Federal Position Descriptions
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Assistant Secretary for Financial Resources

Assistant Secretary for Financial Resources, Department of Health and Human Services
Responsibility
Management Scope

In fiscal 2015, HHS had $1,028 billion in outlays and 63,324 total employment. The assistant secretary for financial resources accomplishes his or her work through HHS component offices:
• Immediate Office of the Assistant Secretary
• Office of Budget
• Office of Executive Program Information
• Office of Finance
• Office of Grants and Acquisition Policy and Accountability
However, the CFO oversees the financial management of the entire department.

Primary Responsibilities

• Develops and maintains integrated accounting and financial management systems.
• Oversees the recruitment, selection and training of personnel to carry out agency financial management functions; manages, trains and provides 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

• 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 Appointments
  • Ellen Murray (2010-2017) – Staff Director for the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies; served in the budget office and the Office of the General Counsel at HHS; economist at the Social Security Administration
  • Charles E. Johnson (2005-2009) – President of Huntsman Cancer Foundation and Vice President of Huntsman, LLC; member of the Utah State Board of Regents, and Chair of the Board from 1997-2002; Vice Chairman of the Board for Strategic Direction with the Garff-Warner Organization; Chief of Staff to the Governor of the state of Utah; Board of Directors of KPMG, and Chairman of the Merger Transition Committee
  • Janet Hale (2001-2005) – Program Associate Deputy for General Government at the Office of Management and Budget; Chief Financial Officer of the House of Representatives; Assistant Secretary of Budget at the Department of Transportation; Deputy Assistant Secretary of Policy and Budget at the Department of Housing and Urban Development
  • John Joseph Callahan (1995-2001) – Vice Chairman of the Chief Financial Officers; Staff Director for the Senate Subcommittee on Intergovernmental Relations; Deputy Staff Director of the Senate Budget Committee; Chief of Staff for Sen. James Sasser; Assistant Professor of Education and Planning at the University of Virginia
AGENCY

Department of Health and Human Services

Mission: To enhance and protect the health and well-being of all Americans by providing effective health and human services and fostering advances in medicine, public health and social services.

COMPENSATION

Level IV $155,500 (5 U.S.C. § 5315)2

REPORTS TO

Secretary and Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services

SENATE COMMITTEE

Finance

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Footnote
  1. CRS report: Presidential Appointee Positions Requiring Senate Confirmation and Committees Handling Nominations, 2016
  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.
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