to the VP for EHSS&Q and Compliance that the controls and outputs defined in documented information in the Integrated Management System, conforms to the organisations own requirements and the requirements of the applicable international standards and legislation. 

The Integrated Management System (IMS) scope covers all aspects of nuclear site licence requirements, legislation and customer requirements, and is certificated against ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 50001, ISO 27001 and ISO 45001 standards and is fundamental in terms of governance for the organisation.

The Internal Auditor will support the development of each annual EHSS&Q internal audit programme, be assigned specific audits, develop the appropriate scope and questions to investigate whether the management system process, instructions and documented evidence conform with the identified requirements. 

The Internal Auditor will plan and arrange the internal audit interviews, requesting subject matter expert support as required, audits will be completed remotely or on site as directed. 

Each audit will be conducted in the scheduled time frame, the internal auditor will apply audit and assessment principles and techniques, to ensure an objective interview and sufficient evidence is viewed, to enable the production of a draft audit report. The draft audit will be shared with the auditees for agreement and shared with the audit sponsor and the Senior EHSS&Q Advisor. 

The agreed audit report will be uploaded to a controlled data base and a key role, of the internal auditor is to work across the teams, ensuring the assignment of findings, to appropriate owners and agree corrective actions that ensure the non-conformance does not reoccur. 

The Internal Auditor will share learnings with EHSS&Q & the organisation where applicable.

The Internal Auditor will monitor action close out progress and verify corrective actions, ensuring when required, an effectiveness review is added to EHSS&Q Internal Audit programme and all records are marked as closed, only when all aspects have been satisfied.

Additional activities will include supporting the Senior EHSS&Q Advisors, with the planning and support of LRQA external audits. Within the business a key activity will be advising with respect to EHSS&Q and the ISO requirements, nuclear site licence and legislation, and assisting staff with the Management System and the corrective Management Database deliverables. 

Main Responsibilities

Main Responsibilities for Internal Auditor: 

• The Internal auditor will support the Senior EHS&Q Advisor to deliver the annual EHSS&Q Internal audit programme.
• The internal auditor shall be adequately trained and technically competent with respect to the referenced standard or activity against which the audit will be conducted.
• For all internal EHSS&Q management system audits, the internal auditor shall ensure that:
  • where technical experience is necessary to perform a comprehensive audit, appropriate technical expertise is requested from the internal audit sponsor as required.
  • the audit scope, timescale and duration is agreed and confirmed with the “customer”. This may be done via a Management System Audit Plan, or by email.
  • appropriate audit material is available, and all personnel involved in the audit understand their roles.
  • checklists are prepared as appropriate, using the Audit Check List.
  • formal opening and closing meetings with the area lead are arranged in order to set out the detailed scope of the audit and review findings respectively.
  • audits are carried out in accordance with the timescale identified in the EHSS&Q internal audit programme.
  • any findings that could have a significant safety, security, environmental or quality implication for the local management, are reported immediately to the Senior EHSS&Q Advisor.
  • findings are reviewed and a verbal report is provided, to the Senior EHSS&Q Advisor that summarises the detailed findings and highlights areas of immediate concern.
  • the draft audit report is prepared and shared with the auditees and area lead, for agreement.
  • a formal Internal Management Systems Audit Report is issued and uploaded to the EHSS&Q Database, all findings are established as separate records, to enable tracking and monitoring of corrective activities.
  • The internal auditor, will verify corrective activities, calling upon subject matter experts as required.
  • all records, are closed only when the internal auditor is satisfied.
• Additional activities will include advising the business with respect to EHSS&Q and all the ISO requirements, including the energy management activities delivering Net Zero and all requirements associated with nuclear site licence, applicable legislation and directly supporting the Management System users and the Corrective Management Database deliverables.

The Ideal Candidate

Essential Criteria for Internal Auditor: 

• IRCA trained Management Systems Auditor (Lead /Internal) covering at minimum 3 of the following standards:
  • Quality (ISO 9001)
  • Environmental (ISO 14001)
  • Energy Management ISO 50001)
  • Information Security (ISO 27001)
  • Occupational Health & Safety (ISO 45001)
• Ability to achieve SC level security clearance

Desirable Criteria for Internal Auditor: 

• Experience in the Nuclear Sector, familiarity with Integrated Management Systems.
• Knowledge of environmental management, net zero and sustainability principles.

About The Company

Grounded in robust science and decades of experience, National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) is the authoritative voice in the UK and beyond for technological development within the nuclear power sector.

Our unparalleled understanding of the science, challenges and opportunities makes us an unrivalled authority and partner in the field, providing experts, technologies, and access to cutting-edge facilities to organisations around the world.

Harnessing potential technologies and translating them into to industry-ready solutions means our pioneering approach spearheads international improvement and technological progress.

We work on projects as small as drilling a hole to analyse underground wastes with our integrated micro drilling technology, or as large as developing state-of-the-art power systems for spacecraft, based on radioactive materials

NNL has a vision for Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity (ED&I) where NNL aims to be an inclusive workplace that attracts diverse talent through transparent and equal policies and procedures. We want you and the diverse mix of people that we employ, customers that we service and stakeholders that we influence to feel valued. We encourage a workplace culture where everyone can thrive with a sense of belonging.

Recruitment Agency Notice

We operate a strict Preferred Supplier List (PSL) for the provision of recruitment services. Only agencies on our PSL may provide CVs and only when the role is released to them by our recruitment team. We will not accept unsolicited CVs from suppliers not currently on our PSL. We explicitly reserve the right to add candidate details from unsolicited CVs from non-PSL agencies into our own candidate database and to pursue/hire such candidate(s) without any obligation, financial or otherwise, to the agency concerned.