Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Houston Internal Audit & Financial Advisory Consultant

🎯 Role Definition

As a Houston Internal Audit & Financial Advisory Consultant, you will lead and execute internal audit engagements, financial advisory projects, and risk management initiatives for public and private companies across energy, healthcare, and industrial sectors. You will design and test internal controls, drive SOX/COSO compliance, perform transaction and operational due diligence, leverage data analytics and ERP tools (SAP/Oracle) to uncover control gaps and efficiency opportunities, and present pragmatic remediation plans to executive leadership. This role combines technical accounting knowledge (GAAP/IFRS), strong analytical capability, and stakeholder-facing consulting experience to strengthen governance, mitigate financial and operational risk, and support strategic transactions.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Staff Accountant or Audit Associate at a public accounting firm
Internal Audit Analyst within corporate finance or risk
Financial Analyst supporting M&A or FP&A teams

Advancement To:

Senior Consultant / Senior Internal Auditor
Manager, Internal Audit & Financial Advisory
Director of Internal Audit or Risk & Controls

Lateral Moves:

Transaction Advisory / Due Diligence Specialist
Risk Management or Compliance Lead

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Plan, lead, and execute end-to-end internal audit engagements across financial reporting, operational processes, and IT controls — including scoping, risk assessment, developing test plans, evidence collection, documentation, testing, and reporting to senior management and audit committees.
Design, implement, and test Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) 404 control frameworks and COSO-aligned internal control environments; document control matrices, perform walkthroughs, evaluate design effectiveness, and execute operating effectiveness testing.
Conduct comprehensive risk assessments across business units by identifying, quantifying, and prioritizing financial, operational, compliance, and cybersecurity risks to inform audit plans and control remediation strategies.
Lead financial statement testing and technical accounting reviews for GAAP and IFRS issues, ensuring consistent application of accounting policies and identifying potential misstatements or disclosure gaps.
Execute pre- and post-transaction due diligence for M&A, divestitures, and joint ventures — including quality-of-earnings analysis, working capital reviews, carve-out considerations, and integration readiness assessments.
Perform forensic investigations and fraud risk assessments: collect and analyze transactional evidence, interview stakeholders, identify control weaknesses exploited in suspected fraud, and recommend remediation and disciplinary actions as appropriate.
Build and maintain strong client relationships and executive-level communication; present audit findings, remediation roadmaps, and value-add recommendations to CFOs, controllers, audit committees, and boards.
Develop pragmatic, risk-based remediation plans and track remediation status through issue owners; coordinate remediation testing and validate corrective actions to closure.
Utilize data analytics and continuous auditing techniques (SQL, Python, IDEA, ACL) to automate sampling, identify anomalies, test entire populations, and produce visualizations that substantiate audit conclusions.
Evaluate and test IT general controls (ITGC) and application controls within ERP systems (SAP, Oracle, Workday) to ensure reliable financial processing and reporting integrity.
Lead cross-functional workshops and control owners training to strengthen internal control awareness and operationalize control enhancements across finance and business functions.
Prepare clear, concise, and persuasive written audit reports, executive summaries, and board materials that synthesize findings, quantify financial impact, and prioritize remediation efforts.
Oversee external audit coordination by aligning internal audit procedures with external audit requirements, sharing workpapers, addressing external auditor queries, and reducing duplication of effort.
Drive process improvement engagements (lean, Six Sigma-informed) to identify inefficient financial and operational processes, quantify potential cost savings, and support implementation of redesigned processes and control automation.
Provide advisory support for regulatory compliance matters including SEC reporting, PCAOB standards, FCPA/anti-bribery controls, HIPAA (as applicable), and industry-specific regulations affecting financial controls.
Mentor and develop junior audit staff and consultants: assign workstreams, review deliverables, provide on-the-job training in audit techniques, analytical tools, and professional judgment.
Manage multiple concurrent engagements, maintaining project budgets, timelines, staffing plans, and client communications to deliver high-quality work within established constraints.
Create and maintain standardized audit templates, control libraries, and knowledge management resources to accelerate audit scoping, testing, and reporting across the practice.
Support valuation, financial modeling, and scenario analysis during strategic advisory projects; model sensitivity analyses and reconciliation between accounting and management representations.
Conduct vendor and third-party risk assessments, including outsourced service provider control reviews, contract compliance checks, and SOC 1/2 report evaluations.
Lead remediation verification and validation activities following cyber or operational incidents, ensuring controls are redesigned and implemented to mitigate recurring issues.
Advise on accounting policy changes, new accounting standards adoption (ASC updates, IFRS changes), and coordinate cross-functional implementation plans to minimize financial reporting disruption.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis.
Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap.
Collaborate with business units to translate data needs into engineering requirements.
Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the data engineering team.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Deep knowledge of internal audit methodologies, SOX 404 compliance, COSO framework, and PCAOB auditing standards.
Strong technical accounting knowledge (US GAAP and familiarity with IFRS) and experience with technical accounting research and memos.
Hands-on experience with ERP systems (SAP, Oracle E-Business Suite, Workday, NetSuite) and understanding of application and process controls.
Proficiency in audit and data analytics tools: SQL, Python (pandas), Excel (advanced functions, Power Query), IDEA, ACL, Alteryx.
Experience with BI and visualization tools: Power BI, Tableau, or Qlik to build dashboards that communicate risk and control metrics.
Familiarity with SOC reports, vendor risk management, and third-party control assessment methodologies.
Financial modeling, quality-of-earnings analysis, and transaction advisory experience for M&A and divestiture projects.
Knowledge of regulatory environments relevant to Houston industries (energy, healthcare, manufacturing) including FERC, HIPAA, EPA, and SEC reporting requirements.
Ability to design and document control matrices, flowcharts, risk registers, and remediation plans using Visio or process-mapping tools.
Experience managing audit project budgets, resource allocation, and delivering on-time, on-budget engagements.
Certifications preferred/commonly required: CPA, CIA, CISA, CISSP (for IT audit focus), or CFA.

Soft Skills

Strong verbal and written communication; able to translate complex technical findings into executive-level recommendations.
Stakeholder management and client-facing consulting ability; experience influencing senior leaders.
Critical thinking and problem-solving with a pragmatic, risk-based mindset.
Leadership and team development skills, including coaching and performance feedback.
High ethical standards, discretion, and ability to handle confidential information.
Adaptability and resilience in a fast-paced, multi-project environment.
Time management and prioritization to balance competing deadlines.
Detail-oriented with a focus on delivering high-quality, auditable documentation.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Economics, Information Systems, or a related field.

Preferred Education:

Master's degree (MAcc, MBA, or MS in Finance/Accounting) or advanced coursework in risk management and data analytics.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Accounting
Finance
Information Systems
Data Analytics

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 3–7 years of progressive internal audit, external audit, or financial advisory experience.

Preferred: 5+ years with demonstrated SOX/COSO testing, ERP control experience, transaction advisory exposure, and hands-on data analytics capability. Professional certification (CPA, CIA, CISA) strongly preferred.