Financial Compliance and Internal Controls Lead (Federal Grants)

Financial Compliance and Internal Controls Lead (Federal Grants)

Location: Remote (U.S.), with occasional onsite meetings in the Washington, DC metropolitan area



Employment type: Full time; contingent upon contract award



Eligibility: U.S. citizenship required; must be able to obtain and maintain a Federal Public Trust background investigation



Reports to: Audit Resolution Lead

About the role

Zenius is seeking an experienced auditor to lead financial compliance testing and internal control reviews for a Federal grantmaking agency client. The role has two halves. The first is recipient-facing: evaluating grantee financial management systems, internal controls, and cost allocations, and testing transactions for allowability, allocability, and reasonableness under 2 CFR Part 200 Subpart E and the specific terms of the award. The second is agency-facing: evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of the agency's own grant oversight controls, including the pre-award risk review required by 2 CFR 200.206, against the GAO Green Book and OMB Circular A-123. You will design the risk-based sampling approach, perform and direct the testing, and write findings that a Federal official can act on. All work products are advisory; agency officials retain all decision-making authority.

What you will do

• Design and document a risk-based sampling and testing approach for recipient financial compliance reviews, consistent with Government Auditing Standards planning requirements, weighted by dollar value, prior findings, program risk, and single audit data.
• Evaluate recipient financial management systems and internal controls against 2 CFR 200.302 and 200.303 and the award terms and conditions.
• Test sampled transactions for allowability, allocability, and reasonableness under Subpart E; test cash management and drawdown timing under 200.305; test indirect cost application against negotiated rate agreements or the de minimis rate; test subrecipient monitoring under 200.332.
• Evaluate the design and operating effectiveness of the agency's grant monitoring and risk mitigation controls, including whether required pre-award risk reviews for new and non-competing continuation awards occurred and were documented.
• Write draft findings and reports in a citation-first format: condition, criteria, cause, effect, and recommended corrective action, with every finding tied to a specific regulation, statute, or award term.
• Perform root-cause analysis on control weaknesses that generate repeat findings and recommend process changes.
• Support resolution of findings related to cash management, indirect costs, and subrecipient monitoring, including questioned cost analysis for the audit resolution team.
• Coordinate with agency program and financial staff on evidence requests, walkthroughs, and findings discussions; maintain workpapers that support every conclusion.
• Direct and review the testing work of analysts assigned to compliance reviews; maintain the testing templates, checklists, and workpaper standards.
• Contribute the year's compliance testing results to the client's annual Compliance Supplement input and to monthly status reporting.

What you bring

• Ten or more years of audit or financial compliance experience, including at least five years auditing or monitoring Federal grants at a Federal agency, a state pass-through entity, a public accounting firm, or an inspector general's office.
• Hands-on experience planning and executing risk-based sampling and transaction testing, and documenting workpapers to Government Auditing Standards.
• Working mastery of 2 CFR Part 200 Subparts D, E, and F, including cost principles, cash management, indirect costs, and subrecipient monitoring requirements.
• Experience evaluating internal control design and operating effectiveness using the GAO Green Book (Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government) or the COSO framework, and familiarity with OMB Circular A-123.
• Ability to write findings and reports that are precise, well supported, and ready for a Federal official to act on.
• Experience directing or reviewing the work of other auditors or analysts.
• U.S. citizenship and eligibility for a Federal Public Trust background investigation.

Nice to have

• CPA, CIA, CGFM, or CFE credential; a degree in accounting or a related field.
• Federal service in the 0511 (Auditing) or 1109 (Grants Management) series, or experience performing single audits of state or local governments, institutions of higher education, or nonprofits.
• Experience with education, workforce, or social services grant programs; experience with indirect cost rate negotiation or review.
• Experience with data analysis tools for sampling and testing (for example Excel at an advanced level, IDEA, ACL, or SQL).

About Zenius

Zenius Corporation is a HUBZone-certified small business headquartered in Leesburg, Virginia. Since 2015 we have supported Federal agencies with grants management, program and project management, independent verification and validation, financial management, acquisition support, and digital modernization services. Zenius has been recognized on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies and the Financial Times list of the Americas' fastest-growing companies. We are a small team that values judgment, craftsmanship, and direct accountability to the client.

Zenius Corporation is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or protected veteran status.