External Audit - FSO Blockchain - Senior

As a Senior External Audit professional at EY, you will join the Digital Asset Research Center, an innovative team of software developers, financial auditors and technology consultants dedicated to delivering Assurance services to companies that hold and transact in digital assets. You will research public blockchains, smart contracts and digital assets while serving clients across the digital asset ecosystem, including exchanges, custodians, miners/validators, payment providers, investment managers and broker-dealers.

What you'll do

• Serve as a trusted digital asset assurance subject matter expert for audit and advisory engagements with material digital asset exposure, supporting every stage of the audit cycle.
• Support audit teams by designing and executing audit procedures over digital assets, including existence, valuation, rights and obligations, completeness, and presentation/disclosures.
• Lead and perform digital asset evaluations, including research, documentation, and analysis of blockchain-based assets, protocols, smart contracts, and associated audit risks impacting financial reporting.
• Interpret blockchain transaction data and independently verify on-chain activity using public block explorers, internal analytics, and specialist methodologies to obtain audit-ready evidence and conclusions.
• Collaborate with engagement teams, managers, and senior leadership to translate technical blockchain concepts into clear, audit-relevant conclusions, including risk assessments, scoping, and documentation support.
• Contribute to the development and enhancement of custom tooling, methodologies, and leading practices, including automation and blockchain analytics, to improve audit quality, consistency, and efficiency.
• Stay current on emerging industry trends, protocols, custody models, evolving regulatory frameworks, and leading practices in this fast-growing area and proactively identify opportunities to apply new practices to active engagements.
• Work effectively with cross-functional client service teams with diverse skills and backgrounds, teaming effectively and fostering an innovative and inclusive environment while meeting deadlines and quality expectations.

What you bring

• Bachelor's degree or higher in Accounting, Finance, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field.
• 2+ years of experience in external audit, assurance, or a related professional services role.
• Certified Public Accountant (CPA) certification, or eligibility to sit for the CPA exams with demonstrated progress toward passing the exams.
• Strong understanding of audit fundamentals, including financial statement assertions, risk assessment, control and information produced by the entity (IPE) concepts.
• Experience auditing public companies, banks, digital asset exchanges, or financial services including venture capital and hedge funds.
• Experience using audit documentation software.
• Foundational knowledge of blockchain technology, including a working understanding of wallet/address structures and transaction mechanics (such as interpreting on-chain details including transactions, quantity, and timing), smart contract and DeFi concepts and how they can hold/transfer value, and custody/private key management models.
• Ability to analyze blockchain data and reconcile on-chain activity to client records.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills for technical writing and client presentations.
• Intellectual curiosity and willingness to continuously learn in a rapidly changing digital asset landscape.
• Ability and willingness to travel and work in excess of standard hours when necessary.
• Access to reliable transportation to and from EY offices and client sites; a driver's license is strongly recommended.

Nice to have

• Auditing or supporting audits involving digital assets, cryptocurrencies, or blockchain-based transactions.
• SOX reporting and control environments related to digital asset companies.

What we offer

• Base salary range: $79,200 to $130,600 across most US locations; $95,000 to $148,500 for New York City Metro Area, Washington State, and California (excluding Sacramento). Salaries within these ranges are determined by education, experience, knowledge, skills and geography.
• Comprehensive benefits including medical and dental coverage, pension and 401(k) plans, and paid time off options.
• Hybrid work model: most people in external, client-serving roles work in person 40-60% of the time over the course of an engagement, project or year.
• Flexible vacation policy where you decide how much vacation time you need based on your personal circumstances, plus designated EY Paid Holidays, Winter/Summer breaks, Personal/Family Care, and other leaves of absence to support your physical, financial, and emotional well-being.

About EY

EY is building a better working world by creating new value for clients, people, society and the planet while building trust in capital markets. Enabled by data, AI and advanced technology, EY teams work across assurance, consulting, tax, strategy and transactions in more than 150 countries and territories.