Audit Associate

Company: Rea
Location: Lima
Posted on: February 20, 2026

Job Description:

Job Description Job Description Rea is a growing Top 100 business advisory & accounting firm providing our clients services in tax, accounting, and business consulting. We have a ‘People First’ culture and we focus on our employees’ well-being and professional development. With over 400 professionals and locations throughout Ohio, our firm has a culture that respects a work-life balance for our team. We also provide competitive compensation and a robust benefits plan. The Audit Associate is responsible for utilizing his or her educational background as well as communication and organizational skills by assisting with the preparation of financial statements with disclosures, applying basic areas of GAAP as necessary, documenting and research. This position will focus on Assurance. Responsibilities GAAP Applies knowledge and understanding of governing principles; applying these principles to client transactions; and documenting and communicating an understanding and application of these principles by: Providing support of conclusions with authoritative literature Drafting basic sets of financial statements with disclosures Researching intermediate areas of accounting and forming an initial opinion on the correct treatment independently GAAS Applies knowledge and understanding of professional standards; application of the principles contained in professional standards; and the ability to document and communicate an understanding and application of professional standards on an engagement by: Developing and applying an intermediate knowledge of auditing theory, a sense of audit skepticism, and the use of Rea audit manuals Applying auditing theory to various client situations Documenting in line with Rea policy, identifying deviations and notifying more senior team members in order to obtain appropriate approvals Applying knowledge to identify instances where testing may be reduced or expanded and notifying more senior team members of the occurrence Contributing ideas/opinions to the engagement teams Control Environment Applies knowledge and understanding of the collective effect of various factors on establishing or enhancing effectiveness, or mitigating the risks, of specific policies and procedures by: Identifying and considering all applicable policies, laws, rules, and regulations of the firm, regulators, or other authoritative bodies as part of engagement team Making constructive suggestions to improve client internal controls and accounting procedures Documenting and validating the operating effectiveness of the clients’ internal control system Methodology Applies knowledge and application of Rea standards to guide effective and efficient delivery of quality services and products by: Completing all appropriate documentation of Rea work papers Ensuring assigned work is performed in accordance with Rea methodology and requirements Research Applies methodology used to seek or maintain information from authoritative sources and to draw conclusions regarding a target issue based on the information by: Researching basic and intermediate accounting topics and forming an initial opinion on the treatment independently Other duties as required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Strong written and verbal communication skills Ability to follow instructions as directed Ability to work effectively in a team setting Takes appropriate actions without being asked Seeks advice of appropriate superiors regarding issues related to compliance Basic understanding and experience planning and coordinating the stages to perform an audit of a private company Ability and willingness to travel, as needed Knowledge of internal accounting controls and professional standards and regulations (GAAP, GAAS) Ability to successfully multi-task while working independently and within a group environment Capable of working in a demanding, deadline driven environment with a focus on details and accuracy Requirements Bachelors degree in Accounting or other relevant field required Masters in Accountancy or other relevant field preferred Leadership experience preferred Accounting based internship preferred Eligible to sit for the CPA exams upon starting employment required CPA preferred Ability to travel as needed Benefits Rea offers a wide variety of benefits to help support our employees' health, wellness and financial goals. Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental & Vision) Retirement Plan (401k) Life Insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&D) Paid Time Off (Vacation, Sick & Holidays) Four (4) weeks PTO Twelve (12) paid holidays, of which three (3) are floating holidays Family Leave (Maternity, Paternity) Short Term & Long Term Disability Training & Development Wellness Resources Rea does not accept unsolicited resumes from individual recruiters or third-party recruiting agencies without pre-approval from Rea’s Talent team. Pre-approval is required before any external candidate can be submitted. Rea will not be responsible for fees related to unsolicited resumes and for candidates who are sent directly to our hiring managers.

Keywords: Rea, Kettering , Audit Associate, Accounting, Auditing , Lima, Ohio