Senior Auditor and Accountant

Pay and Benefits

Salary Range

$70,000 to $95,000 annually

Bonuses: Annual, performance based, up to $5,000 sign-on bonus based on experience

Paid Leave: PTO, holidays and select other weekend/holiday extender days

Health and Dental Benefits: Yes

Retirement Benefits: 401(k)

Other Benefits: Group term life, long term care, professional dues and education

Qualifications

A Senior Auditor & Accountant ordinarily has a degree in accounting, and has some work experience in public or private accounting, or auditing. A Senior Auditor & Accountant may also have some experience with income taxes, but ordinarily should have a focus on accounting and auditing.

A Senior Auditor & Accountant has achieved the competencies required for advancement from Staff Auditor & Accountant, and has developed a comprehensive understanding of client processes and procedures for accounting and operating areas of low to moderate complexity.

A Senior Auditor & Accountant can work independently on areas of low to moderate complexity, but will require supervision and training related to areas of higher complexity.

A Senior Auditor & Accountant will also pro-actively assist Supervisors and others with basic elements of individual job planning, supervision and wrap-up.

Professional certifications

A CPA license is encouraged but not required. Ordinarily, non-CPAs should be actively pursuing their CPA license.

Job responsibilities

Senior Auditors & Accountants are generally guided by Audit Supervisors in the performance of their job responsibilities, but may also be guided by Audit Managers and Shareholders.

Areas in which responsibilities are assigned generally include accounting and operating areas of moderate to high complexity (such as investments, income taxes, wire transfers, foreclosed real estate), as well as supervision of Staff Auditors & Accountants.

Key job responsibilities include the following

Accounting and Auditing

• Reviewing or preparing reconciliations of general ledger accounts to subsidiary ledgers, and resolving discrepancies
• Testing the accuracy of account reconciliations by tracing reconciliation balances and reconciling items to supporting documentation, and by resolving discrepancies.
• Performing tests to validate input to client systems.
• Performing tests to validate calculations made by client systems.
• Performing tests of the effectiveness of client internal controls.
• Preparing analytics of client data.
• Preparing analyses of the appropriateness of clients’ significant accounting estimates (i.e. foreclosed real estate valuations, complex accrued expenses).
• Documenting engagement findings, and developing recommendations for clients to address the findings. Presenting findings and recommendations to clients.
• Preparing basic reports (i.e. Directors Exam, PDPA, internal audit).
• Preparing basic financial statements and related footnotes.
• Assisting with special projects (i.e. depreciation calculations, certain regulatory reporting and holding company compilations).

Income Tax

• Preparing basic corporate income tax and deferred income tax calculations.
• Preparing C corporation and S Corporation income tax returns.

Administration

• Preparing engagement correspondence.
• Assisting in the preparation of various engagement planning materials (i.e. risk analyses, work programs).
• Assisting in the determination of work timetables.
• Prepping engagement binders and workpapers.
• Directing Staff Accountants and instructing them in work to be performed.
• Reviewing the work of Staff Accountants, directing necessary changes in work and providing general feedback.
• Completing engagement binders and workpapers (for submission for final supervisory review).
• Assisting with recruiting efforts.
• Preparing and presenting in-house training sessions.
• Mentoring staff accountants.

Required competencies for advancement

As Senior Auditors & Accountants progress with respect to the quality and timeliness of their work, and their understanding of client systems, they will be assigned responsibilities in accounting and operating areas of increasing complexity.

As Senior Auditors & Accountants progress with respect to their understanding of overall engagement requirements, they will be assigned greater responsibilities related to engagement planning and wrap-up.

The following competencies must be consistently demonstrated before promotion to Audit Supervisor is considered:

Technical

• The ability to complete work accurately and within established timeframes.
• The ability to complete work with limited oversight.
• The ability to timely and effectively communicate engagement issues, concerns and findings to supervisory personnel and others on the engagement team.
• The ability to evaluate the results of work, identify engagement risks related to the work and develop an engagement response to those risks.
• The employee must possess sufficient technical knowledge related to the areas in which work has been assigned, and have the ability to assume work of increasing accounting and operational complexity.
• The ability to present findings and recommendations to clients (both verbally and in written reports) in a clear, concise and professional manner.
• The ability to prepare and critically evaluate analytical data, and to develop appropriate engagement responses to the results.
• The ability to perform accounting and tax research, and to develop appropriate conclusions and engagement responses based on the research.
• The ability to prepare basic financial statements with no or limited errors.
• The ability to prepare basic income tax and deferred income tax calculations with no or limited errors.
• The ability to make appropriate decisions on all but the most complex or unusual accounting and auditing matters.

Administrative and Professional

• A CPA license is preferred, but not required.
• The employee must conduct him/her self in a professional manner with confidence and ease in the presence of clients, peers and other FBL personnel.
• The ability to organize, prioritize and monitor the status of multiple tasks.
• The ability to organize, prioritize and monitor the status of multiple engagements.
• The ability to teach job responsibilities and technical knowledge to newer Senior Accountants, and to direct and review the work of those Senior Accountants.
• The employee must understand the requirements of various types of engagements.
• The employee must take charge of jobs from beginning to end, including planning, supervision and wrap-up procedures.
• The employee must understand the various services the firm offers to its clients.
• The employee must understand the firm’s policies and procedures, and understand the reasons behind those policies and procedures.