Federal Financial Audit Subject Matter Expert (SME)

Who Are We? 
Groundswell is a premier technology integrator and solution provider, resolutely committed to solving the most complex challenges facing federal agencies today. Our name, Groundswell, represents our commitment to be an unstoppable, seismic change in government. Ours is a small company culture with big company reach and results.  Are you ready to be audacious, be bold and drive change at a rapid pace?  Join us, where we’ll make a greater impact together.
 

What You'll do:

Groundswell is seeking an experienced Financial Audit Subject Matter Expert (SME) to support the design, enhancement, and deployment of an intelligent automation solution built for federal and highly regulated environments.

This role is ideal for a seasoned financial auditor who understands federal audit expectations, internal controls, audit workflows, risk frameworks, and PBC lifecycle management — and who is excited about shaping advanced agentic automation capabilities.

The SME will partner closely with product teams, developers, data scientists, and federal domain experts to ensure our solution reflects real-world audit rigor, complies with applicable standards, and delivers measurable improvements in audit quality, efficiency, and compliance.

Key Responsibilities

• Translate financial audit procedures (planning, fieldwork, testing, reporting) into structured, repeatable workflows suitable for automation.

• Define and document PBC intake, validation, and lifecycle workflows for federal and enterprise audit environments.

• Map federal audit requirements (e.g., GAGAS/Yellow Book, FISCAM, OMB Uniform Guidance, A-123 controls, GAAS) into audit logic that guides agentic behavior.

• Identify audit pain points and bottlenecks that are strong candidates for automation.

• Work with solution architects and automation developers to design:

  • intelligent audit workflows

  • policy-aware triggers

  • audit lifecycle automations

  • exception-handling logic

• Help configure IDP (Intelligent Document Processing) use cases for financial audit documents:

  • document classification

  • field extraction

  • evidence validation

  • anomaly/exception detection

• Review, test, and validate outputs to ensure they meet:

  • audit documentation standards

  • evidence sufficiency expectations

  • compliance with federal/internal methodologies

• Provide expert-level QA on:

  • automated control testing

  • sampling procedures

  • automated evidence gathering

  • audit readiness dashboards

• Ensure AI-driven recommendations remain within audit-industry best practices.

• Ensure the solution aligns with:

  • GAAS / PCAOB concepts for financial audits

  • Government Auditing Standards (GAGAS)

  • OMB Uniform Guidance (Single Audit requirements)

  • A-123 internal control frameworks

  • Federal audit and records-retention policies

• Identify risks associated with automation and recommend guardrails for proper human-in-the-loop oversight.

• Contribute to the knowledge base that powers the system’s “federal SME-trained intelligence.”

• Review and refine the system’s continuous-learning recommendations:

  • new automation opportunities

  • workflow optimizations

  • refined classification models

• Support creation of training materials, documentation, and audit methodology enhancements.

• Partner with federal agency stakeholders, internal audit teams, and compliance groups to understand requirements and validate workflows.

• Provide domain expertise to customers during discovery sessions, pilots, and demonstrations.

• Serve as a trusted advisor representing the audit perspective across cross-functional teams.

• Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, business or related field

• 5–10+ years of experience in financial statement auditing, federal Defense audits, or public-sector assurance.

• Experience working with federal agencies or government contractors.

• Strong understanding of:

  • CFO Act Audit Requirements

  • GAAS / PCAOB auditing principles

  • GAGAS (Yellow Book)

  • OMB Uniform Guidance & Single Audit requirements

  • Federal internal control frameworks (OMB A-123, COSO)

  • Evidence, sampling, and documentation standards

• Ability to break down complex audit tasks into structured workflows.

• Experience reviewing or designing audit programs, templates, or methodologies.

• Familiarity with automation, workflow orchestration, and/or RPA concepts (UiPath experience a plus but not required).

• Strong analytical skills and attention to detail.

• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret Clearance per contract requirements

• Must be local to the Washington, DC metro area and willing to work on-site as needed

Preferred Qualifications

• Credentials preferred (CPA, CISA, CIA, CGFM, CFE, etc.).

• Prior involvement in audit technology, automation projects, or digital transformation.

• Knowledge of AI-assisted auditing, IDP, or intelligent workflow systems.

• Experience participating in system testing, user acceptance testing, or solution design.

Skills:

Certification:

Why You’ll Never Want to Leave:

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans 

• Flexible Spending Account 

• 4% 401K Match (immediate vesting) 

• Paid Time Off 

• Tuition reimbursement, certification programs, and professional development

• Flexible work schedule

• On-site gym and childcare option 

The salary range for this role takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions, including but not limited to skill sets, experience and training; licensure and certifications; and other business and organizational needs. The disclosed range estimate has not been adjusted for any applicable geographic differential associated with the location at which the position may be filled. At Groundswell, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their role, and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current range is:

NOTE: Groundswell does not accept unsolicited resumes through or from search firms or staffing agencies. All unsolicited resumes will be considered the property of Groundswell, and Groundswell will not be obligated to pay a placement fee.

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, pregnancy, genetic information, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other protected category under applicable federal, state, and local laws.

Read a copy of the Company’s Non-Discrimination Policy Statement.
Additional Resources:

• EO 13496 Notification of Employee Rights under NLRA

• Know your rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal
   

Disability Accessibility Accommodation: If you are an individual with a disability and would like to request a reasonable accommodation as part of the employment selection process, please contact us at [email protected] or 703-639-1777.