Assurance Senior

Overview

This role coordinates the day-to-day “in-charge” duties of audit planning, fieldwork, and wrap-up activities, including preparing financial statements with disclosures. The position applies relevant areas of GAAP as necessary, documents and validates testing and assessment work, and reviews control systems. This role also serves as a client contact for basic questions and information and may participate in reviews and agreed-upon procedure engagements.

Responsibilities

Control Environment

• Applies knowledge of how various factors affect the effectiveness of policies and procedures, including risk mitigation.
• Applies knowledge of transactional flow and key transactional cycles to complete audit work.
• Documents, validates, and assesses the design and operating effectiveness of the client’s internal control system.
• Identifies and communicates suggested improvements to client internal controls and accounting procedures to help reduce risk within the client organization.
• Supervises and reviews the work of audit staff.

GAAP

• Applies governing accounting principles to client transactions and documents and communicates the understanding and application of these principles.
• Communicates financial statement disclosure requirements to clients.
• Drafts complex sets of financial statements with disclosures.
• Recognizes and applies new pronouncements to client situations.
• Identifies, analyzes, and discusses alternative generally accepted accounting principles with the Manager, Senior Manager, engagement partner, and the client as needed.
• Identifies complex accounting issues and brings them to the attention of superiors for resolution.
• Coaches less experienced team members in new areas.

SEC and PCAOB

• Applies knowledge of SEC regulations and PCAOB guidelines and documents and communicates their application.
• Reads and reviews clients’ SEC filings, ensuring accuracy and completeness, and ensures financial information is documented in workpapers and through appropriate testing.
• Prepares required communications to the client and the Audit Committee.
• Plans and executes 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

• Applies professional standards, including documenting and communicating the engagement application of professional standards.
• Formulates and communicates the audit plan.
• Applies GAAS to a variety of complex issues and consults others as appropriate.
• Employs audit skepticism and determines when to reduce or expand testing.
• Utilizes audit manuals as appropriate for the situation.
• Documents deviations from policy with approval.

Methodology

• Coordinates the day-to-day conduct of the audit plan by ensuring fieldwork is executed and completed as planned, in accordance with timetable, firm policies and procedures, and within budget.
• Applies audit approach and methodologies, including tools and technology, to execute the audit.
• Identifies and proposes outcomes to critical issues.

Research

• Uses internal and external research tools to seek or maintain information from authoritative sources and draw conclusions regarding target issues.
• Selects methodology for routine research requests.
• Researches complex accounting areas, forms an initial opinion on correct treatment independently, and considers and documents the impact on the client and audit engagement.
• Documents and organizes complicated findings in a usable format (including use of authoritative resources and internal materials).
• Assists the engagement manager with gathering information about the business and information system (including the accounting system) to form an adequate basis for audit strategy.
• Develops draft audit engagement planning memorandums, audit programs, and budgets.
• Collaborates with the engagement manager to establish responsibilities of individual audit staff for specific areas of audit work.
• Performs other duties as required.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Provides verbal and written performance feedback to Audit Associates.
• Supervises the work assignments of Audit Associates within the assigned engagement team.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Economics, or Statistics, required OR Bachelor’s degree in other focus area and CPA certification, required.
• Eligible to sit for the CPA exams upon starting employment, required, and actively pursuing completion of the exams, required.
• Two (2) or more years of prior relevant audit experience and/or public accounting, private industry accounting, or consulting/professional services experience, required.
• Solid understanding and experience planning and coordinating the 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 with the ability to adapt style and messaging to effectively communicate with professionals at all levels within the client organization and the firm.
• Ability to successfully multi-task while working independently and within a group environment.
• Superior analytical and diagnostic skills and ability to break down complex issues and implement appropriate resolutions.
• Ability to work in a demanding, deadline-driven environment with a focus on details and accuracy.
• Solid project management skills.

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.

Compensation & Benefits

• Washington Range: $82,000 - $95,000
• Individual salaries are determined after consideration of numerous factors, including but not limited to qualifications, experience, skills, and geography.

Location

Washington

Equal Opportunity Employer

Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability/vets. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.