Clarification from the agency

All US Citizens

The mission of the Division of Examinations is to protect investors, ensure market integrity and support responsible capital formation through risk-focused strategies that: (1) improve compliance; (2) prevent fraud; (3) monitor risk; and (4) inform policy.

This role as a Junior Accountant - EXAMS, you will be responsible for:

• Working as a member of a team of examiners with various levels of experience and professional backgrounds to conduct examinations of registered self-regulatory organizations, investment companies, investment advisers, broker-dealers, transfer agents, and clearing agencies;
• Evaluating possible risks to investors and the financial markets of registered securities-related financial institutions' business models and practices based on review and analysis, through modern quantitative techniques when possible, of information reported by the institutions to the SEC and other internal and external data sources;
• Executing risk-based examination plans, which frequently involves: (i) analyzing a financial institution's operations and procedures, sales practices, supervisory systems, books and records, and financial statements, (ii) reviewing investigatory complaints, (iii) investigating new financial products, (iv) examining specialized securities, (v) interviewing principals of registrants, and/or (vi) analyzing performance calculations to assess the level of compliance with federal securities laws and/or self-regulatory requirements; AND
• Developing recommendations and reports, presenting and defending findings, and collaborating as required with legal staff.

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/)
• SECURITY 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.
• 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.
• Duplicative applications to this announcement over the period of time the announcement is open will not be considered.

Qualifications

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 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.

1. One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS/SK-07 level: 1) Assisting with the audits, examinations, investigations, or internal compliance reviews of federally regulated financial institutions; AND 2) Applying public accounting and auditing standards such as Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) or International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS); OR
2. A Master's or equivalent graduate degree OR 2 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree.
3. A combination of experience and education, as described above.

1. One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS/SK-09 level: 1) Assisting with the audits, examinations, investigations, or internal compliance reviews of federally regulated financial institutions; AND 2) Assisting with projects related to the control functions of a financial services firm; e.g. the review of procedures, practices, and records related to the issuance, distribution, and trading of securities, risk management, accounting treatment, capital treatment, financing structures, or assessment of risk controls; AND 3) Applying public accounting and auditing standards such as Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) or International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS); OR
2. A Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree; LL.M., or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree;
3. A combination of experience and education, as described above.

• Competency 1: Information Gathering - Ability to gather and process large amounts of information and make connections to understand possible deficiencie.
• Competency 2: Analysis and Risk Assessment - Analyzes information to assess an entity's level of risk for deficiencies in various focus areas.
• Competency 3: Examwork - Effectively conducts examwork activities (whether onsite, correspondence, etc.) in a professional manner to procure information from an entity under examination.
• Competency 4: Teamwork and Collaboration - Interacts with internal and external others in a manner that advances examinations and SEC goals and objectives.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

You will be evaluated for this position based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this announcement.

Your resume and application package will first be reviewed to determine whether you meet the minimum qualification requirements outlined in the announcement. Please do not submit an Accomplishment Record at this time.

If you are found minimally qualified, the Office of Human Resources will contact you to request an Accomplishment Record. You will have 3 business days from the date of the request to submit it. Failure to submit the Accomplishment Record on time will remove you from further consideration. A response is required even if an Accomplishment Record was submitted at time of application. Because of the short turnaround time, you are strongly encouraged to begin preparing your Accomplishment Record in advance.

Once your Accomplishment Record is received, a rating panel will review both your resume and your narrative responses. Your Accomplishment Record must clearly demonstrate your proficiency in the competencies listed in the Qualifications section.

Click here for guidance on writing your Accomplishment Record.

Your resume must provide evidence that supports the claims in your Accomplishment Record. Each narrative must describe one specific, relevant example from your experience or training. Responses are limited to 300 words per competency; any text beyond this limit will not be reviewed.

Accomplishment Record Format:

Competency Title

• Position title and dates from your resume that this experience was obtained
• Describe the situation (i.e., the challenged faced, the problem solved)
• Describe the specific actions you took
• State the outcome, results, or long-term impact of your accomplishment
• Name and email address of someone who can verify this information

Reference checks may be conducted as part of the final selection process, and you will be notified before any contacts are made.

Basis for Rating: The rating panel will evaluate applicants' accomplishment records and resume, then place them into one of the following categories:

• Highly Qualified - Meets the minimum qualification requirements and has extensive skills and experience in most of the job related competencies.
• Well Qualified - Meets the minimum qualification requirements and has a moderate amount of skills and experience in most of the job related competencies.
• Qualified - Meets the minimum qualification requirements, but may have a limited amount of experience in several of the job related competencies.