Financial Compliance and Internal Controls Lead (Federal Grants)

Overview

Remote position (U.S.), with occasional onsite meetings in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. Full-time employment, contingent upon contract award.

This role requires U.S. citizenship and the ability to obtain and maintain a Federal Public Trust background investigation.

The position reports to the Audit Resolution Lead and supports financial compliance testing and internal control reviews for a Federal grantmaking agency client. Work includes both recipient-facing reviews of grantee financial management and transaction testing, and agency-facing reviews of grant oversight control design and operating effectiveness.

Responsibilities

• Design and document a risk-based sampling and testing approach for recipient financial compliance reviews, consistent with Government Auditing Standards planning requirements, weighted by dollar value, prior findings, program risk, and single audit data.
• Evaluate recipient financial management systems and internal controls against 2 CFR 200.302 and 200.303 and the award terms and conditions.
• Test sampled transactions for allowability, allocability, and reasonableness under 2 CFR Part 200 Subpart E; test cash management and drawdown timing under 2 CFR 200.305.
• Test indirect cost application against negotiated rate agreements or the de minimis rate.
• Test subrecipient monitoring under 2 CFR 200.332.
• Evaluate the design and operating effectiveness of the agency’s grant monitoring and risk mitigation controls, including whether required pre-award risk reviews for new and non-competing continuation awards occurred and were documented (per 2 CFR 200.206).
• Write draft findings and reports in a citation-first format (condition, criteria, cause, effect, and recommended corrective action), ensuring every finding is tied to a specific regulation, statute, or award term.
• Perform root-cause analysis on control weaknesses that generate repeat findings and recommend process changes.
• Support resolution of findings related to cash management, indirect costs, and subrecipient monitoring, including questioned cost analysis for the audit resolution team.
• Coordinate with agency program and financial staff on evidence requests, walkthroughs, and findings discussions; maintain workpapers that support every conclusion.
• Direct and review testing work performed by analysts assigned to compliance reviews; maintain testing templates, checklists, and workpaper standards.
• Contribute the year’s compliance testing results to the client’s annual Compliance Supplement input and to monthly status reporting.

Requirements

• Ten or more years of audit or financial compliance experience, including at least five years auditing or monitoring Federal grants at a Federal agency, a state pass-through entity, a public accounting firm, or an inspector general’s office.
• Hands-on experience planning and executing risk-based sampling and transaction testing, and documenting workpapers to Government Auditing Standards.
• Working mastery of 2 CFR Part 200 Subparts D, E, and F, including cost principles, cash management, indirect costs, and subrecipient monitoring requirements.
• Experience evaluating internal control design and operating effectiveness using the GAO Green Book (Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government) or the COSO framework, and familiarity with OMB Circular A-123.
• Ability to write findings and reports that are precise, well supported, and ready for a Federal official to act on.
• Experience directing or reviewing the work of other auditors or analysts.
• U.S. citizenship and eligibility for a Federal Public Trust background investigation.

Preferred Qualifications

• CPA, CIA, CGFM, or CFE credential; or a degree in accounting or a related field.
• Federal service in the 0511 (Auditing) or 1109 (Grants Management) series, or experience performing single audits of state or local governments, institutions of higher education, or nonprofits.
• Experience with education, workforce, or social services grant programs; experience with indirect cost rate negotiation or review.
• Experience with data analysis tools for sampling and testing (for example Excel at an advanced level, IDEA, ACL, or SQL).

Location

Remote (U.S.), with occasional onsite meetings in the Washington, DC metropolitan area.

Compensation & Benefits

Not specified in the provided job description.