Summary

The Division of Enforcement is seeking a Supervisory Staff Accountant(Assistant Director). As an Assistant Director, you will be exercising broad responsibility for planning, directing, and coordinating the work of a professional staff engaged in the SEC's Enforcement program.

Duties

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In this role as a Assistant Director, you will be responsible for:

• Supervising team of accountants involved in accountant and audit investigations, including leading detailed reviews of audit workpapers, financial statements, and related documentation to identify potential violations of applicable laws and standards.
• Analyzing complex auditing and accounting issues involving significant audit deficiencies, financial restatements, independence failures, and noncompliance with professional standards.
• Providing technical guidance, drafting and review of written team work product, including auditing and accounting analyses that support enforcement recommendations.
• Leading and developing professional staff, including all aspects of managerial oversight and process improvement activities.
• Coordinating with attorneys, analysts, and other professionals throughout the enforcement process.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• CITZENSHIP: You must be a US Citizen.
• SELECTIVE SERVICE: Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see https://www.sss.gov/).
• DRUG TESTING: This position may be subjected to drug testing requirements.
• PERMANENT CHANGE OF STATION (PCS): Moving/Relocation expenses are not authorized.
• DIRECT DEPOSIT: All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.
• SUPERVISORY PROBATIONARY PERIOD: This appointment may require completion of a two year supervisory/managerial probationary period.
• If selected, you may receive a salary increase for the duration of the temporary promotion. You will be returned to your original salary at the end of the appointment.
• The selectee is required to report to the duty station(s) listed.

Qualifications

Time-in-grade for this announcement is one year at the GS/SK-14/15 level.

Applicants are responsible for confirming all required materials are submitted by the closing date of the announcement. Please check the HowYou Will Be Evaluated and Required Documents sections carefully, as missing documents will render the application incomplete and ineligible for review.

Qualifying experience may be obtained in the private or public sector. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

BASIC REQUIREMENT:

A. Degree: accounting; or a degree in a related field such as business administration, finance, or public administration that included or was supplemented by 24 semester hours in accounting. The 24 hours may include up to 6 hours of credit in business law. (The term "accounting" means "accounting and/or auditing" in this standard. Similarly, "accountant" should be interpreted, generally, as "accountant and/or auditor.")

OR

B. Combination of education and experience: at least 4 years of experience in accounting, or an equivalent combination of accounting experience, college-level education, and training that provided professional accounting knowledge. The applicant's background must also include one of the following:

1. Twenty-four semester hours in accounting or auditing courses of appropriate type and quality. This can include up to 6 hours of business law;
2. A certificate as Certified Public Accountant or a Certified Internal Auditor, obtained through written examination; or
3. Completion of the requirements for a degree that included substantial course work in accounting or auditing, e.g., 15 semester hours, but that does not fully satisfy the 24-semester-hour requirement of paragraph A, provided that (a) the applicant has successfully worked at the full-performance level in accounting, auditing, or a related field, e.g., valuation engineering or financial institution examining; (b) a panel of at least two higher level professional accountants or auditors has determined that the applicant has demonstrated a good knowledge of accounting and of related and underlying fields that equals in breadth, depth, currency, and level of advancement that which is normally associated with successful completion of the 4-year course of study described in paragraph A; and (c) except for literal nonconformance to the requirement of 24 semester hours in accounting, the applicant's education, training, and experience fully meet the specified requirements.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENT: In addition to meeting the basic requirement, applicants must also meet the minimum qualification requirement

SK-17: Applicant must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS/SK-14/15 level: Specialized experience must include three of the following:

1. Reviewing and applying knowledge of federal securities laws, Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), Generally Accepted Auditing Standards (GAAS).
2. Identifying and analyzing significant audit & accounting deficiencies and experience guiding the investigative processes, strategies, and tools to perform detailed analysis, and draw conclusions.
3. Preparing or reviewing memoranda that clearly explain auditing and accounting findings for use in internal or external inspection findings, enforcement investigations, or disciplinary contexts.
4. Translating issues into clear narratives suitable for senior leadership review and to inform policy direction.
5. Leading or influencing multidisciplinary teams (accountants, attorneys, financial analysts, or other professionals) in investigative, disciplinary, or enforcement settings or as part of the internal inspection program, quality control, or risk management function of SEC registered companies.

ACCOMPLISHMENT RECORD COMPETENCIES: Your Accomplishment Record narratives should address the following competencies. See the How You Will Be Evaluated section below for more information:

• Financial Reporting and Auditor Misconduct Investigation -Identifies, analyzes, and summarizes evidence of financial fraud and other accounting and auditing-related violations of the federal securities laws.
• Technical Communication - Translates technical information into non-technical terms and accurately conveys technical information to end users (e.g., staff, management) and outside parties.
• Critical Thinking - Considers a variety of factors, general and subject matter-specific, when making decisions and determining next steps in a case.
• Program Management - Ability to develop and execute programs to deliver results that efficiently and effectively meet SEC's mission, strategic plan and goals, with little or no guidance.

Education

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs. For more information, click here.

Applicants may also find the following helpful:

National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) is an association of 19 credential evaluation services with admission standards and an enforced code of good practice.

Association of International Credentials Evaluators (AICE) is an association of 10 credential evaluation services with a board of advisors and an enforced code of ethics.

Additional information

Supplementary vacancies may be filled in addition to the number stated in this announcement and may be filled from any division or office within the agency.

SEC COMPENSATION PROGRAM: Total salary (base pay + locality) is dependent upon duty location. The overall salary range listed above is provided for informational purposes. The pay for current SEC employees will be determined according to the procedures specified in the agency's policy.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR SURPLUS OR DISPLACED FEDERAL EMPLOYEES: If you have never worked for the federal government, you are not I/CTAP eligible. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: (1) meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; the questionnaire asks you to identify your ICTAP/CTAP eligibility (2) be rated well-qualified; and, (3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. View information about I/CTAP eligibility on OPM's Career Transition Resources website.

Benefits

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.