Director, Audit Services

APS; Phoenix (AZ); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Arizona Public Service Company seeks a Director of Audit Services to lead independent, risk-based assurance and advisory activities, improving governance, risk management and controls across the organization.

Responsibilities include developing the audit strategy, overseeing detailed plans, and guiding a high-performing team while leveraging technology, analytics, and AI to enhance audit quality and efficiency.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting or related field required.
• Ten+ years of diverse accounting or auditing experience.
• Five+ years leadership experience managing high performing teams.
• Deep knowledge of electric utility industry and related business issues.
• Ability to stay independent while partnering across the organization.
• Strong judgment with confidential matters and issue escalation.
• Excellent communication and Board-level engagement skills.
• Strong project management and process improvement focus.

Responsibilities

• Plan and set strategies and goals for Audit Services aligning with company objectives.
• Oversee detailed audit plans to ensure comprehensive coverage of internal controls.
• Lead audits across areas such as financials, regulatory matters, operations, IT, cybersecurity and SOX.
• Develop and coach a high-performing audit team.
• Coordinate annual risk-based audit plan and report metrics to Audit Committee.
• Benchmark against industry best practices and coordinate with external auditors.
• Drive use of data analytics, automation and AI to improve audit quality and efficiency.
• Plan and control costs and budget for the area.

Skills

Leadership

Auditing

Accounting

Industry knowledge

Communication

Project management

MS Office

Power BI

Copilot

CPA/CIA/CISA

Education

Bachelor’s degree in accounting or related field

Master’s degree

CPA/CIA/CISA preferred

Tools

AutoAudit

Job description

Select how often (in days) to receive an alert:

Arizona Public Service generates reliable, affordable and clean energy for 2.7 million Arizonans. Our service territory stretches across the state, from the border town of Douglas to the vistas of the Grand Canyon, from the solar fields of Gila Bend to the ponderosa pines of Payson. As the state’s largest and longest-serving energy provider, our more than 6,000 dedicated employees power our vision of creating a sustainable energy future for Arizona.

Since our founding in 1886, APS has demonstrated a strong commitment to our customers in one of the country’s fastest growing states, earning a reputation for customer satisfaction, shareholder value, operational excellence and business integrity.

Our present and future success depends on the creative and dedicated people of our company who demonstrate the principles outlined in the APS Promise: Design for Tomorrow, Empower Each Other and Succeed Together.

Summary

With direct accountability to the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors, and reporting administratively to the Chief Financial Officer, the Director of Audit Services is responsible for providing independent, objective risk-based assurance and consulting activities designed to add value and improve Company operations. Develop and implement the overall strategy to help the organization accomplish its objectives by bringing a systematic, disciplined approach to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of governance, risk management, and control processes.

• Bachelor’s Degree in accounting or related field.
• Ten (10+) years of diverse accounting or auditing experience or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Five (5+) years’ experience in a leadership role with proven ability to develop and manage high performing teams.
• In depth knowledge of the electric utility industry and associated business issues.
• Ability to remain independent and objective while also demonstrating an ability to partner across all areas within the organization to add value to its operations.
• Must demonstrate sound judgment and discretion with confidential and sensitive matters and the ability to silently difficult issues to an appropriate level to ensure they are adequately addressed.
• Strong critical thinking and creativity skills along with the ability to exercise sound judgment by making decisions based on accurate and timely analyses.
• Effective communication demonstrated through written communications and presentations skills, including capacity for strong Board-level and executive engagement.
• Strong project management and process improvement focus.
• Proficiency with Microsoft applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Copilot, and Power BI.

PREFERRED:

• Master’s Degree is highly preferred.
• CPA/CIA/CISA preferred.
• Experience with AutoAudit or similar software is preferred.

Major Accountabilities

1) Plan, evaluate and recommend strategies, programs, policies and processes for Audit Services department that align and support the Company’s overall business objectives. Develop and manage the setting and achievement of long-term and annual department goals that support company-wide business plans.

2) Provide direction and oversight in the preparation of detailed audit plans and programs to ensure audits are comprehensive in scope to sufficiently assess the Company’s system of internal controls. Also understand the Company’s risk profile with the ability to discern risk levels and develop the annual audit plan to provide coverage of the higher level risks, partnering with the Enterprise Risk Management program and engaging the enterprise Executive Risk Committee.

3) General areas of audit emphasis may include but not necessarily be limited to: financial information; anti-fraud; regulatory matters; Generation, Transmission, Distribution, and Palo Verde Operations; environmental, health, and safety compliance; power dispatch, fuel procurement, and hedging; information systems development, implementation, and security; customer experience; cybersecurity; Sarbanes‑Oxley; and, jointly owned facilities cost settlements.

4) Select and develop a high performing team through effective coaching, performance feedback, recognition, training and developmental opportunities.

5) Coordinate and administer an annual risked based audit plan. Develop and track department metrics with reporting to the Audit Committee and management.

6) As appropriate, lead and direct the proactive management and understanding of industry's best practices and technology trends, lead benchmarking efforts and provide insight to executive levels. Coordination with industry peers and Company’s external auditors is important in these efforts.

7) Lead department efforts to utilize technology to improve the quality and efficiency of audit projects. This could include, but is not limited to, data analytics, automation, and artificial intelligence.

8) Plan, implement and control the cost and budget in the area of responsibility and initiate actions in cases of deviations.

Export Compliance / EEO Statement

This position may require access to and/or use of information subject to control under the Department of Energy's Part 810 Regulations (10 CFR Part 810), the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) (15 CFR Parts 730 through 774), or the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) (22 CFR Chapter I, Subchapter M Part 120) (collectively, 'U.S. Export Control Laws'). Therefore, some positions may require applicants to be a U.S. person, which is defined as a U.S. Citizen, a U.S. Lawful Permanent Resident (i.e. 'Green Card Holder'), a Political Asylee, or a Refugee under the U.S. Export Control Laws. All applicants will be required to confirm their U.S. person or non-US person status. All information collected in this regard will only be used to ensure compliance with U.S. Export Control Laws, and will be used in full compliance with all applicable laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis of national origin and other factors. For positions at Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Stations (PVNGS) all openings will require applicants to be a U.S. person.
Pinnacle West Capital Corporation and its subsidiaries and affiliates ('Pinnacle West') maintain a continuing policy of nondiscrimination in employment. It is our policy to provide equal opportunity in all phases of the employment process and in compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations. This policy of nondiscrimination shall include, but not be limited to, recruiting, hiring, promoting, compensating, reassigning, demoting, transferring, laying off, recalling, terminating employment, and training for all positions without regard to race, color, religion, disability, age, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, protected veteran status, or any other classification or characteristic protected by law.
For more information on applicable equal employment regulations, please refer to EEO is the Law poster. Federal law requires all employers to verify the identity and employment eligibility of every person hired to work in the United States, refer to E-Verify poster. View the employee rights and responsibilities under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
In compliance with the Drug Free Workplace Act of 1988, the Company is committed to a work environment that is free from the effects of alcohol and controlled substances, and free from the abuse or inappropriate use of prescribed and over-the-counter medications. The Company requires employees to be subject to drug and alcohol testing that is job-related and consistent with business necessity, regulatory requirements and applicable laws.

Hybrid:Employees in hybrid roles work both in their home offices (virtually) and alongside their colleagues (in person).

In order for employees to build strong relationships and to promote meaningful in-person interactions, hybrid employees are expected to work about 40% of their time in-person at an APS or other (non-home office) location.

• Employees are expected to reside in Arizona (or New Mexico for Four Corners-based employees).
• Working from a home office requires adequate technology and an appropriate ergonomic set up.
• Role types are subject to change based on business need.

Job Segment: Sustainability, Nuclear, Energy