An audit supervisor is responsible for overseeing the duties of auditors, bookkeeping and accounting personnel in a company. This is typically the person responsible for ensuring that the regulations of the company are being met in the accounting recordkeeping, but depending on the industry, the auditing supervisor also ensures that the company is abiding by federal and state laws.
Because auditors often go out into the field to do their job, the audit supervisor is responsible for planning and overseeing the visits that auditors make to client locations. The supervisor meets with the auditor who is going out into the field to audit the company to determine what the goals of the audit are.
For example, an auditor may be dispached because an employee has complained that there is abuse of the time and attendance system at the company. If this is the case, then the auditor will meet with the auditor supervisor to obtain any background information the supervisor has. The auditor and the supervisor then devise a plan for the auditor to implement while auditing the company.
Upon the return of the auditor, the auditor then provides the supervisor with a full report of their findings. The audit supervisor reviews the report and makes notes of any questions or concerns that they may have. The audit supervisor will then schedule a meeting to review the report and the findings with the auditor that was sent out into the field to complete the work.
The audit supervisor is also responsible for overseeing the daily operations of the staff of auditors. This means the supervisor reviews and oversees the work of the auditors currently working on premises or at the site of the client.
Ultimately, the audit supervisor is responsible for ensuring that all accounting and bookkeeping duties, along with auditing duties, are in compliance with the Corporate Audit Department and Institute of Internal Auditor standards.
Typically, an audit supervisor was at one time an auditor themselves. This is typical because it is sometimes necessary for the supervisors to go out into the field to work on audits as well. In some cases, the audit situations are so complex that a team must be assembled to complete the audit. One team member may include the audit supervisor, along with multiple auditors so that they can effectively and efficiently complete the audit while visiting the client’s location.