Become an Auditor or Program Analyst

Office of Inspector General auditors and analysts support OIG’s mission by conducting audits of foreign assistance programs, activities, and operations spanning agriculture and food security, democracy and governance, economic growth, education, the environment, global health, and other areas. Audits identify ways to improve programs and operations so the agencies we oversee can be more responsive to the needs of U.S. policymakers, the American public, and people throughout the world. Audits typically examine programs and management systems, financial statements, grant recipients’ and contractors’ financial information, and information technology systems.

Where would I work?

That would depend on the type of government service:

  • Civil Service employees are based in Washington, DC, but may travel to overseas locations for temporary assignments lasting about 2 to 4 weeks.
  • Foreign Service employees spend the majority of their careers living and working overseas. OIG currently operates audit offices with Foreign Service personnel in these overseas locations:
    • Bangkok, Thailand
    • Cairo, Egypt
    • Dakar, Senegal
    • Frankfurt, Germany
    • Islamabad, Pakistan
    • Manila, Philippines
    • Pretoria, South Africa
    • San Salvador, El Salvador

What would I do as an auditor/analyst?

  • Research topics related to the programs to be audited to plan and execute the audit.
  • Participate in conferences with the audited agency’s senior management officials at the start and end of each engagement.
  • Analyze and evaluate narrative, financial, and statistical reports and program and other data provided by the auditee to assess program effectiveness and efficiency and develop recommendations for improvement.
  • Prepare and administer questionnaires and summarize results.
  • Prepare questions for and document interviews with Federal agency officials and program recipients to collect information about the program under audit.
  • Prepare work papers that will support audit findings and conclusions
  • Use audit software to document audit steps and milestones and store official records.

What kind of education or credentials would I need?

Our audit staff have experience and education in many fields:

  • Accounting
  • Auditing
  • Business Management
  • Computer Science
  • Economics
  • Information Security
  • Information Systems
  • Information Systems Management
  • International Relations
  • Journalism
  • Political Science
  • Public Administration
  • Statistics