Associate Director, Internal Audit Professional Practices

Job Description

Job Description

Overview

At Community Financial System, Inc. (CFSI), we are dedicated to providing our customers with friendly, personalized, high-quality financial services and products. Our retail division, Community Bank, N.A., operates more than 200 customer facilities across Upstate New York, Northeastern Pennsylvania, Vermont and Western Massachusetts. Beyond retail banking, we also offer commercial banking, wealth management, investment management, insurance and risk management, and benefit plan administration.

Just as our employees are committed to helping our customers manage their finances, we’re committed to our employees. After all, they make it happen for our customers every day.

To ensure our people can enjoy long and successful careers here at CFSI, we offer competitive compensation, great benefits, and professional development and advancement opportunities. As an equal-opportunity workplace and affirmative-action employer, we celebrate and support a diverse workplace for the benefit of all: our employees, customers and communities.

Responsibilities

Provide an innovative and industry leading approach to the professional practices strategy within Internal Audit while demonstrating a strong understanding of internal audit standards, best practices, and regulatory guidance. This position is responsible for managing the Internal Audit Department’s professional practices and quality assurance and improvement program (QAIP).   The Head of Professional Practices will be responsible for driving process, policy, continuous improvements and quality outputs, through the execution and management of the program.  Managing the quality assurance and improvement program drives high-quality work, consistency and adherence to Internal Audit Department policies, procedures, methodology, Institute of Internal Audit (IIA) Global Standards and regulatory guidance. The Head of Professional Practices is expected to build and continually develop a reputation as a trusted partner with the Director of Internal Audit, management and other assurance providers within the company. In accordance with the Company and Department values, this position  must maintain integrity, excellence, teamwork and humility, ensure strict code of ethics and corporate confidentiality.      

Essential Responsibilities:

• Provide leadership over the QAIP to include Internal Audit departments standards, methodology and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Execute Internal Quality Assessment Review and manage outsourcing of External Quality Assessment Review in accordance with IIA Global Standards and regulatory guidance, providing report on results and opportunities for improvement.
• Maintain Internal Audit department policies and procedures (Audit Manual), update as required.
• Provide guidance on Internal Audit methodology.
• Support the execution of the annual risk assessment and audit planning processes.
• Manage the department’s training program to ensure the team possesses the appropriate technical skills of a high performing department.
• Manage the preparation of Department reporting to the Audit Committee, ensuring high quality documentation.
• Monitor the issues remediation and reporting process.
• Support the root cause analysis and reporting process.
• Provide oversight to the audit program review process in accordance with policy, procedure, regulatory requirements and best practices, providing recommendation for process improvements.
• Provide system administration/support to ensure audit workpaper application adheres to professional standards and regulatory guidance.
• Monitor key performance and key risk indicators.
• Stay abreast of emerging risks, regulatory changes and industry trends and communicate with the Director and audit team.
• Establish effective, credible and appropriate working relationships with department personnel, company management and key stakeholders to build and maintain ongoing business relationships by utilizing strong interpersonal and communication skills.  
• Perform other duties, including special projects or handle specific administrative tasks as assigned or directed.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement and professional growth within the internal audit department.
• Maintain proficient knowledge of, and demonstrate ongoing compliance with all laws and regulations applicable to this position, ensure ongoing adherence to pertinent policies, procedures, and internal controls, and meet all training requirements in a timely fashion.

Ancillary Duties:

As an integral member of the Audit Department, this position is also responsible to provide assistance wherever necessary to help the Audit Department and the Bank in achieving their annual goals.

Qualifications

Education, Training and Requirements:

• B.S. or B.A. degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration or related field and CIA required. 
• All applicants must be 18 years of age or older

Skills:

• Excellent communication (verbal, written, listening) and interpersonal skills, problem solving and organizational skills with demonstrated intellectual and analytical rigor. Motivated self-starter. Knowledge and strong understanding of internal audit standards, best practices, and regulatory guidance. Able to rapidly develop core knowledge of the Company. 

Experience:

• Ten or more years’ of progressive financial, operational and compliance audit experience, with focus on financial services including banking, wealth management, insurance, and/or employee benefit plan administration.  Management of professional practices or quality assurance and improvement programs experience required.   Financial service experience in mid-size banking, i.e., $25 billion and larger. 

Travel:

• Position may require travel