Assurance Senior

Overview

The Assurance Senior will coordinate the day-to-day “in-charge” duties of planning, fieldwork, and “wrap-up,” including preparing financial statements with disclosures. This role applies relevant areas of GAAP as necessary and includes documenting, validating, testing, and assessing various control systems. The position also serves as a client contact for basic questions and information and may participate in reviews and agreed-upon procedure engagements.

Responsibilities

Control Environment

• Apply knowledge of the collective effect of various factors on establishing or enhancing effectiveness, or mitigating risks, related to specific policies and procedures by:
  • Using knowledge of transactional flow and key transactional cycles to complete audit work
  • Documenting, validating, and assessing the design and operating effectiveness of clients’ internal control systems
  • Identifying and communicating suggested improvements to internal controls and accounting procedures to help reduce risk within the client organization
  • Supervising and reviewing the work of audit staff

GAAP

• Apply governing principles by:
  • Communicating financial statement disclosure requirements to clients
  • Drafting complex sets of financial statements with disclosures
  • Recognizing and applying new pronouncements to client situations
  • Identifying, analyzing, and discussing alternative generally accepted accounting principles with the Manager, Senior Manager, engagement partner, and the client as needed
  • Identifying complex accounting issues and escalating them to superiors for resolution
  • Coaching less experienced team members in new areas

SEC and PCAOB

• Apply knowledge of SEC regulations and PCAOB guidelines by:
  • Reading and reviewing clients’ SEC filings, ensuring accuracy and completeness, and ensuring that financial information is documented in workpapers through appropriate testing
  • Preparing required communications to the Client and the Audit Committee
  • Planning and executing Section 404 internal control audits, including obtaining an understanding of the control environment, designing test plans, evaluating deficiencies, and assessing the overall financial reporting control environment

GAAS

• Apply professional standards by:
  • Formulating and communicating the audit plan
  • Applying GAAS to a variety of complex issues and consulting others as appropriate
  • Employing audit skepticism and determining when to reduce or expand testing
  • Utilizing audit manuals as appropriate for the situation
  • Documenting deviations from policy, with approval

Methodology

• Apply firm standards to guide effective and efficient delivery of quality services and products by:
  • Coordinating day-to-day execution of the audit plan to ensure fieldwork is completed as planned, according to timetable, within firm policies and procedures, and within budget
  • Applying audit approaches and methodologies, including tools and technology, to execute the audit
  • Identifying and proposing outcomes to critical issues

Research

• Use methodology to obtain information from authoritative sources and draw conclusions by:
  • Utilizing internal and external research tools and selecting methodology for routine research requests
  • Researching complex areas of accounting, forming an initial opinion on the correct treatment independently, and documenting the impact on the client and the audit engagement
  • Documenting and organizing complicated findings in a usable format based on information obtained from Accounting Research Manager, the Assurance Manual, Yahoo Finance, etc.
  • Assisting the engagement manager with gathering information about the business and information system, including the accounting system, to support audit strategy preparation
  • Developing the draft Audit Engagement Planning Memorandum, audit programs, and budgets
  • Collaborating with the engagement manager to establish audit staff responsibilities for specific areas of audit work
  • Performing other duties as required

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Provide verbal and written performance feedback to Audit Associates
• Supervise audit associates’ work assignments within assigned engagement teams

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Economics, or Statistics, required OR Bachelor’s degree in another focus area and CPA certification, required
• Eligible to sit for the CPA exams upon starting employment, required and actively pursuing completion of the exams
• Two (2) or more years of prior relevant audit experience and/or public accounting, private industry accounting or consulting/professional services experience, required

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Accountancy
• Prior basic supervisory experience
• CPA
• Proficiency with the Microsoft Office Suite
• Experience with assurance applications and research tools

Skills & Abilities

• Solid understanding and experience planning and coordinating stages to perform an audit of a basic public and/or private company
• Knowledge of internal accounting controls and professional standards and regulations (GAAP, GAAS, Sarbanes-Oxley, etc.)
• Strong verbal and written communication skills; ability to tailor communication across professional levels within client organizations and internally
• Ability to multi-task while working independently and within a group environment
• Superior analytical and diagnostic skills; ability to break down complex issues and implement appropriate resolutions
• Ability to work in a demanding, deadline-driven environment with focus on details and accuracy
• Solid project management skills

Compensation & Benefits

Salaries offered are determined after consideration of numerous factors, including qualifications, experience, skills, and geography.

California Range: $88,000 - $105,000
Colorado Range: $80,000 - $85,000
Illinois Range: $82,000 - $90,000
Maryland Range: $78,000 - $93,000
Minnesota Range: $76,000 - $82,000
Massachusetts Range: $88,000 - $105,000
New Jersey Range: $80,000 - $95,000
NYC/Long Island/Westchester Range: $80,000 - $115,000
Ohio Range: $75,000 - $82,000
Virginia Range: $74,000 - $98,000
Washington Range: $82,000 - $95,000
Washington DC Range: $80,000 - $100,000

Benefits may be subject to eligibility requirements.

Location

Ranges listed are based on geography by state/region.