CHIEF OF FINANCIAL/OPERATIONAL AUDIT SECTION
Career Family: CHIEF
In New Jersey, Chief of Financial/Operational Audit Section is filled through the competitive process: candidates take a civil service exam and are hired off a ranked list, not picked at will.
The stated bar is a master's degree, but candidates can swap in added experience for the diploma. The FY2026 range lands between $106,547 and $157,363.
How to apply
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Exam
This is an application to sit an exam and be placed on an eligible list for this title, not an application for a specific job. A $35 application fee applies to Non-Public-Safety announcements issued on or after 2026-02-01. There may be no current vacancy behind it, and the list it produces may not be certified for months or years.
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Exam
Open to permanent employees in the competitive division who hold a qualifying lower title in the same unit. A $35 application fee applies to Non-Public-Safety announcements issued on or after 2026-02-01. Like the open competitive exam, this places you on a list; it is not itself a job offer.
Official job specification
The text below is the official specification published by the New Jersey Civil Service Commission. The plain-language summary and analysis above are derived from it by NJ Civil Service Navigator.
Definition
Under the direction of the Director, Internal Audits, Department of tabor, supervises the work programs and staff of the Financial and Operational Audit section responsible for auditing, examining, analyzing, and investigating the financial and operational activities of the Department; conducts audits of private entities having business with the Department; does related work as required.
Examples of work
Supervises and directs the activities of the Financial and Operational Audit Section responsible for auditing, examining, analyzing, and/or investigating financial and operational activities within the Department of Labor; conducts audits of private entities having business relations with the Department. Establishes the scope of the audits to be performed by the Financial and Operational Audit Section; assures all field work is planned and supervised, that there is an adequate system of internal controls with sufficient competent evidential matter for the purpose of rendering an opinion. Reviews past audits and all information concerning the auditee, including management, accounting systems, and both State and Federal Laws. Reviews and evaluates audit reports prepared by staff members, assuring that all statements can be justified by audit findings. Assures that there are effective procedures for the safeguarding of assets and the accuracy of records in the audited area; based on findings, makes recommendations to the Director, Internal Audits. Participates in meetings conducted with Federal Government officials, State officers, and groups concerning audit matters; establishes and maintains cooperative work relationships with these parties. Supervises the review and investigation of inquiries made by management, employees, interested groups, and the general public concerning operations, procedures, and policies established by the Department. Monitors audited areas to assure that all recommendations presented in, the Audit Report are implemented. Examines existing audit plans, procedures, and operations recommending methodological and operational changes. Analyzes the need to hire public accounting firms for specific specialized areas within the Department of Labor or for the audit of external entities, making recommendations to the Director, Internal Audits. Interfaces with external organizations and agencies conducting audits and reviews. May develop specifications for audits to be prepared by external auditors and/or consultants. For the Director makes formal evaluations of the bids submitted by Public Accounting firms analyzing their audit plans and expertise in the area. Assures that staff has adequate technical training, are independent in fact and appearance, and that they exercise due professional care. Supervises the work operations and/or functional programs and has responsibility for effectively recommending the hiring, firing, promoting, demoting and/or disciplining of employees. Assists in the implementation and conduct of the Department's comprehensive training program for the professional development of all audit personnel within the Department. Supervises the preparation of extensive correspondence relating to financial and operational auditing matters; directs the establishment and maintenance of records and files. Prepares manuals and procedures based on GAAS, GAAP, PASB's, and Federal and State audit guidelines; assures such procedures are consistently applied.
License
Appointees will be required to possess a driver's license valid in New Jersey only if the operation of a vehicle, rather than employee mobility, is necessary to perform essential duties of the position.
Knowledge, skills and abilities
Thorough knowledge of fiscal systems and resource management practices acceptable in a public or private agency. Thorough knowledge of the methods used to record, receive, disburse, or account for cash or cash instrumentalities. Thorough knowledge of modern auditing and accounting principles, purposes, standards, and techniques. Wide knowledge of the methods and practices used to prevent and/or detect fraudulent practices of a fiscal and operational nature. Considerable knowledge of computer applications and computer-related security measures. Ability to acquire thorough knowledge of rules, regulations, policies, and procedures of the Department of Labor, and of the functions, responsibilities, organization, and operation of the units therein, especially pertaining to resources, fiscal management, and provision of services. Ability to direct the auditing of various program areas within the Department to insure that they are following guidelines, practices, and procedures as may be called for by the Wagner-Peyser Act, the Rehabilitation Act, Federal Merit System standards, Civil Service Procedures and Regulations, JTPA, State and Federal unemployment insurance acts, the Workers' Compensation Act, the Social Security Act (Title II and Title XVI), and the like. Ability to deal effectively with others in complex and confidential situations. Ability to effectively organize the various work programs and staff of the unit. Ability to provide the Director with a comprehensive program designed to safeguard and keep secure the fiscal assets of the Department. Ability to carry out comprehensive fiscal audits. Ability to detect fraud and reduce exposure to risk of cash instruments and cash, Ability to provide program management with technical assistance in the area of internal control. Ability to implement fiscal changes to insure compliance with Department, State, and Federal rules, guidelines, regulations, and procedures. Ability to design, direct, and control data base security program to insure fiscal integrity of resources. Ability to initiate preventive and/or detection measures. Ability to confer effectively with external auditing organizations. Ability to read, write, speak, understand, or communicate in English sufficiently to perform the duties of this position. American Sign Language or braille may also be considered as acceptable forms of communication. Persons with mental or physical disabilities are eligible as long as they can perform the essential functions of the job after reasonable accommodation is made to their known limitations. If the accommodation cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, such persons may not be eligible.
Note
Applicants must meet one of the following or a combination of both experience and education. Thirty (30) semester hour credits are equal to one (1) year of relevant experience. Nine (9) years of professional experience in financial or operational auditing, including the analysis and/or investigation of accounting procedures in a public or private organization, two (2) years of which shall have been in a supervisory capacity, including or supplemented by twenty-one (21) credit hours in professional accounting subjects. OR Possession of a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university, including or supplemented by twenty-one (21) credit hours in professional accounting subjects; and five (5) years of the above-mentioned professional experience, two (2) years of which shall have been in a supervisory capacity. OR Possession of a valid certificate A.S.A. Certified Public Accountants issued by the New Jersey State Board of Accountancy; and five (5) years of the above-mentioned professional experience, two (2) years of which shall have been in a supervisory capacity. OR Possession of a master's degree in accounting from an accredited college or university; and four (4) years of the above-mentioned professional experience, two (2) years of which shall have been in a supervisory capacity. "Professional experience" refers to work that is creative, analytical, evaluative, and interpretive; requires a range and depth of specialized knowledge of the profession's principles, concepts, theories, and practices; and is performed with the authority to act according to one's own judgment and make accurate and informed decisions.
Study guides for this exam
- Management Test Battery (MTB) National Learning Corporation · $52.95
- Manager/Administrator Test National Learning Corporation · $49.95 · general prep, not specific to this title
The Civil Service Commission does not publish official study guides or release past tests. These are independent equivalency guides.