An exciting opportunity to join our highly respected Internal Audit team as a Senior Internal Audit Manager on a permanent basis, based in our Darlington office (Hybrid working) or home based.
At Railpen, our purpose is simple: to secure our members’ future. Strong governance, effective risk management and credible assurance are fundamental to achieving that purpose.
We are recruiting two Internal Audit Managers into our Internal Audit function. These are genuinely senior roles, offering significant exposure across the business and Trustee environment, and a high degree of accountability for delivery, judgement and influence.
This is an opportunity for experienced Audit professionals who are comfortable owning outcomes, exercising sound judgement, and standing behind their conclusions in a complex, senior decision‑making environment. We are particularly interested in individuals who are motivated by modern assurance — moving beyond siloed opinions to deliver thematic insight, connected assurance across lines, and proportionate, risk‑focused work that genuinely informs decision‑making.
Who we areRailpen is responsible for the safekeeping and investment of around £34 billion in assets and the administration of several pension schemes, including the Railways Pension Scheme, one of the UK's largest and longest established pension funds.
Our heritage of looking after the pension needs of the rail industry and its employees gives us our name and our unique outlook on how we serve our members. Railpen takes a holistic view, focusing on how we serve members today and how we can positively impact the communities and the world they will retire into.
To learn more about Railpen including our values, culture and purpose, visit our LinkedIn Life page here
The roleAs a Internal Audit Manager, reporting to the Chief Internal Auditor and working in close partnership with the Head of Operations, you will take ownership of the successful delivery of Internal Audit activity across your assigned portfolios. You will ensure that work is prioritised, coordinated and concluded to a consistently high standard, with a clear focus on outcomes.
You will apply professional judgement to translate audit work into clear, credible and decision‑useful insight, standing behind conclusions that are well‑evidenced and proportionate to risk. This is a role at the heart of Railpen’s assurance model, requiring close engagement with senior leaders across the business as well as Trustee, Board and Committee forums, where you will provide independent insight and constructive challenge on risk, control and governance matters.
Alongside delivery ownership, you will bring a broader perspective by identifying themes, root causes and cross‑portfolio insights that strengthen organisational understanding and support better decision‑making. You will oversee multiple audit engagements, setting direction and maintaining quality and pace, while personally leading complex, high‑risk or sensitive work where additional experience or judgement is required.
You will play an important role in stakeholder engagement, building trusted relationships across senior audiences while maintaining independence and objectivity. You will also contribute to the ongoing evolution of the function, using insight from delivery and stakeholder feedback to enhance methodology, improve quality and support the continued development of a modern, insight‑led Internal Audit approach.
While these are delivery‑focused roles, there is scope to bring or develop a particular area of depth, such as audit quality, technology, data or AI‑enabled assurance, or connected assurance. Any such focus will complement, rather than replace, your core accountability for delivery.
The personYou will be an experienced Internal Audit professional with a strong track record of owning delivery outcomes and standing behind your conclusions at a portfolio level. You will be confident operating with senior leaders and decision‑makers, including within governance or Trustee environments, and able to bring clear, evidence‑based judgement grounded in risk.
You will combine a pragmatic and proportionate approach to assurance with the ability to work through ambiguity, remove obstacles and deliver high‑quality outcomes. Your reporting capability will be well developed, enabling you to distil complex audit findings into clear, insightful and well‑articulated conclusions that resonate with senior stakeholders and support effective decision‑making.
You will be comfortable balancing independence with constructive challenge, and will bring experience of leading or overseeing complex or sensitive audit engagements where credibility, judgement and influence are essential. You will also demonstrate a strong coaching mindset, supporting the development of others through guidance, feedback and encouragement, without relying on formal authority.
A commitment to continuous improvement will be important, with experience of using insight from delivery, quality reviews or stakeholder feedback to strengthen ways of working, raise standards and enhance the overall impact of Internal Audit. Above all, you will bring a delivery‑focused mindset, sound professional judgement, and the confidence to operate effectively in a senior, high‑accountability role.
What we can offer youRewarding you
A competitive salary (depending on experience)
28 days annual leave plus bank holidays
Generous annual bonus plan
We provide membership of the Railways Pension Scheme, a Defined Benefit arrangement under which you get a pension for life and a lump sum when you retire, based on your length of service and pay
4x Life Assurance cover
Heath & Wellbeing
Private Medical Insurance
Employee assistance programme
Health cash plan
Eye care vouchers
Flu vaccination
Lifestyle
We support hybrid and flexible working along with very generous family leave including 12 months full pay maternity leave and 6 months full pay paternity leave
Buy and sell holidays
Give as you earn scheme
Paid volunteering days
Flexible half days leave
Electric vehicle leasing
Cycle to work scheme
Please apply for the apply button or visit Careers Page by 9th July 2026.
Railpen is committed to creating an inclusive and diverse environment, we value diversity and welcome people from all backgrounds and walks of life
Skills Required
- Strong track record in Internal Audit delivery
- Experience in governance or Trustee environments
- Ability to distill complex audit findings
- Strong reporting capability
- Commitment to continuous improvement
What We Do
The Railways Pension Scheme is one of the UK’s largest and longest established pension funds. Railpen is responsible for the safekeeping and investment of around £34 billion on behalf of the scheme’s 350,000 members who are connected to the railway industry. Railpen's purpose is to secure our members' future. To achieve this we invest the scheme’s assets to generate strong returns over the long term. Our members and their employers trust us with this very significant responsibility. We are proud of this responsibility, take it very seriously, and are committed to, and passionate about, improving their future lives. Generating the required returns is challenging. To be successful we must constantly strive to be considered a world-class asset owner by our stakeholders, with a proven track record of adding value for our members. This means we have to have excellent people, doing exemplary work, in every part of our business. We use the size of our assets to invest wisely and influentially. Our convictions and a clear set of investment beliefs guide us through complex and changing markets. We’re not afraid to think innovatively or act boldly in the best interests of the members we are proud to serve
