Controller

Summary

The Controller position is in the Department of Administrative Services, Financial Management Office, Financial Operations Division (FOD). The FOD supports financial operations including accounting, finance, travel, disbursement, external financial and tax reporting, investment services, and other fiscal services to the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (AO) and Judiciary.

Duties

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The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (AO) is seeking an exceptional leader to serve as the Controller in the Financial Management Office (FMO), Financial Operations Division (FOD).The incumbent reports to the Deputy Chief in FMO.

The Controller's primary responsibilities are centered on accounting operations and ensuring the integrity of Judiciary's financial management. The Controller focuses on financial management activities related to the planning, development, coordination, and execution accounting policies, programs, and procedures across the Judiciary, excluding the Supreme Court. The Controller acts as an expert advisor to the FMO Chief and AO senior leaders, including the Director, Deputy Director, and Associate Director for the Department of Administrative Services.

The successful candidate must possess significant professional experience in accounting, finance, policy, compliance, payment and travel management, along with a working knowledge of financial application requirements. Additionally, they should have a solid understanding of the system development lifecycle and recognize the importance of technology in supporting long- and short-term enterprise-wide financial management solutions.

The duties of the Controller include, but are not limited to :

• Directing and providing administrative and technical supervision for the FOD's work.
• Leading, motivating, evaluating, developing staff, including providing training and development opportunities and recommending personnel decisions regarding hiring, promotion, and adverse actions.
• Providing executive leadership in developing and implementing Judiciary-wide accounting, financial operations, and debt management policies and standards.
• Ensuring accounting and internal control policies exist, are maintained, and are applied.
• Ensuring financial reports are prepared properly, accurately, and timely.
• Ensuring financial system policies and procedures are maintained in compliance with requirements.
• Coordinating the preparation, communication, execution, and monitoring of corrective action plans.
• Representing the Judiciary on finance and accounting matters, including meeting with U.S. Treasury officials and other federal agencies to discuss, educate, or explain matters of mutual concern (e.g., Judiciary accounting, financial reporting, and financial systems issues).
• Contacting, advising, and collaborating on fiscal issues with court advisory groups consisting of judges, court unit executives, federal public defenders, and other high-ranking government officials or comparable private-sector organization executives.
• Planning and managing a broad array of financial management initiatives and activities in support of the courts, probation and pretrial services offices, and federal public defender offices.
• Working with the FMO Chief to support various Judicial Conference Committees and their subcommittees, the AO's Risk and Financial Management Advisory Council, and the AO's Financial Management Working Group.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

Qualifications

Applicants must have demonstrated experience which shows competence in the qualifications as listed below. This requirement is according to the AO Classification, Compensation, and Recruitment Systems which includes interpretive guidance and reference to the OPM Operating Manual for Qualification Standards for General Schedule Positions.

Specialized Experience : Applicants must have at least one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-15 / JSP-15 / CL 31 level which is in or directly related to the line of work of this position. Specialized experience for this position is defined as follows :

Applicants with the following certifications are highly desirable :

Additional Assessment : Applicants who meet the specialized experience requirements also will be assessed on the following Mandatory Technical Qualifications (MTQs) and Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs).

Mandatory Technical Qualifications : The MTQs listed below should be evident in your resume. A supplemental narrative must be uploaded and attached to your application addressing each MTQ listed below. Please limit your response to two pages for each MTQ.

Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) : Applicants currently serving in an AOES and Court Unit Executive positions or under a career Senior Executive Service (SES) appointment, eligible for reinstatement into SES, or have successfully completed a SES Candidate Development Program (CDP) approved by OPM are not required to submit a narrative response for the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQ). A narrative response as part of the application package for each of the following ECQs is MANDATORY for all other applicants. Please limit your response to two pages for each ECQ.

Education

Basic Qualifications : Applicants must meet ONE of the qualification requirements (A, B, or C) as described below :

(A) Degree in an accounting or in a related field such as business administration, finance, or public administration that includes or was supplemented by 24 semester hours in accounting and / or auditing. The 24 hours may include up to 6 hours of credit in business law. TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED

(B) A 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 and included at least one of the following : 24 semester hours in accounting or auditing courses of appropriate type and quality (this can include up to 6 hours of business law); or a certificate as certified public accountant or a certified internal auditor, obtained through written examination. TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED

(C) 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 1, 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. TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED

Additional information

The AO is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

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.

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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.

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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.