Junior Accountant - EXAMS

SEC; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 75,000 - 115,000; Full time

Job summary

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is seeking an early career Staff Accountant (SK-0510-09/11) across multiple offices. The role focuses on audits, examinations, and internal controls within federal financial oversight.

Applicants must meet rigorous accounting education and experience requirements by the closing date. Qualification demands include 24 accounting hours and strong GAAP/IFRS knowledge, with one year at SK-07 level or related credentials.

Qualifications

• A degree in accounting or a related field that included 24 semester hours in accounting (up to 6 hours in business law).
• 4 years of accounting experience or an equivalent combination of education and training providing professional accounting knowledge.
• One of: CPA or CIA certificate; or completion of substantial accounting coursework with demonstrated experience.

Skills

GAAP knowledge

IFRS knowledge

Education

24 semester hours in accounting

Job description

The Division of Examinations is seeking an early career Staff Accountant, SK-0510-09/11 in the Office of Broker-Dealers (BDX), Office of FINRA and Securities Industry Oversight (FSIO), Office of Investment Advisers and Investment Companies (IA/IC), Office of Clearance Settlement (OCS) and Private Funds Unit (PFU) in various locations. 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.

SK-09

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.

SK-11

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.

ACCOMPLISHMENT RECORD COMPETENCIES

• 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.

Cut Off Dates: October 14, November 5 and November 30th.