Senior Internal Auditor

ZT Automotive Group; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

ZT Automotive Group is seeking a Senior Internal Auditor to conduct comprehensive audits across its Texas, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, and Alabama dealership network. The role focuses on internal controls, regulatory compliance, and financial integrity within automotive dealership operations.

The position requires deep knowledge of GAAP, F&I practices, inventory management, and dealership-specific regulatory requirements.

Qualifications

• Experience conducting audits in automotive dealerships or complex retail environments.
• Knowledge of GAAP and internal control frameworks.
• Ability to assess process risks, control gaps, and provide actionable improvements.

Responsibilities

• Audit dealership operations across multiple states to evaluate transaction accuracy, compliance, and internal controls.
• Audit vehicle sales, desk procedures, deal structures, and pricing to verify profitability and documentation.
• Review inventory, floorplan accounting, and adjustments for accuracy and control effectiveness.
• Evaluate service and parts operations, including repairs, warranties, and inventory handling.
• Assess F&I activities, disclosures, and lender documentation for regulatory compliance.
• Prepare clear audit reports with findings and corrective action recommendations.
• Monitor remediation actions and conduct follow-up audits to ensure effectiveness.

Skills

Internal auditing

Operational auditing

Regulatory compliance

GAAP knowledge

Analytical skills

Job description

Description

The Senior Internal Auditor is responsible for conducting operational, financial, and regulatory compliance audits across ZT Automotive dealerships in Texas, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, and Alabama. This role evaluates the effectiveness of internal controls, identifies financial and operational risks, investigates discrepancies, and recommends improvements across dealership departments to strengthen compliance, accountability, and operational performance.

The position requires a comprehensive understanding of automotive dealership operations, including new and used vehicle sales, desking procedures, Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), Finance and Insurance (F&I), fixed operations, inventory management, internal controls, and dealership-specific regulatory requirements. Automotive dealership experience is highly desirable.

The Senior Internal Auditor works independently and collaboratively with dealership management and senior corporate leadership to assess risks, communicate findings, recommend corrective actions, and monitor remediation efforts. This role requires strong analytical capabilities, professional judgment, integrity, confidentiality, and regular travel across company dealership locations.

Requirements

Dealership Operations & Variable Sales Auditing

• Conduct operational and variable sales audits across dealership locations to evaluate transaction accuracy, compliance, and internal controls.
• Audit new and used vehicle transactions, including desking procedures, deal structures, deal jackets, pricing, discounts, gross profit, trade-ins, and document retention.
• Review vehicle inventory, acquisitions, transfers, floorplan accounting, and inventory adjustments.
• Identify discrepancies, unauthorized adjustments, potential fraud, and financial losses, recommending appropriate corrective actions.

Fixed Operations Auditing

• Conduct audits of service and parts operations, including inventories, reconciliations, and adjustments.
• Review repair orders, labor sales, warranty claims, internal repairs, parts inventory, returns, credits, and adjustments.
• Evaluate supporting documentation, transaction accuracy, inventory controls, and departmental profitability.

Finance & Insurance (F&I) Compliance

• Audit finance contracts, deal documentation, customer authorizations, product sales, lender funding, cancellations, refunds, and chargebacks.
• Evaluate compliance with applicable consumer finance, disclosure, privacy, and dealership-specific regulatory requirements.

General Accounting & Financial Controls

• Audit financial statements, general ledger accounts, journal entries, reconciliations, accounts payable and receivable, cash transactions, and month-end closing procedures.
• Review floorplan liabilities, manufacturer receivables, inventory balances, and intercompany transactions.
• Evaluate accounting accuracy, approval processes, segregation of duties, and financial reporting controls in accordance with established accounting standards.

Regulatory Compliance & Risk Assessment

• Evaluate dealership compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulatory requirements.
• Maintain working knowledge of regulatory requirements across Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and North Carolina, including dealership licensing, sales tax, title and registration, consumer protection, advertising, fees, privacy, and F&I practices.
• Identify compliance gaps, financial discrepancies, control weaknesses, unauthorized transactions, policy violations, and operational inefficiencies.
• Coordinate with dealership management, legal counsel, and compliance specialists as appropriate to address identified risks and deficiencies.

Audit Reporting & Corrective Action Monitoring

• Prepare clear and comprehensive audit reports outlining findings, identified risks, control deficiencies, and recommended corrective actions.
• Communicate audit findings and recommendations to dealership management and senior corporate leadership.
• Track corrective action plans and remediation efforts to ensure identified deficiencies are addressed within established timelines.
• Conduct follow-up audits to verify compliance, assess corrective action effectiveness, and support continuous improvement across dealership operations.