Assistant State Auditor 1, 2, or 3 (North King County)

State of Washington; Bellevue (WA); Hybrid; USD 49,000 - 66,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Full benefits package

Paid vacation & holidays

Training opportunities (80+ hours/bien

Education reimbursements

DEI and respectful workplace

Job summary

Washington State Auditor’s Office in Bellevue, WA is hiring for Assistant State Auditor 1–3 roles as part of Team North King County. These positions focus on planning and conducting risk-based financial and legal compliance audits for state and local governments.

Onsite onboarding with hybrid work options as you progress. Candidates typically hold a bachelor’s degree with accounting coursework or have equivalent relevant experience.

Qualifications

• Written and verbal communication skills are essential.
• Time management and project coordination experience preferred.
• Understanding of accounting principles related to auditing.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with teams.

Responsibilities

• Assist in planning and conducting risk-based financial and legal compliance audits.
• Perform fieldwork at government entities in Bellevue and surrounding areas.
• Review work papers and provide feedback to in-training staff.
• Mentor in-training staff and support junior auditors.

Skills

Written and verbal communication

Time/Project Management

Accounting concepts/principles in Aud​

Critical thinking

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree with accounting courses

Experience may substitute education

Equivalent education/experience

Job description

This is for an Assistant State Auditor 1, 2, or 3 position on Team North King County, located in Bellevue, WA.

About SAO:

At the State Auditor’s Office, we work together to make a difference in how our state government operates. With 15 offices statewide, we are looking for innovative, talented people to join our team to help us continue our important work. Get to know us! We take pride in serving various governments and the people of Washington State. Learn more about who we are and what we do on social media, using the hashtag #WeAreSAO and on our website at https://sao.wa.gov/about-sao/what-we-do.

Our Culture:

We are committed to building and maintaining a workplace environment that is collaborative and supports all employees as we effectively carry out the agency’s mission. This includes ensuring inclusion and equity throughout the agency, while embracing the individual differences of our employees and clients. We believe that diverse perspectives and backgrounds are fundamental to doing our best work.

The Washington State Auditor’s Office (SAO) prides itself in offering flexible schedules and a hybrid work environment that helps our staff balance work and life.

About the Role: Assistant State Auditor

Auditing is an excellent opportunity for innovators. It's your chance to join us in the search for new ideas to ensure our audits are relevant and provide value to the governments we audit. It's a career in which you can take pride in the work you do and the services we perform for the citizens of Washington State.

We are currently looking to fill an Assistant State Auditor position in Bellevue, WA.

About Team North King County:

Team North King County’s office is located in Bellevue, WA and is one of 17 local audit teams within the Office of the Washington State Auditor. The team is responsible for conducting audits of state and local governments in King and Snohomish counties. The team conducts accountability, federal grant compliance and financial statement audits for several entity types that include cities, school districts, water district, hospitals, risk pools, and fire districts.

Within the agency, Team North King County promotes the Office’s mission and values, and a professional, respectful, and constructive work environment. Our team performs timely, high-quality risk-based audits in a collaborative environment along with promoting empowerment, acceptance, respect and trust.

A job and benefits that support a healthy work/life balance.

The Washington State Auditor’s Office (SAO) prides itself in offering flexible schedules and a hybrid work environment that helps our staff balance work and life.

We also offer a comprehensive package of health and wellness benefits to employees, including:

• Full benefits package. Click here to learn more.
• Paid vacation, sick leave and holidays.
• Growth and development opportunities, including 80+ hours of training each biennium
• Educational and professional certification reimbursements
• An agency-wide commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and respect in the workplace.

Find out more about what local government audit teams do here!

Assistant State Auditor 1 ($4,406 - $5,928)

This is the first level of our in‑training program for staff with little audit experience. The Office provides classes, on‑the‑job training time, and work product review and feedback to assist new auditors in gaining skills to move to the next level. Most work is completed in the field at the governmental entity, with employees working in teams.

Assistant State Auditor 2 ($5,111 - $6,870)

In this second level of our in‑training program, auditors continue to build upon the experience they gained through work as an Assistant State Auditor 1, our Internship program, or comparable work at another organization. At this level, employees may to be assigned opportunities to plan and conduct audits under the guidance of their supervisor.

Assistant State Auditor 3 ($6,384 - $8,583)

This is the journey level of our Assistant State Auditor series. Staff at this level are responsible for planning and conducting risk‑based financial & legal compliance, audits of Washington State agencies and local governments. They may also perform special investigations pertaining to citizen concerns and/or frauds. Journey level auditors review the work and provide mentoring to in‑training level staff.

** Salaries listed do not include the additional 5% location‑based King County Premium.

Successful Assistant State Auditors come from many backgrounds. The primary competencies required for this role is:

• Written and verbal communication
• Time/Project Management
• Understanding of Accounting concepts/principles as they relate to Auditing.
• Critical thinking and problem‑solving skill
• Team Collaboration: Ability to build effective working relationships.

Job Qualification Requirement: Assistant State Auditor 1 ($4,406 - $5,928)

• Option 1 - Requires a bachelor’s degree with a minimum of three college‑level accounting courses.
• Option 2 - Education may be substituted with experience. Total experience must be 4‑years of business or relevant experience, of which a minimum of 1‑year in accounting/auditing is required.
• Option 3 - Any equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.

Job Qualification Requirement: Assistant State Auditor 2 ($5,111 - $6,870)

• Option 1 - Requires a bachelor’s degree with a minimum of three college‑level accounting courses as well as one year of relevant experience. Government audit experience preferred.
• Option 2 - Education may be substituted with experience. Total experience must be 5‑years of business or relevant experience, of which a minimum of 2‑years in accounting/auditing is required. Government audit experience preferred.
• Option 3 - Any equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.

Job Qualification Requirement: Assistant State Auditor 3 ($6,384 - $8,583)

• Option 1 - Requires a bachelor's degree and completion of at least three college‑level accounting classes and two years of relevant experience. Government audit experience preferred.
• Option 2 - Education may be substituted with experience. Total experience must be 6‑years of relevant experience, of which a minimum of 3‑years in accounting or auditing is required. Government audit experience preferred.
• Option 3 - Any equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.

Make a difference; find your purpose; join Team SAO! To hear what others have to say about working at SAO, click here.

Applicants should expect to be onsite at our Bellevue Office regularly throughout the duration of their initial onboarding and training. While we offer a flexible/hybrid environment, telework opportunities will be limited until staff progress further on in their career.

Candidates using a degree awarded outside the United States to qualify, must include a credential evaluation report. Applications that require a credential evaluation report and do not include one will be disqualified.

If you are a US Veteran and would like to apply for Veteran's Preference, attach a copy of Form DD214 military record showing qualifying discharge.

Questions may be directed to the applications unit at [e-mail].

The Office of the Washington State Auditor is an equal opportunity employer.

Persons with a disability, who need assistance in the application or testing process, or who need this announcement in an alternative format, may call [phone] or via the telecommunications relay service by dialing 7-1-1.