Financial Analyst

Summary

EBSA plays a vital role in protecting the retirement, health, and other job-based benefits of America's workers, retirees, and their families. We issue effective regulations, offer comprehensive education and assistance to workers, plan sponsors, fiduciaries, and service providers, and rigorously enforce the law. We serve workers, families, and the broader employee benefits community by protecting the security and integrity of the nation's benefit systems.

Duties

The Financial Analyst position is located in the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA), Office of Enforcement (OE), Division of Investigative Strategies (DIS). DIS's primary mission is to conduct, develop, and pursue complex investigations, with a focus on identifying new investigative approaches, issues, plans, templates, and strategies that EBSA field offices can use to pursue similar cases in the future. The Financial Analyst plans and develops enforcement policies and strategies; supports the implementation of civil enforcement programs and, when applicable, criminal enforcement matters; evaluates enforcement program effectiveness; and provides investigative support to staff who investigate private-sector employee benefit plans and service providers to protect the interests of plan participants and beneficiaries. The Analyst initiates, conducts, and coordinates primarily civil investigations of alleged violations of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). Selectee(s) will report to an assigned DOL office location on a regular basis and be eligible for telework as determined by agency policy. This is not a remote position. Offices are located in Boston, MA; New York, NY; Philadelphia, PA; Silver Spring, MD; Washington, DC; Atlanta, GA; Plantation, FL; Chicago, IL; Fort Wright, KY; Kansas City, MO; Dallas, TX; Pasadena, CA; San Francisco, CA; and Seattle, WA. Selectee will report to National Office or Regional Office, as appropriate. The advertised salary reflects the pay range for the above locations. Upon selection, salary will be set in accordance with the selectee's assigned duty location. Major duties include but are not limited to: Evaluate employee benefit plan financial activities to detect imprudent investments, improper or prohibited transactions, excessive fees, and other violations, and assess their impact on the plan's operations and financial condition. Apply ERISA and related laws (e.g., tax, securities, HIPAA, COBRA) and Federal rules of evidence to investigative analyses and case development. Coordinate, participate in technical, and often, multifaceted civil investigations of large and varied employee benefit plans, service providers, trust departments, and other financial entities having relationships and conducting transactions with ERISA-covered plans. Provide financial analytical support for investigations and examinations of selected employee benefit plans, financial institutions, service providers, and related entities. Identify and assess targets using a variety of sources and methods, including enforcement priorities, national and local emerging trends, reporting and disclosure filings, patterns of improper plan transactions, media reports, and other relevant data. Use technology and data systems to collect and analyze financial information, identify connections among entities, review large transaction datasets, and evaluate technical assets such as real estate, derivatives, and private equity. Prepare comprehensive, well-documented reports, work papers, and in-depth financial analyses of planned financial activities. Create summary exhibits, charts, and demonstratives from voluminous financial documentation for investigations and trials. Produce written analyses and recommendations (including enforcement strategies) and reports on investigation targets using databases, case files, and intelligence information. Coordinate and collaborate with investigators, attorneys, government agencies, financial institutions, service providers, and industry partners to support and conduct technical investigations. Provide classroom instruction/training on financial analysis topics and represent the agency in meetings and conferences to gain information, share best practices, and resolve problems. Support trial preparations by conducting on-site visits, interviews, records reviews and assist in identifying and preparing expert witnesses for testimony. Evaluate enforcement program effectiveness and develop/enhance enforcement strategies, policies, procedures, and new financial analysis techniques. Qualifications

You must meet the IOR (Individual Occupational Requirement) and Specialized Experience to qualify for the Financial Analyst position, as described below. For GS-14: Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level GS-13 in the Federal Service. Individual Occupational Requirements: Education: Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study in one or a combination of the following fields - finance, business administration, economics, accounting, insurance, engineering, mathematics, banking and credit, law, real estate operations, statistics, or other fields related to the position, such as agriculture, agricultural economics, farm, livestock or ranch management, or rural sociology. OR Experience: Experience such as performing financial analysis and evaluation work requiring a comprehensive knowledge of (1) corporate finance and any specialized fields of finance required such as public finance, securities, international finance, money and securities markets, investments, and banking, and (2) the financial and management structure, operations, and practices of corporate and other organizations. For the GS-14 grade level: In addition to meeting the requirements above, applicants must demonstrate 52 weeks of qualifying specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 level in the Federal service. Applicants must meet at least 4 out of the 5 statements below: Experience analyzing financial practices, transactions, and control systems to identify prohibited transactions, imprudent investments, excessive or improper fees/charges, prohibited loans, and other improper or illegal financial activities, while determining their impact on employee benefit plan operations and financial status. Experience preparing comprehensive, well-documented analytical work products (e.g., reports, work papers, charts, exhibits, and summaries) derived from financial records to create demonstratives and supporting trial preparation. Experience providing litigation support, including in-depth analysis of financial transactions, assisting in the identification and preparation of testifying expert witnesses, and testifying as a fact witness. Experience performing valuation and analysis of technical and hard-to-value assets (e.g., real estate, closely held equity, debt securities, derivatives, swaps, hedge funds, private equity) and assessing portfolio construction, performance, and risk. Experience collaborating and communicating effectively with investigators, attorneys, law enforcement, private industry, banks, insurance companies, auditors, and other government agencies.

Education

There is no substitution of education for the specialized experience at the GS-14 level for this position. Any applicant falsely claiming an academic degree from an accredited school will be subject to actions ranging from disqualification from federal employment to removal from federal service. If your education was completed at a foreign college or university, you must show comparability to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States and comparability to applicable minimum coursework requirements for this position. Click Evaluation of Foreign Education for more information. How You Will Be Evaluated

Your evaluation will be based on how well you meet the qualifications outlined in this vacancy announcement, as demonstrated through your resume and supporting documentation. You may preview application questions for this vacancy here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13084357 SME Resume Panel Review Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) will review your resume to assess your technical qualifications based on the competencies listed below. Applicants who meet the required qualifications will advance to the next stage of the hiring process. For each below competency, SME(s) will provide a rating of 0-Not Applicable, 1-Awareness, 2-Basic, 3-Intermediate, 4-Advanced, or 5-Expert based on the content of your resume. Evaluation Factors (Competencies) - All qualified applicants will be evaluated on the following key competencies: Interpersonal Skills Self Management Technical Competence Written Communication The information you provide may be verified by a review of your paid, unpaid, and volunteer, as it demonstrates the competencies or skills required for the position to be filled. Your evaluation may include an interview, reference checks, or other assessment conducted by HR specialists, subject matter experts, or panel members and may include other assessment tools (ex. interview, structured interview, written test, work sample, etc.). INFORMATION FOR ICTAP/CTAP ELIGIBLE(S) ONLY: If you are eligible for special priority selection under ICTAP/CTAP, you must be well-qualified for the position to receive consideration. ICTAP/CTAP eligible(s) will be considered well-qualified if they attain at least a rating score of 85 in a numerical rating scheme. Be sure to review the eligibility questions to reflect that you are applying as an ICTAP or CTAP eligible and submit supporting documentation. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1 year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: - your performance and conduct; - the needs and interests of the agency; - whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and - whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your 1 year probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Other Information

The mission of the Department of Labor (DOL) is to protect the welfare of workers and job seekers, improve working conditions, expand high-quality employment opportunities, and assure work-related benefits and rights for all workers. Refer to these links for more information: GENERAL INFORMATION, REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS, ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION, FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEES As a condition of employment, all personnel must undergo a background investigation for access to DOL facilities, systems, information and/or classified materials before they can enter on duty: BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION This position is inside the bargaining unit. If the duty location is within the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, the position will be included in the Local 12, AFGE bargaining unit. If the duty location is outside the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, the position will be included in the NCFLL bargaining unit. For more information, Click here for Career Ladder Promotion Information For more information, click Telework Position Information. This is not a remote work position. The selectee will report to an assigned DOL office location on a regular basis and is eligible for participation in telework as determined by management in accordance with DOL policy. Based on agency needs, additional positions may be filled using this vacancy. The Department of Labor may use certain incentives and hiring flexibilities, currently offered by the Federal government to attract highly qualified candidates. Click here for Additional Information. The Fair Chance Act (FCA) prohibits Federal agencies from requesting an applicant's criminal history information before the agency makes a conditional offer of employment. If you believe a DOL employee has violated your rights under the FCA, you may file a complaint of the alleged violation following our agency's complaint process Guidelines for Reporting Violations of the Fair Chance Act. Note: The FCA does not apply to some positions specified under the Act, such as law enforcement or national security positions. All Department of Labor employees are subject to the provisions of the Drug-Free Workplace Program under Executive Order 12564 and Public Law 100-71.