Compliance / Audit Specialist - Secret clearance minimum

The Compliance/Audit Specialist serves as the liaison between the program and independent public auditors, leading all aspects of the annual SOC 1 audit lifecycle in a highly regulated federal environment. This role oversees audit planning, evidence collection, documentation review, and reporting to ensure enterprise systems remain compliant with federal regulations, defense policies, and industry standards. The specialist strengthens internal control maturity through robust control design, audit-ready documentation, and timely remediation of findings while building effective relationships with government stakeholders and external audit teams.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end SOC 1 audit activities, including scoping, control mapping, walkthroughs, evidence collection, testing support, and coordination with external auditors across program teams.


• Develop, maintain, and refine internal control documentation (policies, procedures, narratives, and matrices) to ensure evidence completeness, traceability, and repeatability for audit cycles.


• Interpret federal regulations and defense compliance frameworks (e.g., FISMA, FedRAMP, DoD guidance) and translate requirements into implementable controls and standard operating procedures for enterprise systems.


• Design, assess, and remediate internal controls using frameworks such as COSO and COBIT, identifying control deficiencies and driving actionable remediation plans.


• Lead audit response activities, including managing request lists, organizing documentation repositories, and ensuring high-quality, audit-ready artifacts and deliverables.


• Conduct risk assessments focused on control effectiveness, documenting findings, prioritizing remediation, and tracking completion to strengthen compliance posture.


• Prepare and deliver audit reports, briefings, and status updates to technical, financial, and program management stakeholders, highlighting risks, trends, and improvement actions.


• Engage effectively with cross-functional teams in a mission-critical environment, fostering collaboration and continuous improvement in audit readiness and compliance practices.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Information Systems, or a related field, or equivalent relevant experience.


• Typically 2-7 years of experience supporting audits or compliance programs in regulated environments, with direct experience leading SOC 1 or similar audits (SOC 2, FedRAMP, FISMA).


• Deep expertise in SOC 1 audit lifecycle management, including scoping, control mapping, walkthroughs, evidence collection, and auditor coordination.


• Strong knowledge of internal control frameworks (COSO, COBIT) and demonstrated ability to design, evaluate, and remediate controls for complex enterprise systems.


• Strong familiarity with federal compliance regimes (FISMA, FedRAMP, DoD guidance) and their application to large-scale enterprise or shared-service environments.


• Active Secret clearance (minimum), with eligibility to hold or maintain TS/SCI as required by the client environment.


• U.S. citizenship required to meet federal staffing and clearance requirements.

Preferred Qualifications

• Professional certifications such as Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), or Certified Public Accountant (CPA).


• Experience with automated GRC platforms and evidence repositories used to manage control inventories, workflows, and audit artifacts.


• Prior experience supporting large-scale enterprise systems or shared-service environments with complex federal compliance obligations.


• Demonstrated track record of overcoming audit challenges, driving successful audit outcomes, and improving control maturity over multiple audit cycles.