What does a staff internal auditor do?
An internal staff auditor is an individual who conducts internal audits of an organization, including reviewing internal controls, verifying account balances, and examining procedures for efficiency. Staff internal auditors should support senior auditors to present recommendations for regulatory compliance and operating efficiency. They must assist with the Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) compliance program that involves documenting, testing, and evaluating internal controls. Staff internal auditors must also supervise and train internal audit interns as well as review their SOX audit work papers for completeness and accuracy.
Staff internal auditor responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real staff internal auditor resumes:
- Manage and coordinate annual external business evaluation in conjunction with CPA consultants.
- Perform annual SOX testing of business unit controls, global share service controls, and process controls to assist external auditors.
- Evaluate and communicate findings from the investigations or financial and Sarbanes-Oxley compliance audits to management through formal audit reports.
- Review and test the adequacy and effectiveness of establish management and SOX controls.
- Assist in documentation of Sarbanes-Oxley controls and establishment of audit test plans for a business unit after acquisition.
- Evaluate and identify medication problems to formulate clinical solutions and provide care for patients in a medical intensive care unit setting.
- Train Nigerian government personnel on taxation issues.
Staff internal auditor skills and personality traits
We calculated that 8% of Staff Internal Auditors are proficient in SOX, Audit Findings, and Sarbanes-Oxley. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Communication skills, and Detail oriented.
We break down the percentage of Staff Internal Auditors that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- SOX, 8%
Reviewed and tested the adequacy and effectiveness of established management and SOX controls.
- Audit Findings, 8%
Provided analysis and interpretation of audit findings and presented recommendations to management staff to improve practices and minimize key losses.
- Sarbanes-Oxley, 5%
Conduct Sarbanes-Oxley 404 examinations to assess business process risk management and provide internal control assurance as part of regulatory reporting requirements.
- Acls, 5%
Have currently effective BLS and ACLS certificates, confidently run codes.
- Compliance Audits, 5%
Completed operational and compliance audits of all departments at our corporate offices and manufacturing facilities.
- Risk Management, 5%
Provided risk management and processed monthly reports for department performance.
"sox," "audit findings," and "sarbanes-oxley" are among the most common skills that staff internal auditors use at work. You can find even more staff internal auditor responsibilities below, including:
Communication skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling staff internal auditor duties is communication skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "accountants and auditors must be able to listen to and discuss facts and concerns from clients, managers, and other stakeholders." According to a staff internal auditor resume, here's how staff internal auditors can utilize communication skills in their job responsibilities: "maintained written and verbal communication with control owners and external auditors as needed. "
Detail oriented. This is an important skill for staff internal auditors to perform their duties. For an example of how staff internal auditor responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "accountants and auditors must pay attention to detail when compiling and examining documents." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a staff internal auditor: "performed detailed audit procedures as set forth in the audit program, ensuring that the audit objectives are met. ".
Math skills. For certain staff internal auditor responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "math skills." The day-to-day duties of a staff internal auditor rely on this skill, as "accountants and auditors must be able to analyze, compare, and interpret facts and figures." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what staff internal auditors do: "created monthly/quarterly statistics reports for review by executive management to assist with the branch's performance evaluation. "
Organizational skills. Another common skill required for staff internal auditor responsibilities is "organizational skills." This skill comes up in the duties of staff internal auditors all the time, as "strong organizational skills are important for accountants and auditors, who often work with a range of financial documents for a variety of clients." An excerpt from a real staff internal auditor resume shows how this skill is central to what a staff internal auditor does: "worked independently with remote internal audit manager in preparing the annual audit plan based on prioritization of risk to organizational objectives. "
The three companies that hire the most staff internal auditors are:
- Ernst & Young35 staff internal auditors jobs
- Moss Adams24 staff internal auditors jobs
- Ferguson Enterprises7 staff internal auditors jobs
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Compare different staff internal auditors
Staff internal auditor vs. Corporate accountant
A corporate accountant is an individual who prepares financial statements and maintains financial records of an organization to ensure that they comply with laws, regulations, and the organization's policies. Corporate accountants are required to analyze financial statements to help executives make financial decisions for the organization. They must collect ledgers and financial reports from divisional offices and prepare corporate financial statements for executives. Corporate accountants must also prepare budgets to allocate funds for spending for each department.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a staff internal auditor are more likely to require skills like "audit findings," "acls," "compliance audits," and "risk management." On the other hand, a job as a corporate accountant requires skills like "reconciliations," "account reconciliations," "cpa," and "general ledger accounts." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Corporate accountants tend to make the most money working in the finance industry, where they earn an average salary of $71,156. In contrast, staff internal auditors make the biggest average salary, $64,476, in the insurance industry.The education levels that corporate accountants earn slightly differ from staff internal auditors. In particular, corporate accountants are 0.5% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a staff internal auditor. Additionally, they're 0.3% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Staff internal auditor vs. Tax associate
Tax associates are responsible for helping businesses and individuals with state and federal income tax preparation and compliance. These professionals often work for accounting firms and financial services companies. They perform varied tasks that include reviewing income statements, financial records, and expenditures, interviewing clients about income and expenses, and minimizing their clients' tax liability. Tax associates also conduct research on tax issues and assist with tax audits, advise clients on compensation and tax information, and maintain accurate and current client records.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, staff internal auditor responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "sox," "audit findings," "sarbanes-oxley," and "acls." Meanwhile, a tax associate has duties that require skills in areas such as "strong customer service," "cpa," "strong computer," and "tax planning." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Tax associates earn a higher average salary than staff internal auditors. But tax associates earn the highest pay in the finance industry, with an average salary of $72,775. Additionally, staff internal auditors earn the highest salaries in the insurance with average pay of $64,476 annually.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Tax associates tend to reach similar levels of education than staff internal auditors. In fact, they're 2.1% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.3% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Staff internal auditor vs. Accounting analyst
An accounting analyst is responsible for supporting the accounting operations of an organization, analyzing financial transactions and financial statements, and resolving account discrepancies. Accounting analysts interpret financial data by consolidating account transactions, performing account reconciliation, and managing account receivables. They also assist in preparing and releasing invoices, issuing billing statements, and creating comprehensive financial reports on the company's budget and expenses. An accounting analyst must have excellent knowledge of the accounting principles and disciplines, as well as extensive analytical and communication skills to perform duties and meet deadlines under minimal supervision.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from staff internal auditor resumes include skills like "audit findings," "acls," "compliance audits," and "risk management," whereas an accounting analyst is more likely to list skills in "reconciliations," "customer service," "account reconciliations," and "strong analytical. "
Accounting analysts earn the best pay in the finance industry, where they command an average salary of $66,550. Staff internal auditors earn the highest pay from the insurance industry, with an average salary of $64,476.accounting analysts typically earn similar educational levels compared to staff internal auditors. Specifically, they're 1.7% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Staff internal auditor vs. Tax analyst
A tax analyst specializes in managing and filing tax forms and tax returns, all while devising strategies to reduce tax payments legally. A tax analyst may work as a member of a company or independently. Moreover, in a company setting, the responsibilities of a tax analyst revolve around coordinating with different departments to obtain all necessary documentation and financial information, maintaining accurate and extensive records of all transactions, and resolving any issues or concerns. Furthermore, it is essential to remain updated with all the tax laws, all while adhering to the policies and regulations of the company.
Types of staff internal auditor
Updated January 8, 2025
