Director of Assurance and Advisory Services

About the role

The Director of Assurance and Advisory Services serves as the University’s senior internal audit leader and lead technical expert responsible for implementing the annual internal audit plan, directing the continuous monitoring program, and providing independent assurance on the effectiveness of internal controls, governance, risk management, and compliance practices across the institution.

Reporting to the Vice President and General Counsel with a dotted line to the Board of Trustees, the role leads risk-based audits and investigations across financial, operational, regulatory, and technology areas, serving as a trusted advisor to senior leadership by providing strategic, forward-looking recommendations to strengthen controls, mitigate systemic risk, and optimize institutional performance.

The position requires strong innovative leadership and a clear commitment to leveraging advanced analytics, Governance Risk and Compliance (GRC) platforms, continuous auditing systems, and AI-enabled tools to strengthen governance and compliance, increase audit coverage and frequency, maximize efficiency with limited resources, and deliver high-impact, strategic insights to leadership.

Responsibilities

• Audit Planning and Execution: Responsible for planning, scheduling, and executing internal audits across all university operations, including financial, operational, and technological controls (e.g., Facilities, Business Services, Athletics, HR).
• Maintains the dotted-line reporting relationship to the Board of Trustees by assisting the General Counsel in preparing materials and participating in Audit Committee meetings as required.
• Coordinates with the Director of Compliance and Enterprise Risk Management to ensure audit planning is aligned with the top enterprise risks.
• Monitoring, Investigation, and Policy Enforcement: Oversees auditing and monitoring activities, utilizing specialized software to perform continuous auditing and identify deviations or control failures in real-time. Leads and conducts internal investigations related to financial impropriety, control breaches, and serious compliance incidents (e.g., fraud, waste, abuse). Administers the University’s whistleblower hotline and related case management process. Executes policy enforcement actions stemming from audit findings, ensuring timely and effective corrective action plans are implemented by management.
• Audit and Technology-Enabled Oversight: Leads the strategic integration and application of advanced analytics and AI-enabled audit tools to enhance risk assessment, strengthen audit planning, and expand continuous auditing capabilities, translating insights into high-level, actionable recommendations for senior leadership. Oversees the GRC platform to centralize risk and control data, streamline audit workflows, and produce evidence-based reports that inform decision-making. Leads audits of technology and data-related processes, assessing governance, controls, compliance, and emerging risks, leveraging AI and advanced analytics to identify anomalies, control gaps, and opportunities for improvement.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, Information Systems, or a related field.
• Minimum of 7 years of progressively responsible audit experience, preferably within internal audit, public accounting, or a regulated, non-profit/higher education environment.
• Demonstrated experience leading risk-based audits across financial, operational, compliance, and technology functions.
• Demonstrated strategic skill in leveraging relevant technologies, including AI-enabled auditing tools, data analytics, and continuous monitoring solutions, to strengthen oversight and operational effectiveness.
• Experience using advanced analytics and visualization tools such as Microsoft Excel, Power BI, Tableau, ACL Analytics, CaseWare IDEA, or similar platforms.
• Strong analytical, investigative, and report-writing skills with the ability to translate complex data into clear recommendations for senior leadership and governing boards.
• Professional certification required (e.g., CPA, CIA, CISA, or CFE).
• Experience implementing continuous auditing, automated controls testing, or AI-assisted assurance programs.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in a relevant field.
• Higher education experience.
• Active membership in a recognized professional auditing or accounting organization, such as the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA), American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), or New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants (NYSSCPA).