Internal Auditor

Education and Experience: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance or related field. Minimum of five (5) years of professional level experience in auditing without regard to age, race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex or place of birth, and need not, when appointed be a resident of the City or State. 

Licenses and Certifications: Must possess one of the following professional certifications: Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), or other equivalent professional certification. Must possess and maintain a valid Oklahoma Driver’s license and an excellent driving record.

Knowledge:  Considerable knowledge of the principles, practices, and methods of professional accounting and auditing; governmental accounting and GASB standards; municipal budgeting, personnel administration and public administration; statistical research methodologies and cost-benefit analysis; and general organizational structure, functions and operations of municipal government as well as continuous‑improvement methodologies (i.e., principles within Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen, Plan-Do-Check-Act, and/or Maturity Models), operational‑risk management, process‑mapping, workflow engineering, data‑analytics tools, and change‑management principles.

Skills: Ability to read and comprehend city, state and federal regulations and municipal financial reports; analyze accounting and administrative records relating to municipal government financial transactions. Ability to prepare clear and concise reports; communicate effectively, orally and in writing; model and facilitate a working environment that encourages awareness and respect for differences among employees and citizens; ability to establish and maintain harmonious and effective working relationships with City officials and representatives of private business’s and public agencies. Exercise diplomacy and judgment while maintaining confidential and sensitive information.  Ability to present and articulate conclusions to non-audit personnel with tact and diplomacy; lead, co-lead, and advise/guide departmental and cross‑departmental process‑improvement projects, facilitate workshops, map workflows, analyze operational risks, and confirm and translate complex findings into actionable recommendations.

Essential Functions: Develops a flexible annual audit plan using an appropriate risk-based methodology, including any risks or control concerns identified by the City Council, and submits that plan along with any subsequent periodic changes to the City Council while integrating continuous‑process improvement priorities and operational‑performance risks. Aligns internal audit coverage with the organizations strategic, operational, compliance and financial risks, including important areas of emerging risk and opportunities for process redesign and efficiency gains. Reviews departmental administrative, financial, operational or management policies and procedures  to evaluate and, where appropriate, partners with department heads to redesign processes for increased efficiency and effectiveness, including the alignment with City’s strategic goals and customer‑service expectations using best practices in public‑sector service delivery. Defines audit programs; develops an understanding of the program being audited; reviews source documents and financial transactions and identifies opportunities for workflow optimization and improved internal controls. Researches applicable laws, policies, guidelines, processes/procedures, contracts and grant documents related to assigned audit; meets with key personnel to communicate audit procedures, objectives, and status, while facilitating collaborative improvement discussions. Reviews financial record keeping systems and processes to ensure efficiency and effectiveness and to safeguard City assets while identifying opportunities for automation, standardization, and improved data integrity. Analyzes program procedures; interview all levels of personnel; identifies critical procedures and processes and related internal control; performs comparative studies; evaluates effectiveness and efficiency of processes, procedures, and associated controls in attaining objectives using process‑mapping, benchmarking, and continuous‑improvement tools. Prepares written reports on and briefs findings and opportunities to parties; develops recommendations and remedial action for areas of weakness; upon request, assist city manager with guiding department heads in their development of correction action plans and execution for closure; recommends areas for future audits while maintaining audit independence. Leads departmental and cross‑departmental continuous‑improvement initiatives using Lean, Six Sigma, Maturity Models or similar methodologies to streamline workflows, reduce cycle times, and improve customer service. Develops and applies data‑analytics and continuous‑monitoring tools to identify trends, anomalies, and opportunities for operational improvement. Assists as appropriate in the investigation of suspected fraudulent activities within the organization and notifies appropriate personnel of the results. Provides fraud and ethics prevention training each year to the City employees. Oversees the City’s fraud, waste, and abuse hotline. Supervises, hires, evaluates, instructs, delegates duties and tasks, and monitors the audit staff, and ensure staff compliance with regulations, City policies, deadlines and auditing standards while fostering with city manager an organizational culture of continuous improvement and operational excellence in providing municipal services and the management thereof. Performs other related work as required.