City Services Auditor III (1686) - Citywide Examination

City and County of San Francisco•San Francisco, CA

About The Position

This is a Citywide Examination The Controller is the chief financial officer and auditor for the City and County of San Francisco (City). The Office of the Controller’s mission is to ensure the City’s financial integrity and promote efficient, effective and accountable government. Its vision is to be a model for good government and to make the City a better place. Our team includes financial, technology, analytical and other professionals. We value the diverse backgrounds, perspectives and lived experiences of our teams and clients in everything we do. We work in a collaborative and inclusive environment, promote equal opportunity, and invest in the professional development and wellbeing of our team members. You can expect to work alongside colleagues who are committed to serving the public with integrity and want to see positive impacts from their work. We are looking for smart, motivated individuals who want to make a difference and use government to play a role in solving our City’s problems, including addressing long-standing and harmful disparities in our communities. For a career with purpose and professional growth, join us in the Controller’s Office. City Services Auditor (CSA) CSA was created in the Office of the Controller through an amendment to the Charter of the City that voters approved in 2003. CSA includes two divisions—the Audits Division and the City Performance Division. Charter Appendix F grants CSA broad authority to: Report on the level and effectiveness of San Francisco’s public services and benchmark the City to other public agencies and jurisdictions; Conduct financial and performance audits of city departments, contractors, and functions to assess efficiency and effectiveness of processes and services; Operate a whistleblower hotline and website and investigate reports of waste, fraud, and abuse of city resources; and Ensure financial integrity and improve the overall performance and efficiency of city government. In November 2024, San Francisco voters approved a Charter amendment to create the role of an inspector general within the Office of the Controller. The Inspector General (IG) is granted expanded investigative powers and is integrated into CSA, including as part the Controller’s Whistleblower Program’s referral process with a broad mandate to address public corruption and enhance public integrity. The Audits Division delivers impactful audit and investigative services that provide actionable recommendations to city leaders, which in turn promote and enhance accountability and improve the overall performance and efficiency of city government. The members of our multidisciplinary staff come from a variety of educational and professional backgrounds, in areas including government policy, economics, information science, cybersecurity, statistics, law, and finance. Our collective experience allows us to provide expert knowledge on a wide range of issues across the City. We perform our audits in accordance with the generally accepted government auditing standards (GAGAS) set by the U.S. Government Accountability Office. The Inspector General performs investigations in accordance with the Association of Inspectors General Principles and Standards for Offices of Inspector General. The Audits Division has actively and successfully assisted the Controller in fulfilling its mission by providing best in class audit and investigative services that assist City leadership in making strategic decisions to improve government services. In recent years, the Audits Division has: Passed (without deficiencies) triennial peer reviews, which are required by Generally Accepted Government Auditing Standards. Issued hundreds of audit recommendations, with an average citywide recommendation implementation rate of over 90 percent. Developed and successfully implemented mission-critical audit programs, including those related to citywide public integrity, construction and capital programs, IT and cybersecurity auditing, and various citywide key business processes. Successfully managed a nationally regarded Whistleblower Program that receives, investigates, and/or refers hundreds of reports per year, and resulted in decision makers taking corrective actions. Received national awards from the Association of Local Government Auditors recognizing the quality of the division’s audit reports and the impact the audits have had to improve city programs and services. CSA, including the Inspector General, is funded through a commitment of two-tenths of one percent of the City’s annual budget. In fiscal year 2025-26, the San Francisco budget allocates approximately $27.5 million for CSA’s functions required by the City Charter, plus an additional $9.5 million from bond sales linked to multi-year capital programs. Under general direction, assigns, directs and supervises the activities of investigators or auditors. Supervises the planning, organization and conduct of performance, compliance, information technology, and financial and/or forensic investigations, audits, program evaluations and analytical activities to study, analyze and review policies, management and operations of governmental agencies, vendors, contractors and other parties that do business with the City; and performs related research and duties as assigned.

Requirements

Education: Possession of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university preferably in business or public administration, accounting, finance, statistics, the social sciences, English, or a related field; AND
Experience: Four (4) years of verifiable professional auditing or related analytical experience; strong understanding of local government operations; demonstrated expertise in government auditing standards and auditing principles and practices.

Responsibilities

Supervises, supports, and provides leadership on all phases of investigations, audits, reviews, and assessments including planning, data gathering, conducting interviews, data analysis and testing, reconstructing records and data that may have been destroyed or falsified, evaluating internal controls, findings development, and report writing in accordance with office policies and the appropriate professional auditing standards.
Leads, supervises, and supports the processing, investigation, and reporting of complaints from the whistleblower program.
Leads and executes information technology (IT) audits and reviews for a variety of departments and agencies.
Ensures the development of value-added recommendations to strengthen City practices, operations, and controls.
Reviews staff’s written work and deliverables for completeness, technical and grammatical accuracy, clarity, organization, content, and tone, and to ensure that project objectives and professional standards are met.
Develops and maintains an understanding of complex aspects of City departments, programs, activities, and operations.
Orally presents audits, project results, status, and other related information at public hearings and to a variety of audiences, including meetings with and presentations to stakeholders, departmental management, City leadership, and staff.
Supervises, coaches, mentors, trains, and evaluates Auditor I/II and analytical and/or administrative support staff.
Completes and manages staff performance plans and evaluations.
Meets regularly with staff individually, in teams, and as a unit to monitor performance, track project budget and schedules, provide information and constructive feedback, and encourage team members to challenge themselves and actively contribute to team effort and growth.
Builds and fosters highly creative teams that are cohesive, collaborative and able to perform at levels commensurate with the organization’s strategic objectives.
Resolves conflict in a positive and constructive manner.
Builds and maintains relationships with City leadership, department management and staff, and stakeholders to achieve maximum effectiveness and gain their trust and respect.
Administers and monitors leave and reporting attendance for staff.
Oversees multiple investigations and audits while actively participating in other critical unit initiatives, adjusting to shifting priorities while meeting key deadlines.
Manages and coordinates with contractors, including developing, monitoring, and reviewing consultant project deliverables and contracts.
Collaborates and maintains close contact with the Inspector General, the Director of Audits and other managers regarding project progress and problems and other concerns that could affect the organization.
Maintains appropriate involvement in unit oversight, decision making and problem solving.
Leads and assists in development of work plans, policies and procedures and organizational efforts, including identifying audit priorities and coordinating projects to ensure effective unit practices.
Recommends, develops, and assists in implementing operational and organizational changes and improvements.
Provides assistance in staff recruitment and selection.
Interacts regularly with stakeholders to obtain feedback and ascertain ways to improve audit processes and results.
Maintains professional proficiency through continuing professional education, participation in professional associations, and remaining current with industry trends, emerging risks, and innovative audit methods.
Maintains an appropriate level of confidentiality and sensitivity.
Performs other related duties and responsibilities as required.