Internal Audit is an independent appraisal activity, taking place within any organization irrespective of whether it is an educational institution or any other organization for that matter. When it comes to internal audit officer in an educational institution or university, the job of the internal auditor is to assist the members of the management committee of the institution in discharging their duties and responsibilities effectively and efficiently. Pay scale for the position of Internal Audit Officer in Government jobs in India is Rs.15600-39100 plus a GP of Rs.7600.

Recent job notifications:

Internal Audit Officers were recently recruited by the following government organizations:

• Central University of Orissa

• Central University of Karnataka

• Central University of Punjab

• Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya

• Rajiv Gandhi University

Educational Qualification and experience requirement:

A candidate becomes eligible to apply for the position of Internal Audit Officer if he/she has completed Master’s degree with not less than 55% of marks or its equivalent grade in the University Grant Commission 7 point scale. In addition, candidates must possess at least five years of experience of working as a lecturer in a university or college with experience of handling academic administration. Otherwise, they must also possess comparable experience in any other institution of higher education/research establishment. Even candidates with five years administrative experience of working as Assistant Registrar in looking after accounts and finance becomes eligible to apply for the position of Internal Audit Officer in government-run institutions and universities in India. In case, the candidates has completed SAS/CA/ICWA/MBA (Finance)/M. Com, it will be an added advantage among the other applicants for the position of internal audit officer.

Age requirement:

Since experienced candidates alone are selected for the position of Internal Audit Officer, the upper age limit for this position is fixed to be 62 years in most of the universities.

Duties & responsibilities of an Internal Audit Officer:

Some of the duties of an internal audit officer are given below:

• Conducting of risk assessment for the development of annual internal audit plans

• Occasionally lead or perform special reviews/lead audits pertaining to complex and large operations to meet the individual and project accountabilities

• Identify, allocate and perform tasks, consolidating results, controlling assignment/audit resources, monitor/co-ordinate work and any other duties as assigned by the higher authorities of the institution

• Preparation of risk-based reviews and audits

• Executing and planning of assignments according to the internal audit policy of the institution/university

In short, internal audit officer will have to go beyond the financial and accounting records in obtaining a full understanding of the operations of the institution or university for which he/she is appointed.

Skills to be possessed:

To become a successful internal auditor, candidates appointed for this position should have the following skills:

• Proactive management of conflicts during sensitive situations

• He/she should be able to apply balanced and sound judgment to ensure compliance with internal audit policy

• Effective oral and written communication for publishing audit reports in an understandable manner

• Participation in multiple tasks and projects with constantly evolving issues and changing priorities

Thus, Internal Audit Officer is a crucial position with lots of responsibilities.