Coast Community College District

Internal Audit Specialist

Job# D-009-22

Salary: $72,019.00 - $97,095.00 Annually

Deadline: Continuous

Full job description and OFFICIAL application available ONLY at: http://50.73.55.13/counter.php?id=224732

Supervision Received

The Director of Internal Audit will provide guidance and training as necessary and as required to comply with auditing standards; however, the incumbent is expected to report to and take direction from the Internal Audit Director while building and maintaining relationships with management, faculty, and staff throughout the District.

Direction and Independence of Action

The incumbent is expected to work with some degree of independence and latitude while collaborating with the Internal Audit Director.  Internal Audit is expected to produce accurate work product, free from error.  As such, consequences of errors in the work product could put the department's reputation at risk, affect the decisions made by District management, and create re-work and new reports to be issued.  This position requires dependability, integrity, professionalism, independence and objectivity, as well as confidentiality and ethical responsibility.  All this must be performed in environment that values transparency and respects that the District is a public institution.

Summary 

The incumbent applies developed subject matter expertise to perform financial, operational, compliance, performance, and investigative audits at the District and college sites. Provides quantitative reports/summaries based on the compilation of surveys, data collection, interviews, and data analysis.  Documents results of work related to audits and investigations by maintaining and updating files, databases, schedules, proofreading and assembling reports, and recording recollections of meetings.  Assists in the development and presentation of reports and recommendations.

Distinguishing Career Features

The Internal Audit Specialist provides independent and objective assessments and assists the Director, Internal Audit in the execution and implementation of the District's annual audit plan, as well as any impromptu assignments that may arise.

The Internal Audit Specialist assesses internal controls to mitigate the risk of fraud, waste, and abuse.  The Internal Audit Specialist evaluates programs, operations, fiscal records, policies and procedures, contracts, grant agreements, and state and federal laws and regulations as applicable. The incumbent may also participate in investigations related to fraud, waste, and abuse.  In addition, incumbent may develop and deliver training related to the audit process, ethics, internal controls, fraud, waste, and abuse.  Overall, work is performed while adhering to industry standards for audits and investigations.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Specific duties may vary among departments and jobs. Incumbents typically perform a substantial portion or all of the following kinds of duties:

• Gathers data from various District information systems, personnel, and observations made at work sites, for audits, consulting engagements, and investigations of CCCD operations, activities, functions, and programs. Documents and organizes information in working papers.

• Reviews and analyzes collected information for trends and consistency, making notation of unusual patterns or quality variations.  Documents and organizes results in accordance with auditing standards and industry best practices. 

• Creates work plan to complete assignments and develops and performs sampling and detailed testing with limited direction. 

• Researches legal mandates, policies and procedures, best practices, regulations, labor contracts, grant agreements, previous audit, consulting, and investigative reports, and other materials relevant to projects. Conducts assessments of internal controls to mitigate risk of fraud, waste, abuse.

• Compiles District-wide audit universe and performs risk assessments related to projects in an effort to identify internal controls or potential weaknesses in internal controls. Makes recommendations to improve District operations, reduce cost, and ensure optimization of resources and efficiencies.

• Provides administrative support to audits.  Plans, schedules, and prepares materials for meetings in a timely manner; maintains audit records.

• Responds to inquiries, conveys information, and provides training about the services provided by Internal Audit. 

• Produces pre-approved reports, correspondence, forms, charts and graphs using various business, office suite, and audit software (Teammate).  Drafts selected report materials that include recommendations, procedures, manuals, briefing packets, and proposed policy changes within established timelines.  Receives and assembles working papers to comply with IPPF and GAGAS standards as well as District policies and procedures.

• Coordinates and sets up meeting facilities. Assists in preparing work-in-progress reports for District management, sets up business calendars and cycles, then monitors key deadlines and/or time lines for projects, and work activities.

• Performs other duties as assigned that support the overall objective of the position.

Qualifications and Physical Demands

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:  

Knowledge and Skills:

The position requires basic knowledge of the principles, and practices of government performance auditing, the International Professional Practices Framework (IPPF) as promulgated by the Instituted of Internal Auditors, and Generally Accepted Government Auditing Standards as promulgated by the Government Accountability Office.  Requires basic knowledge of the principles, practices and methods of organizational, operational, financial, administrative, performance and procedural research and analysis, including program evaluation and audit methodologies.  Requires basic knowledge of the methods and techniques used in project planning. Requires basic knowledge of internal accounting and management controls, audit processes, and professional standards and regulations. Requires working knowledge of office practices, procedures and equipment, including filing systems, receptionist and telephone techniques.  Requires a basic knowledge of the rules, regulations, protocols, and procedures associated with public meetings, hearings, and the legislative process. Requires working knowledge of MS Office, web page design programs, special applications used by the organization unit, and data entry to custom data bases such as those for auditing.  Requires sufficient knowledge of modern English to prepare reports suitable for public distribution.  Requires sufficient human relations skill to convey technical information, adapt to diverse personalities and styles, collaborate with work teams, and engage in small group discussions.

Abilities:

Requires the ability to independently perform all of the duties of the position. Requires the ability to accurately take and transcribe notes and/or meeting minutes/recollections.  Must be able to learn, interpret, explain and apply knowledge of District organization, Board and committee processes, and special terminology used in auditing. Requires the ability to interpret and convey policies and procedures to a large audience of administrators, management and staff. Requires the ability to apply internal auditing, accounting principles and practices, management principles and preferred business practices effectively during the course of business. Requires the ability to prepare spreadsheets, graphs and charts, and enter, import and export data to and from databases, and access information from internal and external databases to support research.  Requires the ability to collect, evaluate and interpret a broad range of data, either in electronic, written, statistical or narrative form.  Requires the ability to apply audit and investigation standards, as well as best practices from Committee of Sponsoring Organizations (COSO).  Requires the ability to multi-task and perform related duties on multiple projects simultaneously. Requires the ability to exercise independent judgment, and liaise with external auditors. Requires the ability to provide effective presentations to a wide audience. Requires the ability to learn, understand, interpret, and apply applicable laws codes, and policies.  Requires the ability to develop and apply statistical, spreadsheet, database and geographic information system applications to conduct analyses.  Requires the ability to prepare clear and concise reports, correspondence and other documents appropriate to the audience.  Requires the ability to be detail oriented for accuracy and impact to work product. Requires the ability to communicate clearly and effectively both orally and in writing. Requires the ability to complete required annual training requirements to comply with applicable audit standards. Requires the ability to maintain collaborative relationships with diverse groups of people and with those encountered on work-related matters.  Requires the ability to conduct limited scope studies.

Education and Experience:

The position typically requires a Bachelor's degree in public or business administration, accounting, or a related discipline and one year of audit experience or practicum. Alternatively, the position may allow an Associate's degree and five years of progressive experience supporting audits, projects, and financial operations. Or, any combination of education and experience which would provide the equivalent qualifications for this position.

A Master's degree is desirable, but not required.

Licenses and Certificates:

May require a valid driver license.  Professional certifications are preferred, but not required.

Annual training may be required to comply with applicable audit standards, which may require local, state, or out-of-state travel.

THE COAST COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER