Director, Performance Audits

National Science Foundation

$120K — $150K *
Education, Government & Non-Profit
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in accounting, auditing, or related field with auditing courses.
  • Four years of relevant experience in accounting or auditing, or equivalent education and experience.
  • Experience in planning and executing performance audits within an Office of Inspector General (OIG).
  • Knowledge of Generally Accepted Government Audit Standards (GAGAS).
  • Strong communication skills to brief senior management and stakeholders.

Responsibilities

  • Plan and coordinate the NSF's audit program for effectiveness and efficiency.
  • Develop audit methodologies and work plans across various audit types.
  • Review audit reports to ensure actionable recommendations are presented.
  • Oversee compliance audits of grantee institutions relating to federal regulations.
  • Direct audit teams in assessing operational vulnerabilities and recommendations.

Benefits

  • Comprehensive benefits package available for employees and families.
  • Access to federal careers offers rewarding long-term benefits.
  • Eligibility for benefits depends on position type: full-time, part-time, or intermittent.
Full Job Description
Summary

This position is the Director of the Performance Audits team in the U.S. National Science Foundation's Office of Inspector General (OIG).

Duties

Help

Major Duties

  • Plan, direct, and coordinate a comprehensive audit program to ensure the economy, efficiency, and effectiveness of NSF's programs, operations, and processes.
  • Lead development of audit scope, objectives, methodologies, and work plans for performance, financial, operational, and compliance audits.
  • Serve as a technical advisor, reviewing audit reports and other audit products, developing and planning audits and reviews, ensuring relevant and actionable audit recommendations are made and implemented, and establishing OIG audit policies and procedures.
  • Oversee the auditing of NSF grantee institutions for compliance with federal cost principles and administrative requirements.
  • Oversee the performance of quality assurance reviews of Certified Public Accountant (CPA) audits of grantee institutions performed under the Single Audit Act.
  • Direct audit teams in the planning and implementation of audits and evaluations of agency programs to assess vulnerabilities in operations, processes, and systems.
  • Lead the review of policies, procedures, regulations, manuals, and guidelines to identify areas of vulnerability that may result in financial recoveries and savings in agency programs and operations.
  • Oversee analysis and evaluation of the effectiveness of programs or operations in meeting established goals and objectives.
  • Review audit reports and products to ensure the findings, conclusions, and recommendations are accurate, supportable, and actionable.
  • Work with key agency management officials to provide precise guidance on how to improve their operations' efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
  • Ensure adherence to professional audit standards and requirements.
  • Monitor and evaluate audit work plans, assignments, and outcomes to ensure quality, timeliness, and strategic alignment with OIG priorities.
  • Plan work to be accomplished by subordinate auditors; set priorities; and assign work to subordinates based on priorities, complexity, and staff capabilities.
  • Evaluate staff performance, provide coaching and counseling, and address administrative and work-related concerns.
  • Identify employee developmental and training needs and provide or arrange the necessary development and training.
  • Represent the Assistant Inspector General for Audit in meetings, conferences, and consultations with high-level officials and professional organizations.


Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYEMENT:

  • You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
  • Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
  • You may be subject to a background/security investigation
  • Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID-compliant cannot be used as acceptable forms of identification for employment.
  • This is a positive education position. Transcripts are required to be considered for this position.
  • You must meet all eligibility requirements within thirty days of the date the announcement closes and continue to meet these requirements throughout the hiring process. Offers can be rescinded if requirements are not met.
  • You will not need a clearance to accept this position, but you must be able to obtain a clearance if needed.
  • If you are a current federal employee holding a General Schedule (GS) position, you must meet the time-in-grade requirements.


All online applicants must provide a valid email address. If your email address is inaccurate or your mailbox is full/blocked, you may not receive important communication that could affect your consideration for this position.

Qualifications

BASIC REQUIREMENTS

  1. Degree: accounting, auditing, or a degree including auditing courses 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.
    OR
  2. 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 a 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.


To qualify at the GS-15 level, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-14 level in the Federal service.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE:

To qualify at the GS-15 level,you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-14 level in the Federal service that includes:

Experience in planning and executing complex performance audits of major agency programs and activities within an Office of Inspector General (OIG), and ensuring that audit work is conducted in accordance with Generally Accepted Government Audit Standards (GAGAS). Also, has experience briefing reports and findings to senior OIG leadership, agency management, officials, and other major stakeholders.

This experience must be fully supported and articulated in your resume to receive consideration. Please do not cut and paste the specialized experience from this announcement into your resume, as this will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.

TIME-IN-GRADE: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-14 position, you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-13. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate that you possess one year of time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one year of time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. Do not submit an award SF-50. It is highly recommended that multiple SF-50s are submitted to verify time-in-grade requirements are met.

Education

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

Additional information

Relocation Expenses will not be paid.This is a non-bargaining unit position.

This announcement may be used to fill similar positions in other organizations within the National Science Foundation and other federal agencies, including OIG offices.

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP): If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP or CTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your ICTAP or CTAP eligibility; 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement; and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified, you must meet the following: OPM qualification requirements for the position, all selective factors, where applicable; special OPM-approved qualifying conditions for the position; be physically qualified with reasonable accommodation, where appropriate, to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry; and receive a rating of at least "Very Good" on the questionnaire. You must provide proof of eligibility with your application to receive selection priority. Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of ICTAP or CTAP eligibility, or a copy of your separation personnel action form. Additional information regarding ICTAP or CTAP eligibility is available from OPM's Career Transition Resources.

Veteran's Preference:
If you are entitled to veterans' preference, you should indicate the type of veterans' preference you are claiming on your resume. Your veterans' preference entitlement will be verified by the employing agency. For 5-point veterans' preference, please provide your DD-214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty), official statement of service from your command if you are currently on active duty, or other official documentation (e.g., documentation of receipt of a campaign badge or expeditionary medal) that proves your military service was performed under honorable conditions. For 10-point veterans' preference, please submit a Standard Form (SF) 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, DD-214, and the VA letter or other required documentation as specified on the SF-15.

Expand Hide additional information

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Benefits

Help

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.

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. Learn more about federal 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.

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.

Similar Jobs

More Jobs at National Science Foundation

More Education, Government & Non-Profit Jobs

Find similar Director, Performance Audits jobs: