Government Contract Auditor

Location: West Palm Beach, FL
Employment Type: Full-Time, Exempt
Reports To: Director of Finance
Level: Mid-Level, Individual Contributor

Position Summary

The Government Contract Auditor conducts financial, operational, and compliance audits across accounting, timekeeping, payroll, subcontractor billing, and other contract-related transactions. This role reviews costs and supporting documentation for compliance with GAAP, company policy, FAR cost principles, Cost Accounting Standards, and applicable federal contract requirements.

The Auditor prepares audit-ready workpapers, communicates findings objectively, supports DCAA reviews, and helps strengthen internal controls. This position is well suited for someone with hands-on government contracting experience who can independently review complex financial and contract data, identify unsupported or potentially unallowable costs, and escalate significant issues appropriately.

Key Responsibilities

• Plan and execute routine and risk-based audits of accounting, labor charging, timekeeping, payroll, expenses, and contract billing.
• Test costs for allowability, allocability, and reasonableness under FAR Part 31, CAS, contract terms, and company policy.
• Review subcontractor and vendor invoices, labor categories, billing rates, hours, approvals, and supporting documentation before payment.
• Reconcile timekeeping, payroll, project accounting, and billing data to identify duplicate, unsupported, incorrectly classified, or potentially unallowable costs.
• Evaluate compliance with contract funding limitations, task-order ceilings, indirect-rate structures, and applicable flow-down requirements.
• Prepare clear, well-organized workpapers documenting audit scope, sampling methodology, testing procedures, supporting evidence, findings, and financial impact.
• Draft factual audit findings, compliance memoranda, and executive summaries for Finance and Compliance leadership.
• Support DCAA audits, incurred cost submissions, accounting-system reviews, timekeeping-system reviews, and government information requests.
• Evaluate internal controls over labor charging, purchasing, subcontractor management, billing, and financial reporting.
• Recommend practical corrective actions and process improvements to strengthen controls and reduce compliance risk.
• Work with Finance, Contracts, Payroll, HR, and Program teams to gather documentation and resolve discrepancies.
• Escalate material findings, control deficiencies, unsupported costs, or potential fraud indicators promptly and discreetly.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field.
• 3 to 5 years of experience in audit, government contract accounting, cost compliance, or a related financial-control function.
• Hands-on experience reviewing government contract costs, labor charging, invoices, billing records, or related supporting documentation.
• Working knowledge of GAAP and FAR cost principles.
• Familiarity with Cost Accounting Standards and DCAA audit expectations.
• Strong Excel skills, including pivot tables, lookup functions, data validation, and multi-source reconciliations.
• Ability to analyze large volumes of financial and operational data and identify discrepancies or control weaknesses.
• Strong written communication skills with the ability to document findings clearly, concisely, and objectively.
• High attention to detail, sound professional judgment, and the ability to manage multiple assignments independently.
• Discretion when handling sensitive personnel, payroll, contract, and financial information.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Deltek Costpoint, Unanet, or another government contracting ERP or accounting platform.
• Experience supporting incurred cost submissions, indirect-rate reviews, labor-charging audits, timekeeping audits, or business-system reviews.
• Knowledge of FAR Part 31, CAS, DCAA guidance, and federal contract billing requirements.
• Previous experience with a federal contractor, defense contractor, government-contract advisory practice, public accounting firm, or DCAA.
• Experience reviewing subcontractor costs and prime-contract flow-down requirements.
• CPA, CIA, CFE, or another relevant professional certification.

Core Competencies

• Objective and ethical judgment
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Excellent attention to detail
• Clear and factual written communication
• Strong organization and follow-through
• Professional discretion
• Ability to work independently
• Collaborative approach to resolving compliance issues

Compensation and Benefits

• Competitive base salary commensurate with experience
• Performance-based incentive opportunity
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision benefits
• Retirement plan with employer contribution
• Paid time off and company holidays