Full Job Description
Aecon has an opening for a Federal Audit Specialist within the Federal Compliance Team of Aecon Federal Services. Reporting to the Federal Audit Director, the Federal Audit Specialist supports federal audit readiness, compliance monitoring, corrective action, policy and procedure development, and cross-functional compliance initiatives across Aecon's federal contracting environment.
The Federal Audit Specialist will support the development and execution of the Federal Audit Team work plan, including audit planning, compliance testing, internal control assessments, special reviews, corrective action follow-up, enterprise risk management support, and advisory services. The role works with business leaders, project teams, and functional stakeholders to evaluate federal compliance risks, strengthen controls, and support sustainable audit-ready processes.
This position is based in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Citizenship Requirement
This position requires access to nuclear facilities and information governed by U.S. federal regulations. As a result, applicants must be U.S. citizens to meet eligibility and security clearance requirements.
What You'll Do Here:
- Lead and perform federal audit readiness reviews, compliance assessments, internal control reviews, special reviews and advisory assignments across the Federal Business Unit and related support functions.
- Develop audit scopes, testing approaches, workpapers, findings, recommendations and management reporting that support federal compliance monitoring, audit readiness and executive decision-making.
- Evaluate compliance with Aecon policies, procedures and applicable federal contracting requirements, including FAR, DFARS, Cost Accounting Standards, FAR Part 31, DCAA/DCMA expectations, CMMC, federal business system controls and related audit requirements.
- Assess key federal contract processes and controls, including timekeeping, labor charging, cost allocation, billing, estimating, purchasing, inventory, earned value management, job-cost accounting, cost transfers, work-in-progress reporting, change orders, subcontract management, joint venture activity and shared service allocations.
- Identify, communicate and help mitigate risks associated with commercial-sector cost transfers, interorganizational activity, shared resources and noncompliant business processes that may impact federal contract performance or audit readiness.
- Lead or support corrective action management, including root-cause analysis, remediation planning, ownership tracking, evidence review, validation testing, closure reporting and follow-up on management commitments.
- Support the development, review and continuous improvement of federal compliance policies, procedures, SOPs, process narratives, control matrices, work instructions, audit templates, monitoring tools and related governance materials.
- Support Aecon's federal Enterprise Risk Management approach through risk assessment, prioritization, mitigation planning, metrics, dashboards, governance reporting and integration with audit planning activities.
- Plan, coordinate and track federal audit readiness, compliance improvement and program implementation workstreams, including milestones, task trackers, issue logs, risk registers, decision logs and status reporting.
- Coordinate with Finance & Accounting, Contracts, Procurement, Human Resources, Information Technology, Security, Legal, Operations, Project Controls and business sector stakeholders to drive timely completion of compliance activities.
- Provide technical guidance, quality review and methodology support for audit workpapers, templates, tools, best practices and cross-functional compliance activities.
- Travel up to 25% of the time to perform audits, reviews, project site visits, stakeholder meetings and compliance assessments at various business locations.
Supervisory Responsibilities
- This role has no direct supervisory responsibilities but may provide technical guidance, coaching and review support to audit and compliance team members, process owners and cross-functional workstream participants.
What You Bring to the Team:
Required Qualifications
- Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline that demonstrates a foundation in financial and business operational analysis.
- Minimum 3-5 years of progressive experience in internal audit, compliance, risk management, government contracting, construction accounting, federal consulting or a related control function.
- Experience supporting audit engagements, compliance reviews, special reviews, business process assessments or control testing activities.
- Foundational knowledge of federal contracting compliance requirements, including federal acquisition regulations.
- Experience supporting the design, buildout, implementation or maturation of compliance programs, audit readiness programs, control frameworks, governance routines or monitoring processes.
- Experience supporting cross-functional projects, including work planning, milestone tracking, issue and risk management, stakeholder coordination, status reporting and follow-up on commitments.
- Experience developing, implementing and validating corrective action plans, including root-cause analysis, remediation tracking, evidence review, validation testing and closure reporting.
- Experience drafting or reviewing policies, procedures, SOPs, internal control documentation, control matrices, process narratives, audit templates or compliance monitoring tools.
- Strong understanding of internal audit methodology, internal control principles, risk assessment, financial assertions, compliance monitoring and professional documentation standards.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills, with the ability to communicate audit results, compliance risks, project status and corrective action progress to management and cross-functional stakeholders.
- Strong organizational and time management skills with an ability to manage multiple priorities, workstreams and deadlines.
- Must be able to work closely within a team environment as well as individually and possess the confidence and ability to work with all levels of staff and management within a large organization.
- Exceptional attention to detail and commitment to audit quality.
- Ability to meet applicable security, background check and other eligibility requirements, as required.
Preferred Qualifications
- CPA, CIA, CFE, CGFM, PMP or similar professional designation.
- Advanced degree in a relevant business, finance, project management, risk management, or compliance management discipline.
- Experience supporting Enterprise Risk Management, risk registers, key risk indicators, compliance metrics, dashboards or governance reporting.
- Experience with federal compliance in fields of construction, infrastructure, engineering, nuclear, industrial, and utilities.
- Project management experience.
- Strong understanding of labor charging, timekeeping controls, indirect cost allocation, cost allowability, cost transfers, job-cost accounting and project controls.
Technical Skills & Competencies
- Proficient in Microsoft Office, with strong Excel and Word skills.
- Experience with SAP, Business Objects, Power BI, project controls systems, timekeeping systems, compliance trackers, workflow tools or data analytics tools.
- Ability to use structured workplans, trackers, dashboards, audit templates and documentation tools to support compliance monitoring, corrective action follow-up and management reporting.