Assistant Director

Summary

The Division of Examinations is seeking a Supervisory Staff Accountant(Assistant Director), SK-0510-17 in the Office of FINRA and Securities Industry Oversight (FSIO).

As an Assistant Director, you will join a well-respected team that is responsible for supporting EXAMS' mission to conduct and coordinate the examination program for certain SROs over which the Commission has regulatory authority.

Duties

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If selected, you will join a well-respected team that is responsible for supporting EXAMS' mission to conduct and coordinate the examination program for certain SROs over which the Commission has regulatory authority.

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

• Planning and assigning work, advise on program goals and objectives, making decisions on work problems, and organizing and monitoring the flow of work for the assigned programs in order to achieve the most effective results within a complex environment;
• Directing staff performing extensive and extremely complex inspections or examinations, working with the field offices, reviewing reports and recommendations;
• Providing advice on novel questions, analyzing industry trends, and following-up to ensure that recommendations are implemented by the industry; Attend and participate, in meetings and conferences where crucial policy formulation, procedural development, and program planning matters are discussed and agency positions developed;
• Providing executive leadership and management of the staff and work products by maintaining and exhibiting knowledge, insight, and understanding of the assigned specialized segment of the market; monitoring new or unchartered marketing or financial techniques and developments that impacts SEC decisions; and
• Representing the agency in high level meetings, conferences, and presentations involving a wide range of participants such as regulatory or law enforcement agencies; state, local, national, or international government offices; private industry; and the academic community.

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.
• The selectee is required to report to the duty station(s) listed.
• Typical Examiner Travel: Examination staff routinely travel to the offices of registered entities to conduct on-site inspections of facilities, to meet with and interview entity personnel, and to examine certain business records

Qualifications

Time-in-grade for this announcement is one year at the GS/SK-14 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 level . Specialized experience includes:

1. Reviewing and applying knowledge of federal securities laws, Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), and Generally Accepted Auditing Standards (GAAS); AND
2. Leading teams of staff with varying backgrounds (e.g., legal, accounting, examining); AND
3. Identifying emerging risks and issues affecting Self-Regulatory Organizations (SROs) and broker dealers.

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

• Competency 1: Examwork: Effectively conducts examwork activities (whether onsite, correspondence, etc.) in a professional manner to procure information from an entity under examination.
• Competency 2: Critical Thinking: Considers a variety of factors, general and subject matter-specific, when making decisions and determining next steps in a case.
• Competency 3: Managing Information: Ability to ensure that programs strategically utilize and share information, with some guidance.
• Competency 4 : Teamwork and Collaboration: Interacts with internal and external others in a manner that advances examinations and SEC goals and objectives.

Education

You MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Unless otherwise stated: (1) official or unofficial transcripts are acceptable, or (2) you may submit a list with all your courses, grades, semester, year, and credit for the course. If you are qualifying for this position by substituting education or training for experience, you must submit a copy of your unofficial transcripts or equivalent by the closing date of the announcement. Qualifying education must have been obtained from an accredited college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Internal Applicants: OHR will verify education qualifications for internal applicants using documents in the Electronic Official Personnel Folder (eOPF). If required transcripts or certificates are not present in your eOPF, you will be required to provide them to OHR. If selected, a start date will not be established until official transcripts are received.

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.

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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.