Prin Internal Auditor

Consumers Energy•Jackson, MI

7d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Principal Internal Auditor is accountable for the strategic direction, technical integrity, and effectiveness of complex assurance and advisory work supporting the company’s Sarbanes-Oxley Act compliance program and internal control over financial reporting. This individual-contributor role establishes risk-based approaches, resolves complex control and financial reporting matters, influences enterprise decisions, completes complex control testing, and provides authoritative counsel to Internal Audit leadership, business leaders, and control owners. The role drives sustainable improvements in governance, risk management, control effectiveness, and audit modernization while maintaining independence and objectivity. This is a hybrid position with required onsite work on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday at One Energy Plaza in Jackson, Michigan. Candidates must be within commuting distance or willing to relocate; relocation assistance is available to those who qualify. The position is not eligible for current or future immigration sponsorship, including H-1B or TN sponsorship, and cannot hire individuals working under CPT, OPT, or STEM OPT. The role requires either a bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field and at least seven years of progressive relevant experience; an associate’s degree and at least nine years of such experience; or a high school diploma/GED and at least eleven years of such experience. Across these pathways, candidates must have substantial experience leading high-risk, complex, or enterprise-wide engagements, along with demonstrated expertise in risk-based audit or compliance approaches, internal control over financial reporting, complex control and technology matters, senior-level advisory work, technical and quality oversight, and external assurance activities.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field and at least seven years of progressive relevant experience; or an associate’s degree and at least nine years; or a high school diploma/GED and at least eleven years.
Progressive experience in Sarbanes-Oxley Act compliance, internal audit, public accounting, external audit, risk management, or a related assurance function, including substantial experience leading high-risk, complex, or enterprise-wide engagements.
Demonstrated success establishing risk-based audit or compliance approaches, evaluating internal control over financial reporting, and reaching defensible conclusions on complex control, accounting, and technology matters.
Experience serving as a technical authority and principal advisor to senior leaders and audit professionals; influencing cross-functional stakeholders; challenging assumptions; resolving disagreements; and driving timely, sustainable remediation.
Proven ability to provide final technical and quality oversight and shape external assurance activities.
Strong knowledge of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, internal control over financial reporting, accounting, auditing standards, and the internal control framework.
Ability to influence stakeholders, work effectively across organizational levels, and maintain independence and objectivity.
Knowledge of business process controls, information technology general controls, automated controls, enterprise systems, and emerging technology risk.
Strong analytical, critical-thinking, problem-solving, project-management, and organizational skills.
Ability to communicate complex risks clearly and translate findings into practical business recommendations.
Ability to coach others and independently manage competing priorities and deadlines.
Must be within commuting distance of One Energy Plaza in Jackson, Michigan, or willing to relocate.
Must not require current or future immigration sponsorship for a work visa; CPT, OPT, and STEM OPT candidates are not eligible.

Responsibilities

Shape governance and control decisions for significant business, financial, and technology initiatives; define outcomes, challenge assumptions, establish remediation expectations, and hold stakeholders accountable for sustainable risk reduction.
Render authoritative judgments on complex accounting, financial reporting, system, and control matters; provide final technical and quality review of high-risk work, significant deficiencies, conclusions, and recommendations.
Own and lead the risk-based strategy, methodology, standards, and activities for complex Sarbanes-Oxley Act and internal control over financial reporting assessments, including risk assessment, process and control evaluation, testing, deficiency assessment, and remediation validation.
Lead the external audit reliance strategy, resolve complex assurance matters, and improve the efficiency and credibility of assurance activities.
Advise senior leaders on significant control themes, emerging risks, and required actions.
Serve as the senior technical authority for audit professionals by setting practice standards, building organizational capability, and guiding resolution of unprecedented or highly complex issues.
Modernize the assurance program through data analytics, automation, artificial intelligence, and continuous controls monitoring, with measurable improvements in risk coverage, insight, and efficiency.
Direct enterprise-level assessments of financial reporting risk and the design and operating effectiveness of business process, information technology, automated, interface, and report controls.
Perform other duties as assigned or necessary.