Royal Compliance Auditor

State of Oklahoma•Oklahoma City, OK

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Commissioners of the Land Office (CLO) is seeking a Royal Compliance Auditor to join their team. This role is crucial in supporting public education across Oklahoma by ensuring responsible management of the state’s land, minerals, and investments. The CLO generates funding that benefits schools and future generations through its work. The team is committed to public service, accountability, and making a meaningful difference across the state.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, Energy Management, or a closely related field.
Three (3) years of professional experience in auditing, accounting, royalty compliance, or financial analysis.
An equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered, substituting one year of qualifying professional experience for each year of required education.
Demonstrates professional knowledge of oil and gas royalty accounting principles, lease interpretation, and regulatory compliance requirements.
Accurately evaluates production, pricing, and revenue data to determine compliance with lease terms, statutory obligations, and administrative rules.
Applies structured audit methodologies to analyze complex datasets, identify discrepancies, quantify underpayments, and support defensible findings.
Maintains well-documented workpapers and audit trails to support compliance determinations and potential litigation.
Performs detailed reconciliations between royalty receipts, production reports, OTC data, and internal systems.
Develops and utilizes exception reporting tools to identify anomalies, gaps, and compliance risks.
Demonstrates strong analytical capability in reviewing royalty payment detail, identifying improper deductions, and calculating underpayments.
Applies lease interpretation, regulatory knowledge, and financial analysis to ensure accurate billing, protect trust revenues, and maintain compliance.
Maintains a high standard of accuracy, ensuring billing determinations are free from material error and defensible upon review.
Exercises sound professional judgment in resolving complex royalty accounting issues, interpreting lease provisions, and determining appropriate corrective actions.
Escalates high-risk matters appropriately while managing routine issues independently.
Communicates audit findings and compliance requirements clearly and professionally to operators, lessees, and internal stakeholders.
Maintains cooperative working relationships while protecting the financial interests of the CLO.
Utilizes financial systems, reporting tools, production databases, and analytical software effectively to support compliance determinations and audit activities.
Ensures data integrity across reporting platforms.
Demonstrates integrity, confidentiality, and fiduciary responsibility in managing sensitive financial and legal information.
Ensures compliance work is objective, defensible, and aligned with agency standards.
Must be able to remain in a stationary position 75% of the time.
Ability to stand, reach, and bend 50% of the time.
Operates a computer and other office productivity machinery, such as a calculator, copy machine/printer, and office telephone 75% of the time.
Ascends/descends stairs 25% of the time.
Ability to lift to 25 lbs.
Requires clear and accurate communication, strong analytical skills, and the ability to evaluate information and make timely decisions.
Sustained focus and attention to detail are essential, along with memory retention of policies, procedures, and facts over various time frames.
Adaptability and mental flexibility are also necessary to handle changing information, work conditions, and unexpected challenges.
Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis without sponsorship now or in the future.
Successful completion of a pre-employment background check.
Must possess a valid driver’s license from a U.S. state or territory to perform necessary job-related travel.

Nice To Haves

Experience in oil and gas royalty reporting or regulatory compliance.

Responsibilities

Conducts specialized audits, operational reviews, and investigations to determine compliance with CLO mineral lease terms, state laws, regulations, and applicable case law by analyzing royalty receipts, production data, and related reporting to identify underpayments, improper deductions, and reporting discrepancies.
Serves as the agency lead for the Deductions billing process, performing complex interest calculations involving multiple operators, working interests, and take-in-kind arrangements.
Develops and maintains exception and gap reporting processes to identify missing or inaccurate royalty payments.
Serves as a subject matter resource for audit tools, systems, and reporting methodologies.
Apply professional-level knowledge of oil and gas royalty accounting, audit principles, and regulatory compliance to evaluate royalty payments, production data, and related reporting.
Utilize accounting, spreadsheet, database, and audit tools to analyze large datasets, identify discrepancies, and support compliance determinations.
Apply working knowledge of CLO mineral lease terms, state statutes, regulations, and applicable case law to assess royalty payment accuracy, interest obligations, and reporting compliance.
Perform work requiring a high degree of independent judgment and technical expertise, and collaborate effectively with internal divisions, external operators, and legal counsel to resolve complex compliance, audit, and reporting issues.
Plan, schedule, and conduct specialized operational reviews, audits, and investigations to determine compliance with CLO lease terms and state laws.
Review royalty receipts, production reports, and related documentation to identify underpayments, improper deductions, and reporting errors.
Prepare audit documentation and schedules supporting compliance findings and recommended corrective action.
Develop, implement, and maintain exception and gap reporting processes, including long/short exception reports and GAP reports, to identify potential missing or inaccurate royalty payments.
Perform data comparisons between royalty check detail, production reports, and Oklahoma Tax Commission (OTC) data.
Review, resolve, document, and track issues identified through reporting analysis.
Initiate and review CLO application reports of royalty check detail deductions to identify improper or unauthorized post-production deductions.
Confirm no active royalty audit is in place for the applicable well or payor prior to initiating billing action.
Analyze lease terms, division orders, and applicable regulations to determine compliance.
Coordinate findings with the Division Director to determine appropriate billing timing and materiality thresholds.
Prepare and issue deduction billings that are accurate and free of material error (>5% variance), 100% of the time.
Identify companies taking unauthorized deductions, assess financial impact, initiate underpayment billings, monitor outstanding balances, and follow up to ensure timely collection of trust revenues.
Communicate lease requirements and corrective guidance to operators and payors to prevent recurrence and promote ongoing compliance.
Manage the CLO’s Electronic Production Reporting System (EPRS) and export production data for use by Royalty Compliance auditors.
Initiate and manage royalty receipt imaging using Grooper software.
Ensure data integrity and availability to support audit and compliance functions.
Communicate directly with lessees, royalty remitters, operators, and other interested parties to resolve audit findings and reporting discrepancies.
Build cooperative working relationships with external stakeholders while protecting the financial interests of the CLO.
Prepare correspondence related to audit findings, interest billing, and compliance issues.
Assist legal staff in complex royalty litigation by preparing schedules, reviewing documentation, and providing technical input regarding royalty accounting, compliance requirements, and audit findings.
Provide guidance on compliance with applicable laws, policies, and standards as needed.
Assist the Division Director in evaluating Royalty Compliance Division processes and procedures.
Identify inefficiencies, risks, and improvement opportunities, and formulate recommendations to enhance effectiveness, accuracy, and consistency.
Represent the division at internal meetings as assigned and collaborate with partnering divisions to evaluate agency-wide processes and improvement initiatives.

Benefits

Generous Benefits Allowance: Up to $21,934.08 annually, based on family size, to help cover the cost of benefits
Comprehensive Insurance Options: Choose from a variety of plans with no pre-existing condition exclusions or limitations
Flexible Spending Accounts: Pre-tax savings for healthcare and dependent care expenses.
Retirement: Pathfinder 401K with up to a 7% match
Generous Leave: Full-time employees receive 15 days of vacation and 15 days of sick leave in the first year
Paid Holidays: Enjoy 11 paid holidays each year
Employee Discounts: Access discounts with a variety of companies and vendors
Longevity Bonus: Receive a bonus after two years of service, with annual bonuses thereafter
Compensatory Time: Available for both FLSA exempt and nonexempt employees
Employee Assistance Program: Access confidential support and helpful resources for you and your family