Staff Accountant

📍 Multiple Locations · 🏛 Securities and Exchange Commission · 💰 $71,465–$173,182 per year · 🎓 SK 9–11 · 🧭 Accounting (0510) · ⏳ Closes Nov 30, 2026 · 19 days left · 🗓 Posted Sep 30, 2026
Browse: More Securities and Exchange Commission jobs · More Accounting jobs · Federal jobs in California

Job details at a glance

AgencySecurities and Exchange Commission
DepartmentOther Agencies and Independent Organizations
LocationMultiple Locations
Salary$71,465–$173,182 per year
GradeSK 9–11
ScheduleFull-time
Occupation seriesAccounting (0510)
Openings1
Hiring pathsOpen to the public
PostedSep 30, 2026
Application deadlineNov 30, 2026
Telework eligibleNo
Remote jobNo
Security clearanceOther
Relocation expenses reimbursedNo
Promotion potential14
Apply on USAJobs (official) ↗

About this job

The Division of Examinations is seeking a 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.

Duties

The mission of the Division of Examinations is to protect investors, ensure market integrity and support responsible capital formation through risk-focused strategies that: (1) improve compliance; (2) prevent fraud; (3) monitor risk; and (4) inform policy. This role as a Staff Accountant, you will be responsible for: Working as a member of a team of examiners with various levels of experience and professional backgrounds to conduct examinations of registered self-regulatory organizations, investment companies, investment advisers, broker-dealers, transfer agents, and clearing agencies; Evaluating possible risks to investors and the financial markets of registered securities-related financial institutions' business models and practices based on review and analysis, through modern quantitative techniques when possible, of information reported by the institutions to the SEC and other internal and external data sources; Executing risk-based examination plans, which frequently involves: (i) analyzing a financial institution's operations and procedures, sales practices, supervisory systems, books and records, and financial statements, (ii) reviewing investigatory complaints, (iii) investigating new financial products, (iv) examining specialized securities, (v) interviewing principals of registrants, and/or (vi) analyzing performance calculations to assess the level of compliance with federal securities laws and/or self-regulatory requirements; AND Developing recommendations and reports, presenting and defending findings, and collaborating as required with legal staff.

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. 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: Twenty-four semester hours in accounting or auditing courses of appropriate type and quality. This can include up to 6 hours of business law; A certificate as Certified Public Accountant or a Certified Internal Auditor, obtained through written examination; or 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: Applicant must have at least one of the following: 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 A Master's or equivalent graduate degree OR 2 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree. A combination of experience and education, as described above. SK-11: Applicant must have at least one of the following: 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 A Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree; LL.M., or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree; A combination of experience and education, as described above. ACCOMPLISHMENT RECORD COMPETENCIES: Your Accomplishment Record narratives should address the following competencies. See the How You Will Be Evaluated section below for more information: 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. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. All applicants are required to submit a complete application package by the specified cutoff dates. Incomplete submissions by the cutoff will not move forward in the hiring process. Certificates will be issued based on the cut off dates until the announcement's closing date. **Cut Off Dates: October 14, November 5 and November 30th.**

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.

Evaluations

You will be evaluated for this position based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this announcement. Your resume and application package will first be reviewed to determine whether you meet the minimum qualification requirements outlined in the announcement. Please do not submit an Accomplishment Record at this time. If you are found minimally qualified, the Office of Human Resources will contact you to request an Accomplishment Record. You will have 3 business days from the date of the request to submit it. Failure to submit the Accomplishment Record on time will remove you from further consideration. A response is required even if an Accomplishment Record was submitted at time of application. Because of the short turnaround time, you are strongly encouraged to begin preparing your Accomplishment Record in advance. Once your Accomplishment Record is received, a rating panel will review both your resume and your narrative responses. Your Accomplishment Record must clearly demonstrate your proficiency in the competencies listed in the Qualifications section. Click here for guidance on writing your Accomplishment Record. Your resume must provide evidence that supports the claims in your Accomplishment Record. Each narrative must describe one specific, relevant example from your experience or training. Responses are limited to 300 words per competency; any text beyond this limit will not be reviewed. Accomplishment Record Format: Competency Title Position title and dates from your resume that this experience was obtained Describe the situation (i.e., the challenged faced, the problem solved) Describe the specific actions you took State the outcome, results, or long-term impact of your accomplishment Name and email address of someone who can verify this information Reference checks may be conducted as part of the final selection process, and you will be notified before any contacts are made. Basis for Rating: The rating panel will evaluate applicants' accomplishment records and resume, then place them into one of the following categories: Highly Qualified - Meets the minimum qualification requirements and has extensive skills and experience in most of the job related competencies. Well Qualified - Meets the minimum qualification requirements and has a moderate amount of skills and experience in most of the job related competencies. Qualified - Meets the minimum qualification requirements, but may have a limited amount of experience in several of the job related competencies. Top ranked applicants will be referred to the hiring office for further review and consideration. The hiring office may directly contact recommended candidates for interview(s). To preview the Questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13050865

How to apply

To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. No additional documentation will be accepted after the closing date of the announcement. To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application. Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process. You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application. To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.

Applications are handled only on the official announcement. This page is a readable copy of the public announcement data — the official version controls if anything differs.

Apply on USAJobs (official) ↗

Required documents

You must provide a complete Application Package, which includes: Required: Your responses to the Questionnaire. Required: Resume - Resumes should include relevant work experience, with specific employment dates, that demonstrates qualifications for the specialized experience and competencies as outlined above. If your resume does not reflect demonstrated evidence of these qualifications, you may not receive consideration for the position. Resumes that exceed two pages will be deemed ineligible and receive no further consideration. For resume writing tips, visit USAJOBS and the SEC careers page. Required: Unofficial Transcripts - If education is a required qualification for this position, you must submit unofficial transcripts with your application demonstrating that you meet the specified degree and/or coursework requirements. Failure to provide transcripts showing completion of all required degree and coursework requirements may result in a determination that you are ineligible for further consideration. Official documents will be required if selected. To substitute a professional certificate for formal education, you must provide a clear, legible copy of your active credential with your application. Required, if applicable: CTAP/ICTAP documentation (a copy of a separation notice or other proof of eligibility for priority selection; a copy of an SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, showing current position, grade, promotion potential, and duty location; AND a copy of your most recent performance appraisal.) Required, if applicable: Veteran's Preference Documentation (DD-214, Member Copy 4 or other documentation containing dates of service and character of discharge. Disabled veterans and other applicants eligible for 10-point Veteran's Preference please include: documentation to validate your claim - VA letter, SF-15, etc).

What to expect next

You will be notified of your application status through USAJOBS at four points during the hiring process, as applicable. You can check the status of your application by accessing the USAJOBS website at http://usajobs.gov/ and clicking on "Track Your Online Application." By submitting your application, you are certifying the accuracy of the information contained in your application. If you make a false statement in any part of your application, you may not be hired, you may be terminated after you begin work, or you may be fined or jailed. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation. You will be required to submit official documentation before appointment. The agency will then verify the information provided on your application (i.e., degree, Veterans' Preference, certification of disability, etc.). Candidates external to the SEC will be allowed to submit a comprehensive resume for pay setting purposes after a tentative offer is made. If the applicant fails to provide the comprehensive resume by the specified deadline, the resume submitted at the time of application will be used to determine pay. No additional documentation will be accepted after the deadline.

Other 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 reasonableaccommodation@sec.gov. For religious-based accommodations, please contact religiousaccommodation@sec.gov . 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 ElliottT@sec.gov.

Frequently asked questions

How much does this Staff Accountant job pay?

The announcement lists a salary of $71,465–$173,182 per year (SK 9–11).

When is the last day to apply?

Applications close on Nov 30, 2026 — 19 days from today.

Where is this job located?

This position is located in Multiple Locations with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

How do I apply?

Applications are submitted through the official announcement on USAJobs. Use the Apply button on this page to go to the official posting — this site never takes applications itself.

More jobs at Securities and Exchange Commission

All Securities and Exchange Commission jobs →

More Accounting jobs

All Accounting jobs →

Data: USAJobs (U.S. Office of Personnel Management), retrieved 2026-11-11 · Announcement 26-OCDE-13050865-CSS · Official announcement. FederalJobs is unofficial and is not affiliated with OPM or the agency.
Staff Accountant
Nov 30, 2026 deadlineApply