FIAR Compliance Specialist

The FIAR Consulting Subject Matter Expert (SME) provides specialized expertise supporting Department of Defense (DoD) and federal agency efforts to achieve and sustain audit readiness in accordance with the Financial Improvement and Audit Readiness (FIAR) Guidance. This role leads and executes complex financial statement audit readiness, internal control assessments, and remediation activities, serving as a trusted advisor to government stakeholders and audit partners.

The ideal candidate brings 8+ years of progressive federal financial management and audit readiness experience, holds an active CPA, and demonstrates deep knowledge of DoD financial reporting, internal controls, and audit sustainment requirements.

Key Responsibilities

FIAR & Audit Readiness Support

Lead and support FIAR remediation, sustainment, and validation activities across financial statement assertions (existence, completeness, valuation, rights & obligations, presentation).
Develop, assess, and maintain audit-ready documentation, including process narratives, flowcharts, Risk and Control Matrices (RCMs), and supporting documentation.
Perform internal control design and operating effectiveness testing in accordance with FIAR Guidance and GAO Yellow Book standards.
Support assertion packages, Notices of Findings and Recommendations (NFR) responses, Corrective Action Plans (CAPs), and remediation tracking.
Financial Reporting & Controls

Support DoD financial statements (e.g., Budgetary Activity, Fund Balance with Treasury, Statement of Net Cost, Statement of Budgetary Resources).
Evaluate and remediate deficiencies related to financial systems, feeder systems, and manual processes.
Assess compliance with OMB, DoD, and federal accounting standards, including USSGL and applicable FASAB guidance.
Coordinate with functional owners across accounting, budget, logistics, acquisition, and IT to address control gaps.
Stakeholder & Audit Engagement

Serve as a primary liaison with external auditors, agency leadership, and functional stakeholders.
Prepare and brief senior government leadership on audit readiness status, risks, and remediation progress.
Provide subject matter guidance to junior staff and review work products for quality and compliance.
Program & Team Leadership

Support work planning, task execution, and milestone tracking for FIAR-related engagements.
Contribute to methodology development, best practices, and continuous improvement efforts.
Mentor staff and contribute to knowledge sharing across audit readiness and financial management teams.
Required Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or related field
Active Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license
8+ years of experience supporting FIAR, audit readiness, financial statement audits, or internal controls within DoD or federal agencies
Demonstrated experience with:
FIAR Guidance and audit readiness lifecycle
Internal control testing and remediation
Federal financial reporting and documentation standards
Strong written and verbal communication skills, including executive-level briefings
Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a client-facing environment
Preferred Qualifications

Experience supporting DoD Components (Military Departments, Defense Agencies, or OSD)
Familiarity with ERP environments (e.g., SAP, Oracle, Momentum, GFEBS, Navy ERP, DEAMS)
Prior experience supporting external financial statement audits (e.g., GAO, DoD OIG, independent public accounting firms)
Project management or team leadership experience on large, multi-workstream engagements
Active or ability to obtain a DoD Secret clearance (or higher)
Key Competencies

FIAR & audit readiness expertise
Internal controls & financial reporting
Analytical problem-solving
Stakeholder management
Executive communication
Attention to detail and documentation quality