Government and Public Sector - Risk Consulting - Process and Controls Senior Manager Consultant

From strategy to execution, the Government & Public Sector practice of Ernst & Young LLP provides a full range of consulting and audit services to help our Federal, State, Local and Education clients implement new ideas to help achieve their mission outcomes. We deliver real change and measurable results through our diverse, high-performing teams, quality work at the highest professional standards, operational know-how from across our global organization, and creative and bold ideas that drive innovation. We enable our government clients to achieve their mission of protecting the nation and serving the people; increasing public safety; improving healthcare for our military, veterans and citizens; delivering essential public services; and helping those in need. EY is ready to help our government build a better working world. 

The opportunity

As a member of our Government and Public Sector (GPS) Internal Audit Team, you will join a talented group of professionals, serving in key roles advising public sector clients on their most pressing internal audit and risk management issues.  Notably, you will be working with a team of dedicated professionals on implementing and assessing requirements outlined in the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-123, Management's Responsibility for Enterprise Risk Management and Internal Control. Our team focuses on national priorities in defense, recovery and infrastructure investment, national security, international development and health. You will be a key team member in the development and growth of our GPS business which is a priority for our firm. 

Your key responsibilities

Our Risk professionals support our clients in understanding and identifying process risks, and designing and assessing process controls to mitigate those risks. They are responsible for documenting process controls, assessing control design, developing test plans to test key controls, and writing reports to summarize observations. In addition, Enterprise Risk professionals provide process improvement recommendations to design efficient and effective process controls to best mitigate process risks.

As a Senior Manager, you may be assigned to one or more federal agencies as your primary clients.  In this role, you will likely be responsible for managing all operations and delivery of multiple client engagements or focused on one particular project, depending on engagement requirements and size/complexity.  This varies based on firm needs and current engagement availability.  Your daily responsibilities may include working alongside other EY professionals, teaming partners, and client personnel on a wide variety of tasks ranging from engagement delivery and economics, managing client relationships, business development and pursuit support, internal initiatives and trainings, and supporting EY's career counselor and performance feedback program.  On your engagements, you will be responsible for leading teams in ensuring all contract requirements are met and deliverables are submitted on time and in accordance with EY quality standards.  You will also serve as a direct point-of-contact for client personnel and be responsible for handling executive level meetings and presentations as the internal audit Subject Matter Resource (SMR) and team lead.  This will include managing and reviewing all project status reports, deliverables, supporting effective engagement economics to include staffing and budget forecasting, and supporting client requests. 

You will also be expected to contribute to EY's growing book of business by actively participating in business development.  This will involve searching for new opportunities and clients, briefing firm leadership, and leading proposal efforts from solicitation to submission. Additionally, you will be supporting the GPS Risk Internal Audit competency by supporting the development of internal and external technical bulletins and material, developing and leading trainings, designing marketing material for professional events and associations, and assisting in the development of internal audit solutions, processes, and enablers.   

As one of our performance improvement finance advisors, you'll help crucial government departments and agencies continuously achieve and sustain performance improvement in a rapidly changing environment. Working in multidisciplinary teams, often directly with leaders of major organizations, you'll bring diverse perspectives to every challenge.  We'll help you achieve your potential by supporting your professional development and by providing you with opportunities to build your skills in shared services. Key responsibilities of the position include:

• Establishing and maintaining internal and external relationships
• Developing reports, dashboards and schedules for the client and other parties
• Communicating and updating the management team on progress made
• Demonstrating flexibility when it comes to engagement needs
• Meeting firm utilization targets
• Guiding junior staff, reviewing their work and providing performance feedback
• Supporting people-related initiatives, including recruiting events and interview nights
• Staying current on CPE requirements and continuously improving technical skills

Skills and attributes for success

• Knowledge and experience in the Federal Government internal and external audit process.
• Experience in leading or assisting in the implementation of OMB Circular A-123 assessments to include Enterprise Risk Management and Appendices A, B, C, and D.
• Strong working knowledge of the following federal business processes; funds management, budget formulation and execution, receivables management, disbursements, procurement, property management, human resources, financial reporting, and grants management
• Excellent Microsoft Office skills (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint)
• Strong report-writing skills to communicate findings and recommendations to clients
• Knowledge of working paper documentation standards
• Excellent communication skills to discuss observations and negotiate the acquisition of data for testing and reporting on internal controls
• Ability to conduct research on regulatory guidance, current industry standards and trends, and new legislation and requirements.
• Ability to work independently with clients and on project teams 
• Ability and willingness to support and develop strong performing teams by supervising and developing team members
• Ability and willingness to hold difficult conversations (with team members and clients) professionally and timely. 
• Project and people management skills and experience
• Experience and knowledge of engagement economics: budget-to-actuals, contract, burn rates, invoicing.
• Extensive experience in the government acquisition and contracting process.
• Knowledge and experience of proposal process to include: pricing, technical requirements, subcontracting arrangements, and technical writing. 

To qualify for the role you must have

• A bachelor's or master's degree in business, accounting or finance, or a related discipline
• A minimum of eight years of experience working as an IA auditor or IA risk advisor for a public accounting firm, a professional services firm, or within the industry
• Ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance of Secret level or higher
• US certification in at least one of the following: CPA (Certified Public Accountant), CIA (Certified Internal Auditor), CGFM (Certified Government Financial Manager), CDFM (Certified Defense Financial Manager, CGAP (Certified Government Auditing Professional) or PMP (Project Management Professional).
• The EY Government and Public Sector Practice’s staffing model is to assign resources to projects aligned to the office within the metropolitan area you have been hired; however, in certain circumstances, travel may be required within and/or beyond your geographic region based on client and project needs.  For roles within the federal practice, the flexibility to travel up to approximately 30% is preferred. Within the state, local and education practice, the flexibility to travel up to approximately 80% is preferred.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a secret clearance or higher

Ideally, you'll also have

• Experience with OMB Circular A-123 assessments or financial statement audit, attestation and remediation.
• Working knowledge of the US Standard General Ledger (USSGL) and the Statements of Federal Financial Accounting Standards (SFFAS)

What we look for

At EY, we know it's your point of view, energy and enthusiasm that make the difference. Top performers have experience delivering against project plans on large, complex engagements from analysis through implementation. They have experience with federal or state agencies in shared services, often gained by working in a Big Four global management consulting firm or a blue-chip company focused on the government and the public sector.