Audit Director/Audit Manager - State and Local Governerment

As an Audit Director/Audit Manager at CLA, your main responsibilities include managing client relationships, guiding them to achieve their auditing and financial planning goals. You'll creatively mentor your team while overseeing client engagement, ensuring that time budgets and deadlines are strictly adhered to. Your role is pivotal in communicating crucial developments to the engagement principal, along with insights and recommendations.

To be considered for the Audit Director/Audit Manager position at CLA, you need a bachelor's degree in accounting or finance, a minimum of 6 years of public accounting experience—ideally with a focus on governmental audits—and a CPA license. Experience with managing teams and conducting Single audits is strongly preferred, making you a great fit for this essential role.

At CLA, we foster a welcoming culture that embraces diverse beliefs and perspectives. Our Audit Directors and Managers play a key role in promoting teamwork and collaboration within their teams and with clients. We prioritize employee wellness and work-life balance, ensuring that your contributions are recognized and valued as part of our growing family.

CLA supports the professional development of Audit Directors and Managers by offering mentorship opportunities, ongoing training, and a culture focused on growth. We also encourage you to be creative in staff development, empowering you to lead and inspire your teams while overseeing client engagements that align with your career aspirations.

As an Audit Director or Manager at CLA, you can expect a comprehensive benefits package, including flexible PTO, paid parental leave, volunteer time off, mental health coverage, and a wellness stipend. Additionally, we offer competitive wages and prioritize your physical, financial, social, and emotional well-being, ensuring you feel supported in all areas of life.

In responding to this question, outline your experience with various types of governmental audits, highlighting specific projects where you successfully led or contributed significantly. Discuss the unique challenges faced in governmental audits and how your approach helped achieve compliance and satisfaction for clients.

To answer effectively, share your strategies for mentoring and developing your team, including regular check-ins, providing constructive feedback, and promoting a collaborative atmosphere. Highlight any specific examples where your leadership inspired your team to exceed client expectations.

Discuss the specific project management tools or methodologies you employ to monitor time budgets and adherence to deadlines, emphasizing how these tools have helped in efficiently tracking progress and communicating with stakeholders.

Outline your approach to establishing rapport with new clients, which may include initial meetings to understand their needs, consistent follow-ups, and customizing your services to align with their objectives. Mention any successful client relationship examples you've managed in the past.

Explain your methods for staying updated with industry standards and regulations, such as participating in relevant training, attending seminars, and leveraging peer networks. Illustrate how you integrate these practices into your audits to maintain compliance and build client trust.

Share a specific instance where you faced significant challenges during an audit. Focus on the steps you took to address the issues, the outcome, and what you learned from the experience that has enhanced your auditing capabilities.

Express your passion for public accounting and highlight the impact you can make in state and local government. Discuss your desire to help these entities meet their financial goals and positively influence the communities they serve.

Describe your conflict resolution skills and your approach to handling disagreements. Emphasize the importance of open communication and how you facilitate discussions that lead to productive solutions, ultimately keeping the focus on client service.

Share your perspective on how technology tools are refining auditing processes, enhancing efficiency, improving accuracy, and maintaining compliance standards. Discuss how you’ve adapted to new tools in your previous roles and how you envision leveraging technology in your future audits.

Discuss your method for addressing non-compliance, which includes early detection, thorough investigation, and maintaining an open dialogue with the client. Emphasize your focus on providing constructive feedback to help guide them toward compliance while maintaining a positive relationship.