Director of Internal Audit and Advisory Services

Ball State University seeks a Director of Internal Audit and Advisory Services
Click here to view position profile: https://summitsearchsolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Ball_State_Dir_IAAS_Profile.pdf
Location: Muncie, Indiana

The Position:
The Director of Internal Audit and Advisory Services will lead, manage, and organize all aspects of the University’s internal audit function. This position reports administratively to the Vice President for Business Affairs and Treasurer, and functionally to the Chair of the Audit and Compliance Committee of the Board of Trustees.

The Director will lead an internal audit function that is charged with reviewing strategic, financial, operational, information technology, and management risks. They will advise regularly both the senior administrative leaders of the University and the Audit and Compliance Committee of the Board on high-risk findings and potential opportunities to improve business processes. They will continue to evolve internal audit’s constructive, consultative approach to solving problems and strengthening management at the University while maintaining independence and objectivity. They will continue the development of a newly developed risk-based model of internal audit for the University and coordinate the work of internal audit with the work plans of the University’s Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) program, compliance program, and external auditors.

Success in this position will require a collegial style that will develop trust and enable collaboration across the University. This individual will be independent without being inflexible; a proven leader with a focus on action and results, balanced with an appreciation for the culture of a university. They will bring excellent problem-solving, consensus-building, and written and oral communications skills. The ideal candidate will have held leadership roles in audit, financial management, and/or consulting, in complex and demanding settings.

Ball State prefers candidates that would live in Muncie; however, a hybrid/flexible work arrangement may be considered.

Responsibilities:
Core Areas of Focus:

• Strategic Partner - Serve as a strategic advisor to the University’s senior leadership and as a trusted advisor to colleagues and clients across the University.
• Risk-Based Audit Plan – Plan, direct, and monitor the internal audit function of the University, including the continued development of a risk-based audit approach that supports the University’s Enterprise Risk Management program.
• Communicator - Ability to communicate and demonstrate interpersonal skills with the ability to influence through personal credibility, integrity, and professionalism.
• Flexibility - Ability to be nimble, flexible, and handle ambiguity well.

Other Duties and Responsibilities:

• Develop strong working relationships across the University as a partner and colleague, in particular with the Audit Committee of the Board and its Chair, and with the senior leadership team, including Compliance and ERM leaders.
• Interact with and communicate information to senior management and the Audit and Compliance Committee including the ability to be transparent, open, and with a demonstrated commitment to the highest ethical and professional standards.
• Develop a resource strategy to ensure internal audit has the resources and expertise to execute its audit plan and to add value across the University, including staff and external partners.
• Maintain an in-depth knowledge of current internal audit philosophy and practices and compliance practices, internal controls, risk assessment, and investigative processes.
• Prepare or monitor the preparation of comprehensive reports, interpreting and applying policies and regulations, and conducting interviews.
• Ability to organize work and prioritize objectives; to evaluate evidence; to exercise independent judgment; to plan, implement, evaluate and report activities.
• Skill in establishing and maintaining working relationships and managing and resolving conflicts with diverse constituencies across the University.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and objectivity.

Qualifications:
The successful candidate will have demonstrated experience strengthening an internal audit function and helping to transform it into a strategic, client-focused, and outcomes-driven function. They will have an executive presence and be a skillful leader and communicator that can effectively balance the need for independence with a spirit of collaboration.

The successful candidate is expected to demonstrate the following skills and qualifications:

• Experience with risk-based audit plans that identify and assess key processes and procedures across the entire organization. Exemplary analytical skills.
• Ability to communicate effectively and work with the Board and senior leadership to provide strategic and executive-level updates on audits and areas of risk for the University.
• Ability to attract, develop, retain, and leverage appropriate resources, including internal staff and external resources.
• Demonstrated experience designing solutions to problems in a way that fosters professional collaboration between process owners and internal audit.
• Outstanding communication skills, oral and written; the ability to express technically complex ideas in accessible terms; excellent interpersonal and negotiation skills.
• Strong listening and communication skills; the ability to establish collegial and trusting relationships with varied constituencies; skills in forging consensus; the ability to engender trust in ambiguous situations based on integrity, critical thinking, and interpersonal skills.
• Experience developing, sustaining, and leading highly skilled, motivated staff with diverse skills, including by supporting their professional development and impact in appropriate roles at the University.
• Demonstrated ability in managing processes to achieve institutional goals; the ability to focus decision-making on relevant points in a highly complex, dynamic, and diverse environment.
• Executive presence and a high level of credibility based on deep domain expertise and experience across the relevant fields.

Required Experience:

• A record of progressively responsible experience, including experience in risk-based auditing. Experience may be a combination of external/internal audits or other relevant experience.
• An active Certified Public Accountant or Certified Internal Auditor certification.
• Working knowledge of the Institute of Internal Auditors’ International Standards for the Professional Practice of Internal Auditing.

Preferred Experience:

• Experience in or with the higher education sector.
• Experience working in a co-sourced environment.
• Exposure to federally sponsored research.
• Exposure to ERM and regulatory compliance.

Why Consider the Opportunity:

• Impact. The Director of IAAS will lead the transformation of the audit function toward an enterprise strategic risk management model.
• Mission. Ball State is a university on the move. The University’s aspirations go far beyond statements on paper. From cutting-edge educational programming to strategic partnerships to community impact – Ball State is at the forefront. See Washington Monthly article.
• In partnership with committed leaders. The Director of IAAS will be well supported by engaged leaders including the University president, the vice president for business affairs and treasurer, and the chair of the Audit Committee of the Board of Trustees.
• Financial stability. Fiscal affairs are healthy at the state and university levels. The University operates with a healthy balance sheet and frequent surpluses.
• Location. With a population of about 70,000, Muncie is a dynamic midsize city 55 miles northeast of Indianapolis. Consistently ranked by realtor.com as the No. 1 most affordable college town and described by several national studies as a typical American community, Muncie offers the advantages of larger cities without the hassles and costs of living in major metropolitan areas.

About the Institution:
Proud Past. Bright Future.
Ball State University’s nearly 3,600 faculty and staff deliver excellent instruction, pursue world-class research and creative endeavors, and provide exemplary service to approximately 20,000 graduate and undergraduate students across seven academic colleges with about 190 undergraduate programs. Ball State offers more than 140 certificates and master’s, doctoral, and specialist degrees, many of them ranking among the best in the nation. Originally founded to meet the need for more and better teachers, Ball State has earned a Community Engagement Classification from the Carnegie Foundation and serves as one of Indiana’s public research institutions while remaining committed to empowering its graduates to have fulfilling careers and meaningful lives.

For 103 years, Ball State has had an unwavering belief in an education rooted in creativity, values, and intellectual curiosity. The institution was founded on the beneficence and tenacity of the Ball brothers, who gave back to the community that gave them so much. What began as a teacher’s college has grown into a world-class University with highly respected programs in education, architecture, business, communications, fine arts, sciences, humanities, and the health professions.

Symbolized by the statue Beneficence, Ball State’s enduring values—excellence, integrity, inclusiveness, innovation, courage, social responsibility, and gratitude—guide the University today and will endure as it enters a bright future. These values were front and center in the 2018 legislation to assign control of Muncie Community Schools to the University. This partnership has to date led to the stabilization of enrollment and finances and many instances of collaboration between the schools and the University.

The best is yet to come. Destination 2040: Our Flight Path establishes Ball State University’s ambitious goals for the second century. This strategic plan was designed with input from faculty, staff, students, alumni, community partners, and benefactors. It provides a strategic framework with five long-term goals for 2040 and a set of strategic imperatives to be executed by 2024.

Inclusive Excellence at Ball State
In our strategic plan, we define inclusiveness as a commitment “to respect and embrace equity, inclusion, and diversity in people, ideas, and opinions.” At Ball State University, diversity is an integral part of our identity. More than accepting differences, the university community honors and celebrates the diversity of experiences, perspectives, backgrounds, and unique identities of the people in our workforce. BSU offers a non-discriminatory environment that is open, fair, and inclusive for all individuals across distinctions of race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, socio-economic status, ethnicity, age, physical ability, or medical condition. The success of the University depends on the presence, representation, and inclusion each person brings to our community. Click here to learn more and to review the inclusive excellence plan.

To Apply:
Confidential review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled; parties are encouraged to apply by January 8, 2023. Please submit your resume, a cover letter outlining your interest in and suitability for this position, and a diversity statement (500 words maximum) that responds to the following statement:

At Ball State University, inclusiveness and freedom of expression are a part of our enduring values and inform all of our efforts. We encourage applicants to familiarize themselves with our Inclusive Excellence Plan to learn more about our commitment and to identify how you might contribute to these efforts. In your application, please describe how you would contribute to the development of a diverse and inclusive culture at Ball State University.

To apply online, go to: https://theapplicantmanager.com/jobs?pos=su335

To make recommendations or for more information:
Andrea Martinez
Senior Consultant
Summit Search Solutions, Inc.
Direct: 919-357-8766
amartinez@summitsearchsolutions.com

Ball State University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer that is strongly and actively committed to diversity within its community. Women, minorities, individuals with disabilities, and protected veterans are strongly encouraged to apply. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other legally protected status. If you have any questions about the University’s Affirmative Action efforts, please contact the Employee Relations and Affirmative Action Office at 765-285-1845.