Deputy Assistant Secretary

Office of Finance and Operations•Washington, DC

About The Position

The Deputy Assistant Secretary provides senior executive leadership for the Department of Education’s Office of Financial Management (OFM) and oversees Department-wide financial operations, including accounting, financial reporting, payment integrity, cash management, funds control, financial transactions, and fiscal accountability. The position advises the Chief Financial Officer and senior Department leadership on financial management risks, audit issues, internal controls, financial reporting, funds management, and fiscal integrity. The role leads efforts to strengthen financial management systems, processes, controls, and reporting across the Department, working with program and other Department components. It also builds a culture of accuracy, accountability, service, audit readiness, and continuous improvement, and ensures OFM has appropriate workforce planning, succession planning, training, and technical expertise. The position is the senior executive responsible for coordinating the Department’s annual financial statement audit and related audit-readiness activities, and leads engagements with independent auditors and oversight entities. It leads Department-wide efforts to strengthen fiscal integrity, internal controls, payment integrity, and financial accountability; supports compliance with federal financial-management and internal-control requirements; identifies systemic risks and recommends corrective actions; and provides financial-management expertise on cross-cutting initiatives. The position may be detailed to another Federal agency.

Requirements

U.S. citizenship.
Must be able to obtain and maintain a Public Trust security clearance.
Must submit a financial disclosure statement, OGE-278.
One-year probationary period unless excepted by regulation.
Selective Service registration, if applicable; males born after December 31, 1959, must be registered or exempt.
Resume-only application of no more than two pages, with font size no smaller than 10 points, demonstrating the Executive Core Qualifications and Technical Qualifications.
Demonstrated Executive Core Qualifications: commitment to the rule of law and principles of the American founding; driving efficiency; merit and competence; leading people; and achieving results.
Demonstrated executive-level experience leading a comprehensive financial management program for a federal agency or large, complex organization, including accounting operations, analysis, financial reporting, financial statement preparation, audit coordination, general ledger, cash management, payment systems, and financial policy and compliance.
Experience applying accounting principles, financial systems standards, and financial reporting requirements, and adapting policies and procedures to a federal fiscal environment.
Experience aligning multi-billion-dollar fiscal resources with complex mission goals across dispersed operational units and headquarters components.
Experience managing a federal agency or complex corporate internal control program, including control coverage assessments, annual testing, resolution of issues, and corrective action plans.
Experience managing development and reporting of annual improper payment estimates using a statistically valid methodology in accordance with statutory requirements.
Meet the Accounting Series 0510 basic education requirement through an accounting degree; a related degree with 24 semester hours in accounting; or an eligible combination of accounting experience, education, and training, together with one of the specified accounting-course, certification, or equivalent-education-and-experience conditions.
Initial appointments to an SES position are contingent on approval from OPM’s Qualification Review Board.

Responsibilities

Provide senior executive leadership for the Office of Financial Management and oversee Department-wide financial operations.
Advise the Chief Financial Officer and senior Department leadership on financial management risks, audit issues, internal controls, financial reporting, funds management, and fiscal integrity.
Lead efforts to strengthen financial management systems, processes, controls, and reporting across the Department, coordinating with program offices and other Department components.
Build a culture of accuracy, accountability, service, audit readiness, and continuous improvement.
Ensure appropriate workforce planning, succession planning, training, and technical expertise for OFM.
Coordinate the Department’s annual financial statement audit and related audit-readiness activities.
Lead engagements with independent auditors, the Education Office of Inspector General, OMB, Treasury, GAO, and other oversight entities on financial audit matters.
Lead and collaborate on critical projects and initiatives that support the Department’s mission and strategic goals.
Lead Department-wide efforts to strengthen fiscal integrity, internal controls, payment integrity, and financial accountability.
Oversee financial control activities related to funds control, obligations, outlays, reconciliations, grant and contract payments, improper payments, and financial reporting.
Ensure effective internal controls over financial reporting and financial operations, and support compliance with applicable federal requirements.
Identify systemic risks and recommend corrective actions to reduce fraud, waste, abuse, improper payments, reporting errors, and operational weaknesses.
Provide financial management expertise on initiatives including shared services, financial systems modernization, technology solutions, audit remediation, grants and acquisition management, data quality, payment integrity, and internal control improvements.
Support Department-wide decision-making with reliable financial data, risk analysis, and operational insight.