A field auditor is responsible for traveling to off-site locations, investigating areas of concern, and formulating risk assessments. Field auditors routinely evaluate employee compliance with company policies, investigate any discrepancies found, and document them for action by management. A field auditor is more likely to have a specific area of expertise, such as auditing inventory or examining fraud issues. Since this person may be working alone, he or she will need to be comfortable working with a low level of supervision.

Principal Accountabilities

Perform risk assessments.
Create an audit plan.
Obtain and evaluate internal accounting and operational documentation.
Develop recommendations and formulate cost saving actions.
Prepare and present reports regarding findings.
Conduct follow-up audits.
Provide ad hoc advice to employees regarding issues found and how to remediate them.

Related AccountingTools Courses

7 Habits of Effective Auditors

Internal Auditing Guidebook

Desired Qualifications

A bachelor's degree in accounting, as well as excellent analysis and presentation skills. Should also have excellent report-writing skills. Must be able to work with little supervision. The Certified Internal Auditor certification is preferred.

Working Conditions

The field auditor can expect to be working in distant locations on a regular basis, and so will deal with varying office conditions.

Supervises

None

Commentary

This position requires a high level of interpersonal skills, since field auditors are expected to constantly interact with department personnel throughout the company. The heavy travel schedule tends to favor younger auditors who are less likely to be tied down with family commitments.