Deputy Assistant Secretary

Office of Finance and Operations; Washington (District of Columbia); Sur place; USD 120 000 - 170 000; Plein temps

Résumé du poste

The Office of Finance and Operations (OFO) leads financial management for the Department of Education, coordinating accounting, reporting, and audit readiness across the agency in Washington, DC. This role may involve collaboration with other federal entities and requires strong leadership in financial controls and risk management.

Applicants should meet senior accounting qualifications and possess experience in managing complex financial operations, internal controls, and cross-agency

Qualifications

• This position is in the Accounting Series, 0510; qualifying education includes an accounting degree or related field with 24 accounting hours.
• Combination of education and experience may be acceptable if it provides professional accounting knowledge.
• One of the following: CPA or CIA certificate through written examination.

Responsabilités

• Provide senior executive leadership for OFM and oversee Department-wide financial operations.
• Advise CFO and senior leadership on financial management risks and audit issues.
• Lead efforts to strengthen financial management systems, controls, and reporting across the Department.

Formation

Accounting degree

Related field with 24 accounting hours

24 hours accounting/auditing courses

Description du poste

• Hiring Agency: Office of Finance and Operations
• Department: Department of Education
• Location: Washington, District of Columbia

The mission of the Office of Finance and Operations (OFO) is to transform the Department of Education (ED) into a high-performance, customer-focused organization by providing services to our customers that help them do a better job of managing their people, processes, and overall strategy. This position may be detailed to another Federal agency.

Key Responsibilities

Provides senior executive leadership for the 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. Advises the Chief Financial Officer and senior Department leadership on financial management risks, audit issues, internal controls, financial reporting, funds management, and fiscal integrity matters.

Leads efforts to strengthen financial management systems, processes, controls, and reporting across the Department, including coordination with the principal operating component (program) offices, the Office of Federal Student Aid, the Institute of Education Sciences, the Office of the Chief Information Officer, the Office of Acquisition Management, the Office of Human Resources, the Office of Business Support Services, Budget Service, and other Department components.

Builds a culture of accuracy, accountability, service, audit readiness, and continuous improvement. Ensures OFM has appropriate workforce planning, succession planning, training, and technical expertise to meet the Department's financial management responsibilities and accounting operations. Serves as the senior executive responsible for coordinating the Department’s annual financial statement audit and related audit readiness activities.

Leads engagements with independent auditors, the Education Office of Inspector General (OIG), the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), U.S. Department of Treasury (Treasury), the U.S. Government Accountability Office, and other oversight entities on financial audit matters. Leads and collaborates on critical projects and initiatives to accomplish the Department’s mission and strategic goals.

Leads Department-wide efforts to strengthen fiscal integrity, internal controls, payment integrity, and financial accountability, aligned with broad requirements of a CFO Act agency. Oversee financial control activities related to funds control, obligations, outlays, reconciliations, grant and contract payments, improper payments, and financial reporting. Ensures the Department maintains effective internal controls over financial reporting and financial operations.

Supports compliance with federal internal control requirements, including OMB Circular A-123, FMFIA, and related financial management such as guided by the Uniform Guidance (2 CFR Part 200), FFMIA, and other payment integrity requirements, such as required by the Payment Integrity Information Act of 2019 (PIIA), and the recent Executive Order 14249 (March 2025).

Identifies systemic risks and recommends corrective actions to reduce fraud, waste, abuse, improper payments, reporting errors, and operational weaknesses. Provides financial management expertise on cross-cutting Departmental initiatives, including shared services, financial systems modernization, identifying and leveraging technology solutions, audit remediation, grants management, acquisition management, data quality, payment integrity, and internal control improvements.

Supports Department-wide decision-making by providing reliable financial data, risk analysis, and operational insight.

Requirements & Education

This position is in the Accounting Series, 0510. In addition to the minimum qualification requirements above, applicants must also meet the basic education requirement established by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM). To qualify, applicants must meet one of the following: 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 four (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 (24) 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