Senior Technical Advisor | Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB)

(Norwalk, CT) The Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) is seeking candidates to serve as its Senior Technical Advisor, a highly responsible and critical position in the standards setting process. This position reports to the Director of Research and Technical Activities and provides technical and conceptual quality control for standards setting projects. Candidates must have a passion for the GASB mission and extensive experience in the application of GASB standards.

The GASB members are appointed by the Financial Accounting Foundation (FAF) an independent, private-sector organization with responsibility for the oversight, administration, and finances of its standard-setting Boards, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB), and their Advisory Councils.

The GASB mission is to establish and improve standards of state and local governmental accounting and financial reporting that will result in useful information for users of financial reports, and guide and educate the public, including issuers, auditors, and users of those financial reports.

GASB fulfills its mission through the standard setting process by establishing and improving financial accounting and reporting standards—known as Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, or GAAP—for state and local governments in the United States.   

Position Responsibilities

Planning and Completion of Work

• Comply with project management policies and procedures described in the Research and Technical Activities (RTA) Manual and GASB Rules of Procedure, including due process and interaction with FAF support functions.
• Promptly respond to requests for advice and counsel from project, research, and post-implementation review (PIR) teams, Director of RTA, Assistant Director of RTA, and Board members.

Technical Review and Counsel

• Assist project, research, and PIR teams in identifying the technical issues to be addressed and the sequence in which the issues should be addressed.
• Review proposed solutions identified by the project team for conceptual and technical soundness, impact on existing GASB literature, consideration of perceived costs and expected benefits, and relationship with literature of other standards setters.
• Review materials prepared for the Board for clarity, completeness, and technical quality with respect to the information and analysis provided.
• Maintain knowledge of the interrelationships among issues on various projects.
• Review drafts of due process documents prior to distribution to the Board for clarity, technical accuracy, and the quality and completeness of arguments presented in the Basis for Conclusions.
• Review materials received from other organizations or individuals that require a high level of technical expertise and provide feedback on those materials (as needed).

Communications

• Discuss complex technical issues that require a high level of practical and theoretical knowledge with the RTA staff and Board members in a clear, logical manner. Serve as a liaison to external stakeholders and conduct presentations on matters relevant to stakeholders.
• Provide written materials on complex technical issues (as requested by Director of RTA) that are clear, concise, and logically organized.

Essential Skills and Experience

Individuals holding this position should possess the following skills and attributes:

• Strong Project Management Skills: Candidates must be able to balance multiple priorities, working consistently well under pressure with the ability to meet reasonable deadlines.
• Technical Knowledge: Candidates must have an excellent working knowledge of the GASB’s conceptual framework, GASB pronouncements and the relevant FASB, IPSAB and FASAB standards. In depth expertise with the ability to serve as a subject matter expert in relevant topical areas of accounting and audit literature. Candidates must also be willing to develop expertise in new areas and to independently analyze complex problems, identify key issues, develop and explore alternative solutions, and develop a well-reasoned recommendation. Familiarity with relevant research methods, such as interviews, surveys, and financial statement analysis is important.
• Personal Characteristics: Candidates must possess strong interpersonal skills necessary to effectively interact with a wide variety of people. In addition, strong listening skills with the ability to hear, understand, and articulate others’ views is vital. Effective oral and written skills are also essential to success in this position. The ability to see both the big picture as well as the details is very important. The successful candidate will demonstrate the ability to develop effective working relationships with Board members and senior staff as well; be respectful and tolerant of other views while possessing the self confidence to defend their own perspective.

In addition, candidates will ideally possess a minimum of 15 years of experience (senior management level) in a public accounting firm, university, government agency or comparable organization. A bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance or business administration is required. A CPA is strongly desired. Extensive knowledge of the accounting standard setting process is highly valued.

Compensation, Benefits and Office Environment

The GASB Senior Technical Advisor position is a key position in the GASB organization. Compensation and benefits are commensurate with this level of responsibility. Please contact the recruiter (see contact information below) for additional details. The FAF offices are located in Norwalk, Connecticut. GASB currently has a hybrid work model for employees and is open to discussions with candidates on work schedule options.