Investment Company Accountant

Summary The Division of Investment Management is seeking a Staff Accountant (Investment Company Accountant). As an Investment Company Accountant, you will be responsible for providing accounting guidance on sensitive and complex programs, issues, and assignments covering a broad set of functions related to the investment management industry and the administration of securities laws for investment companies and advisers. . Learn more about this agency Duties In this role as an Investment Company Accountant, you will be responsible for: Examining, analyzing, and evaluating financial statements, disclosure, and other financial information included in filings made by registered investment companies (RICs) and business development companies (BDCs) and determining whether these items fully and fairly reflect financial condition and operating results considering U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) requirements and applicable to investment companies under FASB Accounting Standards Codification Topic 946 Investment Companies (ASC 946) as well as Regulation S-X and other applicable requirements and guidelines. Performing research, data analysis, or targeted reviews of financial statements relevant to current initiatives and market events, trends, or conditions utilizing monitoring and data analysis tools to identify financial reporting issues, valuation or other measurement outliers, potential disclosure deficiencies, or other key metrics for evaluation of disclosure compliance by RICs and BDCs. Preparing memoranda and reports summarizing the results of such examinations and analysis, citing material deficiencies, and communicating and resolving such deficiencies directly with registrants, their counsel, or their accountants. Reviewing new registration statements for financial reporting and disclosure compliance, including application of GAAP, particularly with emerging asset classes or unique strategies that may have complex accounting concepts. Additionally, involved in the review of financial information for other registration statements, including those made in connection with investment company mergers and acquisitions. Participating in external discussions with registrants, their counsel, accountants, independent auditors, and other experts representing registrants with respect to accounting, auditing, or financial reporting matters raised in review of RIC and BDC filings. Participating in internal discussions with the Chief Accountant, Disclosure Assistant Directors, and other staff within the Division and throughout the Commission with respect to, among other things: Technical accounting, auditing, or financial reporting concerns arising in the examination and analysis of financial information contained within RIC and BDC filings; and Significant or unusual accounting, auditing, or financial reporting concerns regarding emerging asset classes, including hard to value assets, unique derivative instruments, and new or innovative investments, like those in the fintech space, and other novel strategies employed by RICs and BDCs; and At times, may be requested to present on accounting topics relevant to RICs or BDCs to staff within the Division or to others throughout the Commission. Requirements Conditions of employment CITZENSHIP: You must be a US Citizen. SELECTIVE SERVICE: Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see https://www.sss.gov/) SECURITY CLEARANCE: Entrance on duty is contingent upon completion of a pre-employment security investigation. Favorable results on a Background Investigation may be a condition of employment or selection to another position. DRUG TESTING: This position may be subjected to drug testing requirements. PERMANENT CHANGE OF STATION (PCS): Moving/Relocation expenses are not authorized. DIRECT DEPOSIT: All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing. PROBATIONARY PERIOD: This appointment may require completion of a one-year probationary period. Qualifications 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. Applicants must possess a degree in economics that included at least 21 semester hours in economics and 3 semester hours in statistics, accounting, or calculus.--OR-- B. An appropriate combination of education and experience----courses equivalent to a major in economics, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. Examples of qualifying experience include individual economic research assignments requiring planning, information assembly, analysis and evaluation, conclusions and report preparation; supervisory or project coordination assignments involving a staff of professional economists, and requiring the evaluation and interpretation of economic information; or teaching assignments in a college or university in economic subjects in combination with one of the following: (1) personal research that produced evidence of results, (2) direction of graduate theses in economics, or (3) service as a consultant or advisor on technical economics problems. MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENT: In addition to meeting the basic requirement, applicants must also meet the minimum qualification requirement. SK-14: Applicant must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS/SK-13 level: 1. Identifying accounting, auditing, or financial reporting deficiencies in financial statements and in financial disclosures included in registration statements and other SEC filings of registered investment companies and/or business development companies. 2. Preparing, reviewing, or auditing financial statements for registered investment companies (RIC). 3. Applying Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) with particular focus on FASB ASC 946 - Investment Companies, Regulation S-X, the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, Generally Accepted Auditing Standards (GAAS), and accounting rules and policies of federal securities laws and Acts. 4. Examining records related to the issuance, distribution, or trading of securities of registered investment companies. ACCOMPLISHMENT RECORD COMPETENCIES: Your Accomplishment Record narratives should address the following competencies. See the How You Will Be Evaluated section below for more information: Disclosure Guidance and Advice - Applies accounting expertise, and knowledge of industry issues and current topics, to provide guidance and recommendations to others. Disclosure Examination - Reviews and analyzes disclosure documents in accordance with relevant rules, regulations, accounting principles, standards, and Commission, Division, and Office positions and interpretations to determine compliance with SEC and industry regulations. Workload Management - Effectively prioritizes workload in a way that accommodates unforeseen developments and achieves successful outcomes. Critical Thinking - Considers a variety of factors, general and subject matter-specific, when making decisions and determining next steps in a case. Education You MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Unless otherwise stated:(1) official or unofficial transcripts are acceptable, or (2) you may submit a list with all your courses, grades, semester, year, and credit for the course. If you are qualifying for this position by substituting education or training for experience, you must submit a copy of your unofficial transcripts or equivalent by the closing date of the announcement. Qualifying education must have been obtained from an accredited college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Internal Applicants: OHR will verify education qualifications for internal applicants using documents in the Electronic Official Personnel Folder (eOPF). If required transcripts or certificates are not present in your eOPF, you will be required to provide them to OHR. If selected, a start date will not be established until official transcripts are received. FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs. For more information, click here. Applicants may also find the following helpful: National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) is an association of 19 credential evaluation services with admission standards and an enforced code of good practice. Association of International Credentials Evaluators (AICE) is an association of 10 credential evaluation services with a board of advisors and an enforced code of ethics. Additional information Supplementary vacancies may be filled in addition to the number stated in this announcement and may be filled from any division or office within the agency. SEC COMPENSATION PROGRAM: Total salary (base pay + locality) is dependent upon duty location. The overall salary range listed above is provided for informational purposes; a selectee's initial pay will be established below the maximum rate of the range. The pay for current SEC employees will be determined according to the procedures specified in the agency's policy. Please visit the agency's Compensation Overview page for more information. Disability Employment: For information on disability appointments, click here. IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR SURPLUS OR DISPLACED FEDERAL EMPLOYEES: If you have never worked for the federal government, you are not I/CTAP eligible. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: (1) meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; the questionnaire asks you to identify your ICTAP/CTAP eligibility (2) be rated well-qualified; and, (3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. View information about I/CTAP eligibility on OPM's Career Transition Resources website. Reasonable Accommodation: If you are an applicant who needs a reasonable accommodation to participate in the SEC application process due to a medical disability, please contact [email protected]. For religious-based accommodations, please contact [email protected] . Please be sure to submit your request at least 5 business days in advance of the date you need the requested accommodation. Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Information for SEC Job Applicants: For more information, please click here. The Fair Chance Act prohibits specific inquiries concerning an applicant's criminal or credit background unless the hiring agency has made a conditional offer of employment to the applicant. An applicant may submit a complaint, or any other information, to the agency within 30 calendar days of the date of alleged non-compliance by contacting the Legal and Policy Office in the Office of Human Resources at [email protected]. Expand Hide  additional information 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. Benefits A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits. Review our benefits Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.