09/30/2011 03645

EXECUTIVE SENIOR AUDIT SPECIALIST

DEFINITION: This is highly advanced professional work within the Governor’s Office of the Budget, Office of Comptroller Operations in the auditing of organizations, programs, activities and functions of all agencies under the Governor’s jurisdiction.  An employee in this job independently performs financial and performance audits, attestation engagements, and provides technical assistance as a result of a Commonwealth-wide enterprise risk assessment of agencies under the Governor’s jurisdiction. Work at this level involves independent responsibility for planning and conducting medium to high risk complex audits and projects that can encompass any of the Commonwealth’s funds, programs, activities, operations, information systems, grants, or services under the Governor’s jurisdiction. Work in this job series is distinguished from the Commonwealth’s Audit Specialist job series based on a comprehensive risk based approach of assessing risk across all agencies under the Governor. Work involves identifying areas for cost savings, cost recoveries, and operational improvements throughout the Commonwealth while ensuring compliance with applicable state and federal laws and regulations, as well as generally accepted accounting principles and auditing standards. Work also involves managing and leading performance audits, financial audits, information technology audits and attestation engagements. Audits are performed with considerable independence within stated objectives and are reviewed by a professional supervisor for attainment of objectives and soundness of recommendations.

EXAMPLES OF WORK: Plans and conducts performance audits to ensure that Commonwealth programs are operating effectively and intended goals and objectives are being achieved.

Plans and conducts agreed-upon procedure and other attestation engagements, in accordance with established standards.

Assists the independent auditors with the completion of the Commonwealth’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report and Single Audit.

Supervises the review of subrecipient audit reports for technical conformance with the Federal Office of Management and Budget Circular A-133.

Supervises quality control reviews of subrecipient auditor audit working papers.

Assists with the preparation of Commonwealth, agency, or bureau specific audit policies and procedures.

Performs enterprise-wide risk assessments and risk assessments of medium to high risk agencies or functional areas, and performs high risk and complex assessments for large agencies or complex functional areas.

Leads engagements to review medium to complex or high risk, high profile programs, systems, operation, grants and activities.

Ensures that large and complex information systems are designed and functioning according to management direction and legal requirements, and ensures that controls are operating effectively to provide reliability of and security over information being processed.

Coordinates with and provides support to the Auditor General and other external audit entities to fulfill the Bureau of Audit’s functional responsibility for the Commonwealth Annual Financial Audit Report and Single Audit.

Provides information to an Executive Auditing Manager regarding the performance of lower level Executive Auditing Specialists and Executive Financial Associates.

Assists in the formulation of Office of Comptroller Operations policies regarding the development of a comprehensive audit program.

Assists in the preparation of responses to inquiries about audit reports issued for Commonwealth programs and activities.

Performs the full range of supervisory duties.

An employee in this job may participate in the performance of subordinates’ work consistent with operational or organizational requirements.

Performs related work as required.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGES, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES: Knowledge of generally accepted accounting principles.

Knowledge of generally accepted auditing standards.

Knowledge of computerized accounting and auditing techniques.

Knowledge of information system processing procedures and internal controls.

Knowledge of financial research and analysis methods.

Ability to analyze, apply and interpret professional auditing standards in the development of auditing programs and audit plans.

Ability to apply and interpret management practices and operational auditing to the evaluation of operating procedures, practices and controls.

Ability to apply and interpret audit objectives, laws, regulations and policies.

Ability to effectively summarize the results of an audit.

Ability to communicate effectively orally.

Ability to communicate effectively in writing.

Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships.

MINIMUM EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING: Two years as an Executive Audit Specialist;

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Three years of professional auditing experience and a bachelor’s degree including 24 credits in accounting;

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An equivalent combination of experience and training that included three years of professional auditing experience and completion of 24 college credits in accounting.