Senior Auditor: SOX & Internal Controls Lead

Are you looking for an exciting job where you can put your skills and talents to work at a company you can feel proud to be a part of? Do you want a workplace that will challenge you and offer you opportunities to learn and grow? A position at Xcel Energy could be just what you’re looking for.

Perform financial (including Sarbanes-Oxley testing), operational, contract, compliance, and special investigation audits, to evaluate the efficiency, effectiveness, and control structure of operations with minimal guidance. Develop audit assignment objectives and scope, create a detailed audit program, conduct testing, and effectively communicate audit results, which may include clear and actionable recommendations, to clients. As necessary, perform follow-up on assigned audit report recommendations to ensure that clients have completed agreed upon responsive action.

• With minimal guidance, perform internal audits - including operational, financial (including Sarbanes-Oxley), and special investigations. As necessary, lead multi-person assignments. This includes performing audits within hours and dates agreed upon in project management plan, being innovative, determining ways to creatively use data to better understand potential issues, creating audit work papers that comply with department and IIA standards for content and quality, and providing clear and actionable recommendations to client management in verbal and/or written format.

• Lead the evaluation of the Company's internal controls (including financial reporting controls relied upon for Sarbanes-Oxley compliance). Coordinate with business areas on documentation of processes and controls. Assess effectiveness of control design and operation. Assist business areas in improving controls.

• Provide consultative services to business areas upon request. Develop and maintain relationships with audit clients in business areas. Develop understanding of business area risks, processes, and controls. Provide consultative advice and recommendations to business areas to improve processes and controls, and to address risks.

• As necessary, perform follow-up on assigned audit report recommendations to ensure that clients have completed agreed upon responsive action.

• Perform work each year on assigned department goals and participate on special projects underway by the department and/or the Company. Assist in identifying departmental process improvements and industry best practices that could provide additional benefits to the department. Provide guidance to internal auditors regarding department and company policies and procedures.

• Bachelor's Degree in accounting, business, or related field or CIA (Certified Internal Auditor) required.

• Be willing to obtain a CIA (Certified Internal Auditor), CPA (Certified Public Accountant) or relevant professional credential within two years of hire.

• Minimum of three years of relevant business experience - preferably in accounting or auditing.

• Experience with systems and applications for data analytics (SAP a plus).

• Understanding of auditing concepts and principles, and how to apply them.

• Possess strong interpersonal and communication skills.

• Ability to travel domestically up to 20%.

Provides expertise in the planning, directing, and performing of internal audit projects. Understands the business and leadership structure. Assesses organizational risk and regulatory compliance, examines the internal control structure, and evaluates efficiency and effectiveness of operations. Provides consultation services to management on specific issues associated with the auditing of Company assets and accounting controls compliance with Company policies and regulatory requirements.

• Perform financial, operational, contract, special investigation and compliance audits for the purpose of evaluating internal control systems and the effectiveness and efficiency of operations. Coordinate, perform testing and review key financial reporting controls relied upon for Sarbanes-Oxley compliance. Perform follow-up testing as necessary.

• Participate in pertinent risk assessment processes led by the Audit Management Team. Ensure that audit plans cover higher risk areas. For all audit projects for the assigned business area(s), develop/approve the project risk assessment, audit objectives, scope and audit program.

• Provide consultative services to business areas upon request. Develop and maintain relationships with audit clients in multiple business areas. Develop understanding of business area risks, processes, and controls. Serve as the primary day-to-day audit contact person with audit client management. Serve as a consultative resource for others in the areas of: operations and regulatory concepts; internal control concepts; auditing concepts and principles.

• Advise staff members and audit contractors on significant issues…