POSITION DESCRIPTION:

ARPA-E advances high-potential, high-impact energy technologies that are too early for private sector investment.  ARPA-E is seeking an Associate Director for Finance who will lead ARPA-E’s efforts to identify, assess, and resolve financial issues and policy matters, with a view to facilitating program planning and execution.  In this role, you will support the ARPA-E executive leadership team on all financial matters and oversee all budget formulation, execution, and evaluation activities for the agency.  The Associate Director for Finance has a tremendous impact on the energy innovation community through the technologies ARPA-E supports with the intent to disrupt today’s systems and transform how the United States generates, stores, and uses energy.  As an agency, ARPA-E values innovation, flexibility, creativity, collegiality, and a passion for its energy mission, while striving to be a “flat organization” with a limited management hierarchy.

WHO IS THE ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR FOR FINANCE (ADF)?

ARPA-E’s Associate Director for Finance serves as the Chief Financial Officer for ARPA-E and fulfills the agency’s responsibilities for the planning, analysis, justification, control, and reporting of all fiscal resources to plan, develop and carry out ARPA-E’s goals, programs, objective and operations.  The ADF provides executive leadership to ensure sound financial stewardship.  The ADF also serves as the agency’s Budget Officer and oversees annual budget formulation and justification processes ensuring that ARPA-E’s needs are appropriately justified and effectively communicated across the Administration and to Congress.  The ADF oversees the administrative control of all agency funds ($300-$400M per year) for effective use of ARPA-E resources, the agency’s invoicing review process to ensure funded projects receive payment in a consistent and timely manner, and safeguards proper conduct of all accounting and financial operations in compliance with applicable laws and regulations.

The ADF also supports the Deputy Director for Operations in the management and oversight of the ARPA-E organization and all assigned resources (including a contractor workforce) to ensure that the mission of ARPA-E is accomplished with consistency in policy, direction, and compliance with overall Departmental policy, goals, and objectives.  The ADF also oversees all aspects of ARPA-E IT systems and serves as the system owner for those systems.

As one of ARPA-E’s leaders, the ADF works with the Director and Deputy Directors to execute the agency’s mission consistent with the overall program strategy, including consideration for the high-risk nature of the work.  These transformational R&D projects and programs are performed by companies, academic institutions, research foundations, industry collaborations, consortia, and other qualified R&D entities to develop new technologies to supply the United States (and the world), with affordable, reliable, and secure energy.

The ADF must possess strong management skills, have deep knowledge of government financial systems and procedures, and have experience working as a senior member of an executive leadership team.

ELIGIBILITY & QUALIFICATIONS:

• 15+ years of experience in finance, accounting, or audit as an operational leader in a technology-focused organization
• An advanced degree in a relevant discipline is required or a bachelor’s degree plus a relevant certification
• Deep experience with federal government budget formulation and execution
• Mastery knowledge in accounting/finance operations in a federal government environment
• Strong written and oral communication skills, including the ability to clearly communicate financial and technical ideas and concepts to a wide-range of audiences
• Demonstrated interest/expertise in energy and energy technologies
• US Citizenship is required

EMPLOYMENT DETAILS:

• This is a term-limited position for an initial 3-year term with the opportunity to extend by mutual agreement.
• This position is based at ARPA-E headquarters in Washington, D.C. (fully remote and routine remote work is not possible).
• The Associate Director for Finance is a full-time federal employee, is paid a competitive salary, and receives full federal benefits.

To apply, please submit a cover letter highlighting compliance with the above qualifications and a full resume or CV.

Questions can be directed via email to ARPA-E-jobs@hq.doe.gov with the words, “Associate Director for Finance” in the subject heading.

In accordance with Executive Order 14170, applicants are encouraged to respond to the four short, free-response, essay questions in the questionnaire. Answers to these questions are not scored or rated.  Your answers to the essay questions will be reviewed by the hiring manager and agency leadership if you are referred for selection consideration.

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