CHIEF INTERNAL AUDITOR

Job Requisition ID: 50156
Closing Date: 10/21/2025
​Agency: Department of Early Childhood
Class Title: CHIEF INTERNAL AUDITOR - 64325
Skill Option: None
Bilingual Option: None
Salary: Anticipated Starting Salary $10,000 - $12,000 monthly
Job Type: Salaried
Category: Full Time
County: Sangamon
Number of Vacancies: 1
Bargaining Unit Code: None
Merit Comp Code:

A resume is highly encouraged to evaluate your qualifications and skills as part of your application. Please attach a DETAILED Resume/Curriculum Vitae (CV) to the MY DOCUMENTS section of your application if you decide to provide one.

Position Overview:

The Illinois Department of Early Childhood (IDEC) is seeking an experienced and highly skilled professional to serve as its Chief Internal Auditor. This position is responsible for directing and overseeing a comprehensive internal audit program that ensures accountability, transparency, and compliance with federal and state requirements. The Chief Internal Auditor develops and implements the agency’s annual audit plan, conducts risk assessments, and provides independent oversight of financial reporting, fiscal operations, and program activities. The individual in this role serves as a key advisor to IDEC leadership, identifying risks, evaluating internal controls, and recommending sustainable improvements that strengthen governance, prevent fraud, and safeguard state and federal resources. The Chief Internal Auditor also establishes policies and procedures consistent with industry best practices, and serves as a liaison with the Illinois Auditor General, Central Management Services, and other oversight entities. As a strategic leader, the Chief Internal Auditor plays a vital role in advancing IDEC’s mission by promoting a culture of compliance, ethical practices, and risk-informed decision-making. This is a unique opportunity to build and shape the audit function within a new state agency dedicated to making Illinois the best place in the nation to raise a family!

Illinois Department of Early Childhood offers a robust benefit package including:

• Monday-Friday schedule
• Health, life, vision, and dental insurance
• Paid Parental leave
• Pension Plan
• Deferred Compensation, and other pre-tax benefit programs
• Employees earn (12) paid sick days annually
• (10-25) paid vacation days (based on years of service)
• Employees earn (3) paid personal days (pro-rated based on start date)
• (13-14) paid state holidays annually

Work hours and schedule will be mutually agreed upon by supervisor during the onboarding process.

Why Work for Illinois?

Working with the State of Illinois is a testament to the values of compassion, equity, and dedication that define our state. Whether you’re helping to improve schools, protect our natural resources, or support families in need, you’re part of something bigger—something that touches the lives of every person who calls Illinois home.

No matter what state career you’re looking for, we offer jobs that fit your life and your schedule—flexible jobs that provide the gold standard of benefits. Our employees can take advantage of various avenues to advance their careers and realize their dreams. Our top-tier benefits and great retirement packages can help you build a rewarding career and lasting future with the State of Illinois.

Essential Functions

• Serves as the Chief Internal Auditor for the Illinois Department of Early Childhood (IDEC).
• Develops, establishes, implements, evaluates, and maintains IDEC internal auditing policies, standards, and procedures to support proactive risk management control, accountability, transparency, economy, and efficiency to improve governance and business processes.
• Serves as a full-line supervisor.
• Monitors, evaluates, and alters implementation of audit recommendations to ensure independent and objective assurance that IDEC programs, fiscal operations, contracts, and administrative activities comply with applicable federal and state laws, regulations, policies, and internal controls.
• Applies professional audit principles to ensure internal audits are consistent with current industry best practices.
• Serves as liaison with internal/external auditors and other stakeholders, ensuring proper coverage to maximize utilization of resources.
• Performs other duties as required or assigned, which are reasonable within the scope of duties enumerated above.

Minimum Qualifications

• This position requires knowledge, skill, and mental development equivalent to four (4) years of college with coursework in public administration, accounting, auditing, business administration, or closely related fields of study.
• This position requires four (4) years of progressively responsibly professional auditing experience and certification as a Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), or four (4) years of progressively responsible professional auditing work experience and certification as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), or five (5) years of progressively responsible professional internal auditing work experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prefers five (5) years of professional work experience in a federal, state, or local government entity directing, managing, and conducting internal audit functions in compliance with the Fiscal Control and Internal Auditing Act (FCIAA), Grant Accountability and Transparency Act (GATA), and federal Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200), and Single Audit requirements.
• Prefers certification as a Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), or other recognized auditing or financial certification.
• Prefers four (4) years of professional work experience within a large public or private organization leading comprehensive internal audits, compliance reviews, and risk assessments, developing and executing risk-based audit plans, evaluating internal controls, and providing written recommendations that strengthen fiscal accountability, transparency, equity, and operational performance.
• Prefers four (4) years of professional work experience overseeing implementation of audit industry standards issued by the Illinois Auditor General, United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) Yellow Book Standards, and the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) Global Internal Audit Standards (GIAS).
• Prefers four (4) years of Internal Audit experience related to early childhood education funding streams and their compliance requirements (e.g., Child Care Development Fund/CCDF, Preschool for All, Head Start collaboration, IDEA Part B-Preschool Special Education/Part C-Early Intervention).
• Prefers four (4) years of professional work experience leveraging audit management software platforms/systems (e.g., AuditBoard, Galvanize, Resolver, MetricStream), Enterprise Resource Planning tools (e.g., SAP, Oracle PeopleSoft, Microsoft Dynamics 365), and data analytics platforms (e.g., Power BI, Tableau, Informatica).

Conditions of Employment

• Requires the ability to travel in the performance of duties, with overnight stays as appropriate.
• Requires a valid driver’s license.
• Overtime is a condition of employment, and you may be requested or required/mandated to work overtime, including scheduled, unscheduled, or last-minute overtime. This requires the ability to work evenings and weekends.
• Requires a criminal history check.
• This position has been found to meet the requirements in section 4A-101 of the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act requiring the occupant/employee to file a Statement of Economic Interest. The Illinois Governmental Ethics Act (5 ILCS 420/4A et seq.) requires certain state officials and employees to file annual Statements of Economic Interest with the Office of the Secretary of State that will be made available for examination and copying by the public. All employees required to file a Statement of Economic Interest are also required to file the Supplemental Statement of Economic Interest with the Executive Ethics Commission. (See Executive Order 15-09) Fines and penalties apply to untimely filings.
• Certain provisions of the revolving door restrictions contained in 5 ILCS 430/5-45 apply to this position. As a result, the employee should be aware that if offered non-State employment during state employment or within one year immediately after ending State employment, the employee shall, prior to accepting any such non-State employment offer, notify the Office of the Executive Inspector General for the Agencies of the Illinois Governor (OEIG) or may be subject to a fine.

The conditions of employment listed here are incorporated and related to any of the job duties as listed in the job description.

About the Agency

The Illinois Department of Early Childhood (IDEC) was signed into law in June of 2024 with the focus of making early childhood education and care services simpler, better and fairer for families with young children across the state. During fiscal years FY25 and FY26, IDEC will be working through transitioning data, programs and services from three state agencies – the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS), and the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), – to IDEC in order to be fully operational by July 2026.

Illinois strives to be the best state in the nation to raise a family with young children and IDEC is committed to continue putting children and families center while reducing complexities and finding efficiencies in the system and advancing equity.

Work Hours: Monday - Friday 8:30am-5:00pm
Work Location: 313 S 6th St Springfield, IL 62701-1805
Agency Contact: Sally McDaniel-Smith
Email: [email protected]
Phone #: 217-900-0865
Posting Group: Legal, Audit & Compliance

Revolving Door:
Certain provisions of the revolving door restrictions contained in 5 ILCS 430/5-45 apply to this position. As a result, the employee should be aware that if offered non-State employment during State employment or within one year immediately after ending State employment, the employee shall, prior to accepting any such non-State employment offer, notify the Office of the Executive Inspector General for the Agencies of the Illinois Governor (“OEIG”) or may be subject to a fine.

The main form of communication will be through email. Please check your “junk mail”, “spam”, or “other” folder for communication(s) regarding any submitted application(s). You may receive emails from the following addresses:

• [email protected]
• [email protected]