Contribute to the City of Hamilton, one of Canada's largest cities - home to a diverse and strong economy, an active and inclusive community, a robust cultural and dining scene, hundreds of kilometers of hiking trails and natural beauty just minutes from the downtown core, and so much more. Join our diverse team of talented and ambitious staff who embody our values of sensational service, courageous change, steadfast integrity, collective ownership and being engaged empowered employees. Help us achieve our vision of being the best place to raise a child and age successfully.

Job ID : Senior Audit & Investigation Specialist - REPOST
Union: Non-Union
Job Description ID #: 2589
Close date: Interested applicants please submit your application by 4:00 p.m. on October 9, 2024.

Internal applicants should apply with your work e-mail address. External applicants are considered only after the internal posting process has been completed. Only applicants chosen for an interview will be contacted.

SUMMARY OF DUTIES

Under the direction of the Deputy Auditor General, conducts audits of high complexity of fiscal and operational activities of departments or other agencies or in areas involving significant financial or technical considerations and high public interest.

Responsible for managing a portfolio of assigned audit and investigation projects within the allocated time budget and for managing project resources, including contract managing and overseeing work of 3rd party consultants retained for complex audit / investigation projects.

RESPONSIBILITIES

General

Responsible for the delivery of professional services and sound advice to meet the needs of the Auditor General's Office and Council, as appropriate.
Manages the contract/assignments of external subject matter experts retained for complex audit / investigation project as assigned. This includes writing the scope of work/assignment specifications, sourcing, monitoring the work progress, payment verification, reviewing work/reports, etc.
Writes the report at the conclusion of audits and investigations for senior management and Council. Reporting includes making professional recommendations for continuous improvement to the City's operations.
Participates in ongoing professional development opportunities including workshops, network meetings, conferences to remain current on all legislative requirements and municipal trends affecting Office of the Auditor General requirements.
Determines whether organizational units in the City are performing planning, accounting, custodial and control activities in compliance with laws and regulations, management instructions, sound business practices and applicable policies and procedures and in a manner consistent with the City of Hamilton's Mission, Vision and Values and the City's Strategic Plan.
Promotes a value-added service that consistently improves the control environment and strives to achieve operational efficiency and effectiveness. Makes recommendations for improvement and change for management action.

Audits

Individually responsible for conducting the entire process of value for money and compliance audits including planning, research and fact finding, fieldwork and analysis, file documentation, project management, and drafting reports for Committee and Council.
The purpose of value for money audits are to evaluate the economy, effectiveness and efficiency of the activities and the levels of performance with due regard for economy, value for monies spent and consistency with the City's mission, vision, values, and strategic priorities, and of promoting accountability to the public.

Investigations

Manage a portfolio of assigned cases from the City's Fraud and Waste Hotline.
Conduct thorough and defensible investigations (Fraud and Waste Hotline matters, plus Whistleblower matters) as requested by the Auditor General or Deputy Auditor General, and in accordance with relevant professional standards, resulting in reports containing factual findings and analysis of evidence for the review of senior leadership.
Provides expertise advice in fraud risk management, internal controls, and assurance services to senior management.
Analyses trends in complaints or violations of policies and recommends appropriate follow-up such as fraud and waste training options, education or information sessions, or policy revisions.

GENERAL DUTIES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO)

Executes approved projects from the Office of the Auditor General Work Plan. Prepares working papers to document the work performed. Ensures adherence to the standards set out in the Office of the Auditor General Charter.
Establishes a customized project scope, objectives, and criteria; time budget and reporting timelines; completes customized procedures developed for audit/investigation objectives; evaluates audit/investigation results; develops reports and recommendations for each audit/investigation.
Oversees the contract/assignment with external subject matter experts retained for complex audit and investigation projects as assigned, including writing the scope of work/assignment specifications, sourcing, monitoring work progress, payment verification and review work/reports.
Conducts research into project subject area ensuring that such research considers developments within the field, corporate policies and practices, legislation, and initiatives by other levels of government.
Monitors and evaluates operations, programs, processes and practices for quality, effectiveness, and economy.
Analyzes and evaluates data. May involve application of various techniques such as work sampling, break even analysis, email review and other IT searches, linear programming, probability analysis, cost benefit analysis, random sampling, and other similar analytical techniques.
Analyzes complex management practices and City operations.
Identifies problem causes, alternative solutions and analyzes merits of solutions considering cost versus benefit, time to implement and risk and resource limitations.
Executes projects without detailed instruction and supervision, organizes and follows through with plans and solve problems and develops suggestions through the application of innovative and creative thinking, analytical skills, and sound reasoning.
Assesses and tracks the impact of the recommendations (e.g., money saved, additional revenues collected, improvement in outcomes, mitigation of risks).
Works with all levels of management to ensure that changes and recommendations are implemented.
Interfaces with and supports management in evaluating operations and makes informal presentations of the results.

Audits

Conducts value for money (performance) audits of the City's operations and services by interpreting and applying appropriate auditing standards and developing a wide range of qualitative methods including interviews, document and records analysis, surveys, benchmarking, statistical analysis, and consultation with stakeholders and applying quantitative methods to gather, analyze and interpret data and audit evidence.
Conducts audits of corporate activities to determine the efficiency and effectiveness of operations, and the practices and standards implemented by management in achieving corporate goals and objectives.
Uses appropriate audit techniques and professional judgment to resolve issues and recommends corrective action to be implemented by senior management.
Evaluates areas audited and identifies opportunities that can mitigate the risks of financial loss, legal exposure, poor public image, and disruption of service.
Utilizes appropriate risk assessment and risk management techniques and methodologies to monitor, evaluate and report risks and mitigations to OAG senior management.
Completes peer quality reviews of audit files as requested by the Auditor General or Deputy Auditor General.

Investigations

Conducts Fraud and Waste assessments and investigations. Prepares preliminary assessments, investigation plans and performs interviews and conducts analysis as needed. Investigates serious control issues such as potential fraud, theft, and breach of security, as needed.
Assesses credibility of respondent and witnesses' testimony and relevance in evaluating and ultimately concluding on the substantiation status of allegations being investigated.
Uses appropriate investigative techniques and professional judgment to resolve issues and recommends corrective action to be implemented by senior management.
Oversees the contract with external subject matter experts for complex audit and investigation projects assigned, including sourcing, monitoring work progress, payment verification and review work / reports.
Calculates and determines the overall financial impact to the organization resulting from investigative findings. Methods include detailed loss quantification, records compilation, sensitivity and/or scenario analysis to determine a range of estimated and/or actual losses, and analysis to determine how much fraud and/or waste may have occurred when a report is substantiated.
Performs such other duties as may be assigned, which are directly related to the normal job function.
Works in accordance with the provisions of applicable Health and Safety legislation and all City of Hamilton corporate and departmental policies and procedures related to Occupational Health and Safety.

QUALIFICATIONS

University degree in business or related discipline (e.g., public administration, law, engineering, planning, computer science/information systems) and proven knowledge of audit theory, standards, and methodology . click apply for full job details