Associate Chief Financial Officer

Summary This position is designated as SES, Career-Reserved. USDA structures its SES positions into position levels. This is a position level II with a salary range of $204,122 to $216,010 per year. Exceptions to the salary cap may be considered in certain circumstances. SES employees are also eligible to receive bonuses and performance-based awards. Visit http://www.opm.gov/ses/ for additional information and benefits for SES employees. Responsibilities Lead compliance operations and establish accounting and auditing policies and procedures for RD loan and grant programs as well as ensuring consistency and reliability in the financial information upon which lending decisions are made. Provides expert financial, accounting and auditing advice to the CFO, each mission area Administrator and the Under Secretary for RD, as well as other senior level staff of the agency on utility, cooperative and other accounting issues. Directs and coordinates the financial activities relating to the development and maintenance of internal controls related to the operation of a multi- hundred-billion-dollar loan portfolio accounting system. Develops policies, methods, and procedures for loan and grant acc’ting functions to meet goals and objectives of the CFO effectively and efficiently supporting compliance with OMB Circ A-123 internal control objectives and laws and regs for RD. Provide the agency with an independent assessment of the overall operations of the loan and grant programs administered by RD. Provides policy direction to the staff of professional accountants and leads loan and grant fund and accounting reviews, including annual Certified Public Accountant (CPA) audit reports for active borrowers. Provides expert oversight and monitoring for the entire RD loan portfolio in terms of accounting and audit standards and criteria to help ensure that loans and grants are sound, secure, and supportable. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications The application process used to recruit for this position is RESUME-ONLY. DO NOT submit separate Executive Core Qualifications/Technical Qualifications in lieu of a resume. 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. Candidates will not be hired based on their race, sex, color, religion, or national origin. To meet the minimum qualification requirements for this position, you must show that you possess the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQ) and Technical Qualifications (TQ) related to this position within your resume - NOT TO EXCEED 2 PAGES using 0.8-inch margins and 11-point font. Resumes over the 2-page limit, will not be reviewed beyond page 2 or may be disqualified. Your resume should include examples of experience, education, and accomplishments applicable to the qualification(s). If your resume does not reflect demonstrated evidence of these qualifications, you may not receive consideration for the position. There is NO requirement to prepare a narrative statement specifically addressing the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) or the Technical Qualifications (TQs). EXECUTIVE CORE QUALIFICATIONS (ECQs): The ECQs were designed to assess executive experience and potential, not technical expertise. They measure whether an individual has the broad executive skills needed to succeed in a variety of SES positions. All applicants must address the ECQs. Your resume must address each ECQ and should describe your experiences and accomplishments/results. Your resume should be clear, concise, and emphasize your level of responsibilities, scope and complexity of programs managed, program accomplishments, policy initiatives undertaken and the results of your actions. NOTE: Current career SES members, former career SES members with reinstatement eligibility, and SES Candidate Development Program graduates who have been certified by OPM do NOT need to address the ECQs. 1. Commitment to the Rule of Law and the Principles of the American Founding: This core qualification involves the demonstrated knowledge of the American system of government, commitment to uphold the Constitution and the rule of law, and commitment to serve the American people. (Competencies: Knowledge of the American System of Government, Commitment to the Rule of Law, Civic-Mindedness) 2. Driving Efficiency: This core qualification involves the demonstrated ability to strategically and sufficiently manage resources, budget effectively, cut wasteful spending, and pursue efficiency through process and technological upgrades. (Competencies: Fiscal Responsibility, Managing Resources, Leveraging Technology) 3. Merit and Competence: This core qualification involves the demonstrated knowledge, ability and technical competence to effectively and reliably produce work that is of exceptional quality. (Competencies: Technical Skills, Problem Solving, Agility and Resilience) 4. Leading People: This core qualification involves the demonstrated ability to lead and inspire a group toward meeting the organization's vision, mission, and goals, and to drive a high-performance, high-accountability culture. This includes, when necessary, the ability to lead people through change and to hold individuals accountable. (Competencies: Accountability, Developing Others, Executive Judgement) 5. Achieving Results: This core qualification involves the demonstrated ability to achieve both individual and organizational results, and to align results to stated goals from superiors. (Competencies: Operation Mindset, Innovation, Strategic Thinking) For more information regarding the SES and ECQs, please visit SES Executive Core Qualifications. TECHNICAL QUALIFICATION (TQ): In addition to the ECQs, applicants must clearly demonstrate in their resume that they meet the following technical qualification(s). 1. Demonstrated mastery of accepted acc'ting principles, theories & practices for the Fed Gov't & its agencies involved in loan making activities, providing authoritative financial advice to sr leadership in centralized & decentralized environments. 2. Demonstrated ability leading org-wide fin oversight, internal control & compl requirements for prgms incl design & execution test strategies, evaluation & remediation deficiencies, & audit readiness, risk mgmt, & acc'tability in financial operations. Education You will be evaluated on the quality and extent of your total accomplishments, experience, and education (if applicable). Your application will be rated and ranked by an Executive Resources Board (ERB) Panel, using only the information submitted within the application package. Applicants who do not demonstrate in their application sufficient possession of the Mandatory Technical Qualifications (MTQ) will be determined ineligible for further consideration. Unless you have already been certified by a Qualifications Review Board (QRB) in the past. Additional Information Consideration for competitive selection for this position is open to all persons within the area of consideration who meet the basic qualifications. Race, color, age, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, political beliefs, religion, marital or family status, disability, and other non-merit factors will not be considered. 1. This position is covered under the post-employment restriction of the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 (P.L. 95-521). This law also requires the selectee to file an Executive Personnel Financial Disclosure Report (Standard Form 278), within 30 days of appointment. 2. Applications sent in U.S. Government postage-paid envelope and submitted through Federal Agency courier services will not be considered. 3. The 1993 Hatch Act Reform Amendments prohibit oral and written political recommendations for Federal jobs. 4. Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must be registered with the Selective Service System before they can be employed by an executive agency of the Federal government. This requirement does not apply to Agency employees appointed before November 8, 1985. 5. All application forms are subject to the provisions of the Privacy Act and become the property of USDA. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is an Equal Opportunity Employer. USDA prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs). Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication or program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD). Reasonable Accommodation: This agency provides reasonable accommodation for applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency at 202-260-8128. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be on a case-by-case basis. Effective January 1, 2010, OPM must authorize any employment offers we make to current or former (within the last 5 years) political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employees in the executive branch. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employee in the executive branch, you must disclose that to the Human Resources Office.