Finance role
Internal Auditor Recruiters
No postings. No stacks of resumes. No chasing. You interview a short list.
Financial Headhunters: Mapping operational risks to financial controls and performing process walkthroughs without relying on templates.
This is what we do all day: recruit accounting, finance, banking and insurance professionals.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
Need someone now? Call 305-306-4829.
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
- Controller
- CFO
- VP Finance
- FP&A Director
- Accounting Manager
- Director of Accounting
- Assistant Controller
- Tax Director
- Treasury Manager
- Internal Audit Director
- Senior Accountant
- Financial Analyst
- Head of Financial Reporting
- Commercial Lender
- Chief Credit Officer
- Business Systems Finance Lead
- No upfront fee
- Pay only if you hire
- Accounting, finance, banking and insurance
- We reach people who aren’t on job boards
- Replacement terms on standard searches
01
What does this hire really come down to?
Who maps operational risks to financial controls? Who designs the audit program from scratch? Who verifies that control testing matches current reality?
Your new hire will spend their day performing process walkthroughs and writing reports for your audit committee. They have to explain why a control failed even when the staff insists it worked perfectly. You need someone who can document a process gap so clearly that remediation is obvious.
Ask candidates to describe the last time they found a major control deficiency that management denied. Ask how they chose between manual and automated testing for an ERP access control issue. Ask them to explain a specific IIA Standard that changed how they draft their audit findings.
Start the scoping discussion by mapping the audit universe to the specific ERP modules in use. Ask the candidate to walk you through a project where they inherited a failing control environment and explain their first ninety days of testing. Look for evidence that they prioritize high risk areas rather than just running a standard year end list. If they cannot produce a sample report redacted for confidentiality that shows their logic in defining a deficiency, move on. A candidate must show they know how to present a business case for remediation to an audit committee that is usually tired of receiving negative feedback. Ask them how they handle pushback from department heads when they identify a control gap that will stop a production line or delay a release. If they talk about policy and procedure compliance only, they will struggle with this role. I look for auditors who can quantify the risk exposure in a way that helps management understand the cost of doing nothing versus the cost of control implementation. When checking their evidence, look for specific examples of where they chose to test the operating effectiveness of a control versus its design. You need to verify if they can distinguish between an isolated human error and a systemic breakdown in the financial system. Ask them how they adjust their audit plan when the business changes its underlying software or workflow midway through the year. The best candidates discuss the shift in risk profiles and provide concrete examples of how they modified their testing strategy to capture the new reality of the audit environment.
02
What do we check before you see anyone?
We verify active CIA or CPA status to confirm technical knowledge. We check SOX compliance history to identify experience with design versus operating effectiveness. We confirm their ITGC review experience to bridge financial and system controls. We review report samples to identify clear, concise findings. We test their knowledge of audit committee communication. We confirm their experience with ERP access control testing.
We start with a scoping session to determine if your audit focus is static compliance or dynamic risk management. We ask every candidate to walk through a recent audit plan change caused by a system migration or business unit pivot. We investigate whether they prioritize identifying control deficiencies that require budget adjustments or merely documenting paper trail lapses. A critical tradeoff exists between finding a candidate who strictly follows existing audit templates and one who possesses the investigative instincts to spot hidden financial exposures. We verify they can prove this distinction through specific, past project evidence.
03
Where do we find them?
We look in public accounting firms for people who want to move from client service to an in-house function. We target internal audit departments in similar industries where auditors hit a ceiling or want a specific focus on IT risk. We look for candidates who seek a move because their current department relies too heavily on outside consultants. We find individuals who want to pivot from pure financial accounting into enterprise risk management. We also source those who recently finished their CPA or CIA exams and want to apply their knowledge to a new organizational environment.
04
Which hiring mistakes should you watch for?
Common hiring errors during this process include:
- 01Hiring a candidate who only knows how to follow a fixed audit program rather than designing one based on current business risk.
- 02Ignoring a lack of direct experience with SOC 1 and SOC 2 reports which leaves the team blind to third party risk.
- 03Selecting someone who relies on complex technical jargon during an interview instead of explaining the business impact of a control weakness.
05
The search in three steps
Our process follows these stages:
- 01Define the risk profile and required audit certifications for your specific industry.
- 02Screen candidate portfolios for direct evidence of process walkthroughs and deficiency documentation.
- 03Present selected candidates for your review once they meet the technical requirements.
How your Internal Auditor search runs
How does The Six-Step Search work?
One sequence, from a well-defined seat to a shortlist you can judge.
Search Calibration
We start with a call about the seat, the books, the owners and the people the hire will work with. We learn what the role must fix in the first year and what would make a candidate wrong even if the resume looks right.
You get: A written search brief: scope, must-haves, deal-breakers and the pay range, agreed with you.
Market Mapping
We map the companies and institutions where the right people already work: similar size, similar ownership, similar complexity, in your market and in others.
You get: The target list of companies and institutions we will search, reviewed with you before outreach.
Professional Contact Intelligence
We find direct ways to reach the people on the map. Most are employed and not reading job boards, so reaching them takes real research.
You get: Direct routes to people who are not on job boards, researched for your search.
Persistent Personalized Outreach
We call and write to people individually and follow up. Interest varies, so we discuss the actual opportunity rather than promising a particular response.
You get: One-to-one conversations about your actual role, followed up, never a mass email blast.
Live Candidate Qualification
We speak with every candidate before you do. We check scope, systems, reporting lines, compensation expectations, location and why they would move.
You get: Only candidates we have spoken with, checked on scope, systems, pay, location and motive.
Candidate Intelligence and Process Support
You receive a short written brief on each finalist covering what they have done, where they are thin and what they want. Then we help with interviews, references and the offer.
You get: A short written brief on each finalist, plus help with interviews, references, counteroffer risk and the offer.
Questions people ask
Do I pay before hiring an auditor who can map our specific operational risks?
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
How do you define the level of this auditor?
We evaluate decision rights based on the audit committee reporting line. Grade meanings vary significantly between employers.
Do you provide contract or temp-to-perm staff?
We handle temporary or contract work on request with terms defined per engagement.
How do you qualify remote or seasonal candidates?
We assess remote capability based on independent audit project management history. Seasonal needs are qualified by prior experience in high-volume, short-duration audit cycles.
What is the fee for a Internal Auditor search?
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire. The fee and terms are agreed in writing before we start.
How soon will I see a Internal Auditor shortlist?
It depends on the seat, the location and the pay. We give you an honest read after the calibration call and we do not promise dates we cannot control.
What about counteroffers on a Internal Auditor hire?
We ask every Internal Auditor candidate early why they would move and what their employer might do to keep them. Counteroffer risk goes in the written brief before you make an offer.
What is your guarantee?
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
What don't you do?
We do not post your Internal Auditor job and forward whoever applies. We do not send stacks of unscreened resumes, and we do not recruit outside accounting, finance, banking and insurance.
Start a search
Tell us about the seat.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
Not ready to start a search?
Get a practical read on the talent market or the job description. No fee or obligation.
What does the published pay data show?
$83,680 national annual median. SOC 13-2011: Accountants and Auditors.
BLS reports Internal Auditor within a broader occupation. It does not publish separate wages for this exact title, credentials, seniority or industry. Compare the listed SOC duties with your actual role before using this range.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Released 2026-05-15. This is not a separately measured salary for this exact title.
Read the full salary guide