Federal Position Descriptions
Print

Undersecretary Comptroller and Chief Financial Officer

Undersecretary (Comptroller) and Chief Financial Officer, Department of Defense
Responsibility
Management Scope

The comptroller is responsible for preparation, management and accountability of the entire DOD budget. The DOD budget was approximately $576 billion for fiscal 2016. The DOD has more than 2.1 million active and reserve service members and 742,000 civilian personnel. The comptroller also exercises authority, direction and control over DOD’s two principal financial organizations: the Defense Finance and Accounting Service, the world’s largest finance and accounting operation and the Defense Contract Audit Agency.

Primary Responsibilities

• Serves as the principal advisor to the secretary of defense on budgetary and fiscal matters.
• Supervises and directs the preparation of budget estimates for DOD.
• Works to ensure that Congress supports the DOD budget and its financial policies. Also ensures that each of the congressional defense committees is informed in a timely manner regarding all matters relating to the budgetary, fiscal and analytic activities of DOD that are under comptroller supervision.
• Establishes and supervises the execution of policies and procedures relating to the expenditure and collection of funds administered by DOD.
• Encourages and oversees DOD’s efforts to obtain auditable financial statements.
• Oversees the recruitment, selection and training of personnel to carry out agency financial management functions.
• Oversees financial management systems.
• Provides financial information to senior leaders, Congress, OMB and the media.
• Relates the budget and performance to outcomes where possible.

Strategic Goals and Priorities
[Depends on the policy priorities of the administration.]
Requirements

• Appointed from civilian life (10 U.S.C. § 135)
• Strong substantive expertise in military policy and DOD’s functions and policies
• Strong background in federal and DOD financial management
• Executive leadership experience including DOD experience
• Understanding of and experience working with OMB and the U.S. Congress
• Ability and willingness to work with the media
• Financial audit knowledge a significant plus
• Familiarity with cyber technology a plus
• Experience with risk management a plus
• Background in data analytics a plus

Competencies

• High level of energy
• Ability to clearly articulate complex budget issues to senior leaders, OMB, Congress and the media
• Ability to collaborate with DOD senior leaders — both military and civilian — as well as other CFOs and OMB via the CFO Council
• Knowledge of and relationships with/ability to develop relationships with Congress

Past Appointments
  • Michael J. McCord (2014 to 2017) – Principal Deputy Undersecretary of Defense (Comptroller); Professional Staff Member on the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) for Sen. Sam Nunn and Chairman Senator Carl Levin; minority or majority staff lead on the Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support
  • Robert F. Hale (2009 to 2014) – Assistant Secretary (Financial Management and Comptroller), Air Force; Head of the National Security Division, Congressional Budget Office; Executive Director, American Society of Military Comptrollers; Head of Acquisition and Grants Management, LMI; Fellow, Booz Allen Hamilton; Officer, U.S. Navy
  • Tina Jonas Shivers (2004 to 2008) – Assistant Director and the Chief Financial Officer of the FBI; Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Financial Management; Professional Staff Member for House Committee on Appropriations, Defense; senior Budget Examiner in the Intelligence Branch of the National Security Division in OMB
  • Dov Zakheim (2001 to 2004) – CEO, SPC International (subsidiary of System Planning Corporation); Consultant, DOD; Deputy Undersecretary of defense for Planning and Resources, DOD; Principal Analyst, Congressional Budget Office
AGENCY

Department of Defense

Mission: The mission of the Department of Defense is to provide the military forces needed to deter war and to protect the security of our country.

COMPENSATION

Level III $165,300 (5 U.S.C. § 5314)2

REPORTS TO

Secretary of Defense

SENATE COMMITTEE

Armed Services

Appointee Tracker

Check out our Political Appointee Tracker

Go to the tracker
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.
More federal position descriptions