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
Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled 
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