Federal Position Descriptions
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Chief Financial Officer

Chief Financial Officer, Department of Agriculture
Responsibility
Management Scope

The Office of the Chief Financial Officer is responsible for the financial leadership of an enterprise that has more than 100,000 employees, 14,000 offices and field locations, $208 billion in assets, and $143 billion in annual spending.2

Primary Responsibilities

• Oversees development of financial statements, cost accounting policy and financial management budgets.
• Oversees policy guidance and oversight of the department’s internal controls and management accountability programs and reporting to ensure adequate controls over department assets.
• Maintains oversight of the Departmental Working Capital Fund.
• Manages the National Finance Center, a major shared services payroll and human resources provider to other federal agencies.
• Provides financial management shared services for other federal agencies.
• Provides policy guidance and oversight of the travel system, grants management, cash and credit management operations and other financial management functions.
• Oversees the recruitment, selection and training of personnel to carry out agency financial management functions, as well as manages, trains and provides policy guidance and oversight of these personnel and their activities.
• Manages the financial execution of the agency budget and actual expenditures, and ties the budget and performance to outcomes.
• Provides financial and performance reports to staff, overseers and stakeholders.
• 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.
• Experience in risk management.
• 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
  • Jon Holladay (2014 to 2017) – Acting CFO at USDA; Deputy CFO at USDA; Associate Chief Financial Officer for Financial Policy and Planning at USDA
  • Evan J. Segal (2009) – Executive in Residence at Carnegie Mellon Tepper School of Business; President and Owner of Dormont Manufacturing Company; Strategic Planning and Marketing at Scott Paper
  • Charles R. Christopherson Jr. (2007 to 2009) – Chief Information Officer at USDA; Group Vice President of Operations & Finance at Encompass Services, Inc.; Chief Operating and Financial Officer at LANtech
AGENCY

Department of Agriculture

Mission: To provide leadership on food, agriculture, natural resources, rural development, nutrition and related issues based on public policy, the best available science and effective management. To provide economic opportunity through innovation, helping rural America to thrive; to promote agriculture production that better nourishes Americans while also helping feed others throughout the world; and to preserve our nation's natural resources through conservation, restored forests, improved watersheds and healthy private working lands.

COMPENSATION

Level IV $158,500 (5 U.S.C. § 5315)1

REPORTS TO

Secretary of Agriculture

SENATE COMMITTEE

Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry

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Footnote
  1. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Public Law 116-260, December 27 ,2020), contains a provision that continues the freeze on the payable pay rates for certain senior political officials through January 1, 2022. The compensation information is based on guidance from the Office of Personnel Management and can be accessed here. If you are selected for this position, please consult the agency’ HR representative for further guidance on compensation.
  2. https://www.ocfo.usda.gov/
  3. https://www.obpa.usda.gov/budsum/fy2020budsum.pdf
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