Financial Reporting and Accounting Unit Accountant

In this role as a Financial Reporting and Accounting Unit Accountant you will be responsible for:

• Conducting complex investigations involving potential violations of the federal securities laws which may include public company financial reporting violations accountant and auditor failures violations of Sarbanes-Oxley standards auditor independence violations and fundamental audit quality failures as well as public company accounting and financial disclosures under the federal securities laws.
• Developing and executing investigative and litigation strategies including identifying and marshalling relevant evidence assessing auditor accountant and company conduct and evaluating compliance with relevant professional auditing and accounting standards.
• Working alongside Division of Enforcement and Unit attorneys to draft subpoenas and document requests; questioning witnesses - including auditors audit committee members and company executives - through interviews testimony or depositions; analyzing documentary and testimonial evidence to assess potential violations; and preparing litigation-related documents as needed.
• Preparing high-quality work product demonstrating command of relevant accounting and auditing standards and the federal securities laws including using sound judgment to evaluate evidence identify patterns of audit or accounting failure or disclosure misconduct and synthesize complex financial and legal information to reach well-supported conclusions.
• Collaborating effectively with Commission staff Division attorneys and accountants both the Commissions and the Division of Enforcements Offices of the Chief Accountant and other regulatory bodies as well as communicating with courts opposing counsel and private industry representatives.
• Managing multiple complex investigations simultaneously setting priorities and developing innovative legal strategies to address novel questions of accounting auditing and financial disclosure law.

• CITZENSHIP: You must be a US Citizen.
• SELECTIVE SERVICE: Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see CLEARANCE: Entrance on duty is contingent upon completion of a pre-employment security investigation. Favorable results on a Background Investigation may be a condition of employment or selection to another position.
• 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.
• PROBATIONARY PERIOD: This appointment may require completion of a one-year probationary period.
• The selectee is required to report to the duty station(s) listed.

Time-in-grade for this announcement is one year at the GS/SK-13 level.

Applicants are responsible for confirming all required materials are submitted by the closing date of the announcement. Please check the How You 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 applicants 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 applicants education training and experience fully meet the specified requirements.