Expense Audit Senior Associate

At EY, we’re all in to shape your future with confidence. 

 

We’ll help you succeed in a globally connected powerhouse of diverse teams and take your career wherever you want it to go.  Join EY and help to build a better working world.

 

At EY, we’re all in to shape your future with confidence.

 

In today’s fast-changing world, our clients’ needs are increasingly complex, and the services we offer are evolving rapidly to meet them. Our internal Finance function is continually evolving as well. Our global Finance mission is to provide complete, accurate, consistent, timely and insightful financial and operational information and advice that helps build a better working world and achieve our strategic ambitions.

 

The opportunity

 

The Expense Audit Senior Associate utilizes advanced knowledge to perform complex “deep dive” fraud audits with a higher volume of expenses submitted by partners and employees of the firm in accordance with established firm policies, IRS guidelines, and internal procedures. You may also complete Time or Expense analysis of a highly sensitive and confidential nature at the request of Risk Management, Firm Leadership, and the General Counsel’s Office. You will also be responsible for auditing airline refunds issued to corporate card holders resulting from cancelled/unused business travel. In addition, you may also participate as a contributor on large special projects and/or as the owner of smaller projects/initiatives, as requested. The scope of the position is US firm-wide and requires a unique mix of qualitative and quantitative skills, and specialty knowledge.

Your key responsibilities include

 

• Use advanced knowledge to audit and evaluate highly confidential, higher volume, more complex expense submissions by partners and employees of the firm to identify transactional errors, discrepancies, large and/or unusual transactions or trends, and potential fraudulent expense submissions, requiring very limited supervision and direction.
• Document the audit facts/findings and prepare an audit report which is distributed to Risk Management.
• Actively participate in audit meetings with Firm Leadership, General Counsel’s Office (GCO), and Quality and Risk Management (Q&RM).
• Audit airline refunds and communicate with partners/employees to resolve potential credits due to the firm.
• Coordinate reversals/reclasses and other accounting of expenses, as necessary.
• Participate as a contributor on large special projects and/or as the owner of smaller projects/initiatives, as requested with minimal supervision. This could include Cross Functional finance projects.
• May review the daily work of less experienced staff and provide feedback and facilitate training of less experienced staff, as appropriate.

 

Skills and attributes for success

 

• Thoroughly understands and applies the objectives of firm policies and procedures when analyzing expenses submitted by partners/employees. For example, reviewing submitted expense trends and applying sound business judgment to determine if the partner/employee appears to be unaware of the policy, may be submitting expenses as though they are “entitled”, and/or submitting potential fraudulent expenses.
• Review and analyze data (outside of normal audit steps), utilizing advanced knowledge of firm policies, systems, and processes to identify potential improprieties. The findings are summarized in clear and concise written and/or verbal communication to senior leadership.
• Utilize available resources both internal firm tools (i.e. Concur Travel, Corporate Card transactions, ad hoc expense reports, etc.) as well as external resources (i.e. Google, LinkedIn, social media, etc.) to make independent judgments as to the appropriateness of expense submissions.
• Demonstrates healthy skepticism when analyzing more complex expense transactions. For example, determine if expenses are reimbursable in accordance with firm policy, not reimbursable as per firm policy, and/or fraudulent expense submissions.
• Challenges existing processes and approaches operational efficiency, effectiveness, internal controls, and/or customer service and recommend viable solutions for improvement.
• Identify problems with processes, technology, reporting, and/or procedures and develop a recommended solution, as appropriate.
• Resolves sensitive, confidential issues with limited supervision, consistent with established policies and procedures.
• Effectively prioritizes own assignments, follows through on commitments and takes ownership for personal and/or team results. Final personal work product (i.e. audit report) is reviewed, and feedback is provided by Expense Auditor Supervising As