Director - Audit Services - Financial

Overview

Job Summary

Responsible for overseeing Internal Audit Support Services, Financial, and Financial Reporting assurance services that support the consolidated financial statement audit of Advocate Health, Inc., including accounting, payroll, human resources, charitable foundation, grants, investments, treasury, revenue cycle - billing and collections, supply chain, construction, financial reporting, taxes, support services, and compliance with policies and regulations. Responsible for leading audits that provide assurance over the internal control environment following the COSO framework, and also support the Audit Services' data analytics, fraud programs, and the Enterprise Risk Management Program. Responsible for overseeing external audit assistance.

Oversees audit services that provide management and the board with independent and objective assurance services and internal control assessments that examine and evaluate the adequacy and effectiveness of governance, risk management and internal controls processes, including internal controls over financial reporting, along with compliance with internal policies and applicable laws and regulations.

Essential Functions

• Leads and manages a team of internal auditors, providing guidance, coaching, and professional development.
• Provides insight into risk assessments that support the performance of the annual audit plan.
• Provides insight and participates in the preparation of risk assessments for key operational changes where the internal control environment may be impacted and require evaluations through audit services.
• Develops a risk-based internal audit plan that addresses key areas of risk, controls, and compliance related to academic research and other regulatory compliance.
• Coordinates and oversees the planning, execution and reporting of assigned audit services, included in the annual audit plan and that arise throughout the year, utilizing specialty resources of the Audit Services team.
• Monitors the performance of assigned audit plan assignments and special projects to meet target dates.
• Approves audit assignments and reports on the progress and results of assigned audit services performed to management and leadership as well as affiliates.
• Provides insight into the annual conclusion on internal controls following the COSO framework. Collaborates with management to understand entity level controls and provide recommendations to strengthen the internal control environment.
• Documents and reports on internal control deficiencies that may impact the annual conclusion on internal controls, partnering with management responsible for internal controls over financial reporting, and support services.
• Provides insight into the implementation and refinement of a system of proactive data analytic processes and procedures to improve audit quality, to assist in identifying risks/emerging trends, and to better understand the control environment. Supports the data analytics program and its activities to align with audits and advisory services that add value and efficiencies to Audit Services and provide management with value-oriented insight into operations.
• Collaborates with Accounting, Finance and Operations and applicable key audit stakeholders to address concerns and findings identified on audits performed.
• Performs and oversees investigations in collaboration with Finance, Legal, Human Resources and other partners or from end-to-end, as may be directed by Legal, including developing investigation plans, conducting investigations, aligning with relevant stakeholders, communicating results, performing root causes analyses to recommend remediation actions to mitigate fraud risk and exposure.
• Participates in providing relevant fraud awareness training/education for the organization to better mitigate organizational and industry-specific fraud risks, enhance the effectiveness of other anti-fraud controls, promote adherence to anti-fraud policies, and ensure that appropriate reporting procedures are followed.
• Supports the fraud program with recommending to management effective prevention and detection techniques that protect the health system from theft, fraud, and misappropriations.
• Supports the performance of quality reviews of assurance and advisory assignments for completeness of testing objectives and support for conclusions reached, as well as Internal Audit Standards' compliance, and reports on them.
• Supports teammates implementing the Internal Audit Standards documenting the Assurance and Advisory workflows and guidelines to be followed in accordance with the Institute of Internal Auditors.
• Serves as a member on multi-disciplinary organizational initiatives to provide relevant subject matter expertise and knowledge.
• Performs and oversees special projects as assigned.
• Performs human resources responsibilities for direct reports which include interviewing and selection of new teammates, promotions, development, performance evaluations, compensation changes, resolution of concerns, corrective actions, terminations, and overall morale.
• Develops and recommends operating and capital budgets and controls expenditures within approved budget objectives.
• Responsible for understanding and adhering to the organization's Code of Conduct and for ensuring that personal actions, and the actions of teammates supervised, comply with the policies, state laws, and regulations applicable to the organization's business.

Supervisory/Management Responsibilities:

• Performs human resources responsibilities for direct reports which include interviewing and selection of new teammates, promotions, development, performance evaluations, compensation changes, resolution of concerns, corrective actions, terminations, and overall morale.

Licensure, Registration and/or Certification Required:

• Certified Public Accountant (CPA) issued by a State Board of Accountancy (preferred), or Internal Auditor (CIA) certification issued by The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA)

Minimum Education and Experience Required:

• Bachelor's Degree in Accounting, Finance or related area.
• Typically requires 8-10 years of experience in Public Accounting and / or Internal Audit. Includes 5-8 years of management experience in managing teams, audit performance and department budgets. Prior investigations, interviewing, and/or law enforcement experience gained in the private and/or public sector.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities Required:

• Knowledge of the COSO framework, including the types of internal controls.
• Knowledge of Sarbanes-Oxley guidelines respective to internal controls over financial reporting.
• Knowledge of information technology general controls.
• Knowledge of data analytics and utilization of tools to create visualizations.
• Knowledge of best practices, procedures, techniques, and skills to conduct effective investigations/fraud examinations from intake to disposition.
• Knowledge of fraud schemes, including specific fraud typologies that can be perpetrated to evaluate the associated organizational risks and corresponding internal controls.
• Ability to create recommendations to drive change through strengthening internal controls and creating operating efficiencies.
• Ability to conduct comprehensive investigations in one or more of the following primary areas: health care fraud and abuse, financial frauds, occupational frauds, and anti-corruption.
• Ability to formulate and compile a comprehensive, dynamic fraud risk assessment to identify, assess, and mitigate fraud risks associated with potential fraud schemes relevant to the organization, including the risks of fraudulent financial reporting, fraudulent non-financial reporting, asset misappropriation, and other illegal acts.
• Ability to provide input and insight into fraud risk factors, fraud schemes, fraud red flag analytic procedures, and anti-fraud controls to the wider Audit Services team to be incorporated into the audit lifecycle to ensure these types of risks are considered when evaluating processes and controls.
• Ability to select, develop, and perform ongoing monitoring and reporting of Fraud-related processes and controls to ensure any deficiencies or emerging themes are identified in a timely manner and communicated to parties responsible for taking corrective action.
• Ability to keep apprised of new fraud schemes identified and discovered in like industries and organizations to continuously consider enhancements to fraud risk management practices in the face of evolving and developing frauds risks.
• Ability to serve in an advisory capacity, investigatory capacity, or oversight capacity related to Enterprise-wide fraud and risk related initiatives, such as the establishment, development, and refinement of an Insider Risk Program.
• Ability to implement and deploy a system of data analytic processes and procedures that can identify anomalous transactions or activity for further review and investigation to decrease both the cost of any potential fraud to the organization and the duration of any potential fraud scheme.
• Ability to identify, gather, and analyze pertinent data from various systems and sources to design, develop, and deliver analytical development activities in support of the audit team.
• Ability to identify and integrate new datasets into the analytics processes that can be leveraged to increase audit efficiency and audit assurance while enhancing risk insight and the overall control environment.
• Knowledge of statistical concepts, data science, extrapolation, and modeling frameworks.
• Strong databases background utilizing mainstream relational database management system (RDBMS), such as Oracle and SQL Server.
• Experience in data visualization and dashboard development, utilizing tools such as Tableau and PowerBI.
• Ability to deploy analytics in the audit issue validation process to determine if control issues have been corrected, and in the business monitoring processes to identify emerging risks and to assist audit teams in identifying significant changes to key risk indicators that may impact the overall audit plan.
• Knowledge of data analytics frameworks to include analytics design, data collection, data organization/calculations, data analysis, findings/observations, reporting, and remediation.
• Ability to administratively support the wider Audit Services team by producing analytics and dashboards, such as audit project monitoring reports and outstanding audit issues.
• Ability to create testing plans for data analytics/continuous monitoring routines to improve audit quality, to assist in identifying risks, to better understand the control environment, and to identify areas for further review and assessment.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision as well as lead and direct team members.
  
• Ability to create testing plans for accounting, financial reporting, operational and information technology audits.
  
• Ability to evaluate internal control matters and assess levels of risk.
  
• Ability to identify risks, evaluate them for impact to organization, and influence leaders to understand.
  
• Strong organizational skills to multi-task and coordinate large-scale projects.
  
• Ability to identify and solve matters of concern.
  
• Ability to influence and recommend system improvement opportunities through critical thinking.
  
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, and ability to effectively communicate with Leadership.

Physical Requirements and Working Conditions:

This position requires travel, therefore, will be exposed to weather and road conditions.

Operates all equipment necessary to perform the job.

Exposed to a normal office environment.

This job description indicates the general nature and level of work expected of the incumbent. It is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities required of the incumbent. Incumbent may be required to perform other related duties.