Summary
EBSA plays a vital role in protecting the retirement, health, and other job-based benefits of America's workers, retirees, and their families. We issue effective regulations, offer comprehensive education and assistance to workers, plan sponsors, fiduciaries, and service providers, and rigorously enforce the law. We serve workers, families, and the broader employee benefits community by protecting the security and integrity of the nation's benefit systems.
Duties
The Financial Analyst position is located in the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA), Office of Enforcement (OE), Division of Investigative Strategies (DIS). DIS's primary mission is to conduct, develop, and pursue complex investigations, with a focus on identifying new investigative approaches, issues, plans, templates, and strategies that EBSA field offices can use to pursue similar cases in the future. The Financial Analyst plans and develops enforcement policies and strategies; supports the implementation of civil enforcement programs and, when applicable, criminal enforcement matters; evaluates enforcement program effectiveness; and provides investigative support to staff who investigate private-sector employee benefit plans and service providers to protect the interests of plan participants and beneficiaries. The Analyst initiates, conducts, and coordinates primarily civil investigations of alleged violations of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). Selectee(s) will report to an assigned DOL office location on a regular basis and be eligible for telework as determined by agency policy. This is not a remote position. Offices are located in Boston, MA; New York, NY; Philadelphia, PA; Silver Spring, MD; Washington, DC; Atlanta, GA; Plantation, FL; Chicago, IL; Fort Wright, KY; Kansas City, MO; Dallas, TX; Pasadena, CA; San Francisco, CA; and Seattle, WA. Selectee will report to National Office or Regional Office, as appropriate. The advertised salary reflects the pay range for the above locations. Upon selection, salary will be set in accordance with the selectee's assigned duty location. Major duties include but are not limited to: Evaluate employee benefit plan financial activities to detect imprudent investments, improper or prohibited transactions, excessive fees, and other violations, and assess their impact on the plan's operations and financial condition. Apply ERISA and related laws (e.g., tax, securities, HIPAA, COBRA) and Federal rules of evidence to investigative analyses and case development. Coordinate, participate in technical, and often, multifaceted civil investigations of large and varied employee benefit plans, service providers, trust departments, and other financial entities having relationships and conducting transactions with ERISA-covered plans. Provide financial analytical support for investigations and examinations of selected employee benefit plans, financial institutions, service providers, and related entities. Identify and assess targets using a variety of sources and methods, including enforcement priorities, national and local emerging trends, reporting and disclosure filings, patterns of improper plan transactions, media reports, and other relevant data. Use technology and data systems to collect and analyze financial information, identify connections among entities, review large transaction datasets, and evaluate technical assets such as real estate, derivatives, and private equity. Prepare comprehensive, well-documented reports, work papers, and in-depth financial analyses of planned financial activities. Create summary exhibits, charts, and demonstratives from voluminous financial documentation for investigations and trials. Produce written analyses and recommendations (including enforcement strategies) and reports on investigation targets using databases, case files, and intelligence information. Coordinate and collaborate with investigators, attorneys, government agencies, financial institutions, service providers, and industry partners to support and conduct technical investigations. Provide classroom instruction/training on financial analysis topics and represent the agency in meetings and conferences to gain information, share best practices, and resolve problems. Support trial preparations by conducting on-site visits, interviews, records reviews and assist in identifying and preparing expert witnesses for testimony. Evaluate enforcement program effectiveness and develop/enhance enforcement strategies, policies, procedures, and new financial analysis techniques.
Education
There is no substitution of education for the specialized experience at the GS-14 level for this position. Any applicant falsely claiming an academic degree from an accredited school will be subject to actions ranging from disqualification from federal employment to removal from federal service. If your education was completed at a foreign college or university, you must show comparability to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States and comparability to applicable minimum coursework requirements for this position. Click Evaluation of Foreign Education for more information.
How you will be evaluated
Your evaluation will be based on how well you meet the qualifications outlined in this vacancy announcement, as demonstrated through your resume and supporting documentation. Click Application of Veterans Preference for more information. You may preview application questions for this vacancy here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13087486 If you meet the minimum qualifications, you will be evaluated against the evaluation factors below and will be placed into a category based on your vacancy question responses. Category A - Meets the basic qualification requirements for the vacancy and has successful experience in the same or similar job that has demonstrated superior proficiency in applying critical competencies required by this position to work of increased levels of difficulty and complexity. Category B - Meets the basic qualification requirements for the vacancy and demonstrates satisfactory proficiency in the critical competencies required by this position. Category C - Meets the specialized experience described in the minimum qualification requirements section of this announcement and demonstrates proficiency in the basic competencies. Click here for Evaluation details. SME Resume Panel Review Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) will review your resume to assess your technical qualifications based on the competencies listed below. Applicants who meet the required qualifications will advance to the next stage of the hiring process. For each below competency, SME(s) will provide a rating of 0-Not Applicable, 1-Awareness, 2-Basic, 3-Intermediate, 4-Advanced, or 5-Expert based on the content of your resume. Evaluation Factors (Competencies) - All qualified applicants will be evaluated on the following key competencies: Interpersonal Skills Self Management Technical Competence Written Communication The information you provide may be verified by a review of your paid, unpaid, volunteer, as it demonstrates the competencies or skills required for the position to be filled. Your evaluation may include an interview, reference checks, or other assessment conducted by HR specialists, subject matter experts, or panel members and may include other assessment tools (ex. interview, structured interview, written test, work sample, etc.). INFORMATION FOR ICTAP/CTAP ELIGIBLE(S) ONLY: If you are eligible for special priority selection under ICTAP/CTAP, you must be well-qualified for the position to receive consideration. ICTAP/CTAP eligible(s) who are Category B or higher will be considered well-qualified. Be sure to review the eligibility questions to reflect that you are applying as an ICTAP or CTAP eligible and submit supporting documentation.