PD_State_Chief-Financial-Officer

Position Description

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, DEPARTMENT OF STATE

Overview

Senate Committee

Foreign Relations
This CFO is covered by the CFO Act of 1990 that may be filled through appointment by the president, with the advice and consent of the Senate, or through designation by the president from among agency officials who have been confirmed by the Senate for other positions.¹ _{CRS report: Presidential Appointee Positions Requiring Senate Confirmation and Committees Handling Nominations, 2016}

Agency Mission

The Department of State is the lead institution for the conduct of American diplomacy and the secretary is the president’s principal foreign policy advisor.

Position Overview

The mission of the CFO is to advise the secretary on all aspects of budget, grants, financial management and acquisition and to provide for the direction of these activities throughout the department. CFOs also play a crucial government-wide role.

Compensation

Level IV $155,500 (5 U.S.C. § 5315)² _{The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 (Public Law 115-31, May 5, 2017), contains a provision that continues the freeze on the payable pay rates for certain senior political officials at 2013 levels during calendar year 2017.}

Position Reports to

Secretary and Deputy Secretary of the Department of State

Responsibilities

Management Scope

In fiscal 2015, the Department of State had $26,498 million in outlays, and in fiscal 2014 it had 10,068 total employment. The CFO oversees the financial management of the entire department.

Primary Responsibilities

® Develops and maintaining integrated accounting and financial management systems
® Oversees the recruitment, selection and training of personnel to carry out agency financial management functions as well as managing, training and providing policy guidance and oversight of these personnel and their activities
® Implements agency asset management systems, including systems for cash management, credit management, debt collection, and property and inventory management and control
® Develops budgets that support all agency missions
® Manages the financial execution of the agency budget and actual expenditures
® Provides financial and performance reports to staff, overseers and stakeholders
® Ties the budget and performance to outcomes
® Takes the lead role in enterprise risk management

Strategic Goals and Priorities

Depends on the policy priorities of the administration

Requirements and Competencies

Requirements

® Strong background in federal financial management
® Executive leadership experience
® Experience working in a large organization
® Risk-management experience
® Knowledge of the department’s functions and policies
® Knowledge of federal budget formulation
® Familiarity with cyber technology a plus
® Background in data analytics a plus

Competencies

® Ability to collaborate with the chief information officers, under/assistant secretaries for administration/management, as well as other CFOs and OMB via the CFO Council
® Knowledge of, and relationships with, Congress, or ability to develop them

Past Appointees

James L. Millette (2012-2017) u2013 Deputy Assistant Secretary for State Programs, Operations, and Budget, DOS; Senior Policy Advisor to the CFO, DOS; Director of Resources for the Foreign Buildings Program in the Bureau of Administration, DOS
Bradford Higgins (2006-2009) u2013 Chief/Director of Planning to the U.S. Mission’s reconstruction management office in Baghdad; Chief Financial Officer to the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq; Co-Director of the joint civil-military strategic planning group in Iraq; Director of Strategic Performance and Assessment office for the U.S. Mission in Iraq; Senior advisor to the U.S. Ambassador in Iraq
Christopher Bancroft Burnham (2002-2005) u2013 Chief Executive Officer of PIMCO’s Columbus Circle Investors; Vice-Chairman of PIMCO’s mutual fund group; Treasurer of Connecticut; investment banker with Credit Suisse First Boston and Advest Corporate Finance; elected to the Connecticut House of Representatives three times, and served as assistant minority leader; 23-year veteran of the United States Marine Corps Reserve
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