Senior Advisor to the Chief Economist

Join us and make a difference in global investor protection.

Who We Are

The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB), a nonprofit organization established by Congress, oversees the audits of public companies and SEC-registered brokers and dealers to protect investors and to further the public interest in the preparation of independent, accurate, and informative audit reports.

Our investor protection mission is focused on modernizing audit standards, enhancing audit inspections, and strengthening enforcement of PCAOB rules and standards and other related laws and rules. People are at the heart of our mission at the PCAOB.  As we carry out that mission, we strive to uphold the highest standards in audit quality with investors’ families, savings, and futures in mind. 

We are hiring mission-driven professionals interested in a career with purpose, competitive benefit offerings, and work-life flexibility. If you are interested in working with a group of talented professionals to protect investors and drive audit quality and innovation while adhering to the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct, join us.

What We Offer

At the PCAOB, we offer a highly competitive compensation and benefits package with a focus on the health and financial well-being of our valued team members. Some of the features of our comprehensive Total Rewards package include:

• Compensation – We support transparency, equity, and fairness in our compensation programs and provide a reasonable estimate of the salary range, based on data-driven market analysis, for each job posting. While it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range, a reasonable estimate of the salary range for this role in Washington, DC (Headquarters) is $297,600 - $491,200 per year. Team members may also be eligible for performance-based discretionary awards.

• Hybrid work option – Staff will be assigned to the Washington, DC (Headquarters) office. Staff can choose to live and work from anywhere within the United States but will be required to commute to their assigned office or location for occasional intentional gatherings or meetings at the frequency required by their supervisor. Travel to an assigned office or location for commuting purposes will not be considered reimbursable business travel, unless otherwise required by state law. Business travel is reimbursable in an amount not exceeding the cost to travel from the assigned office or location, unless otherwise required by state law.

• Generous paid time off – Up to 6 weeks annually, in addition to 12 federal holidays, 2 floating holidays, and a year-end break December 26-31, 2025

• Highly competitive 401(k) match and savings options – Immediate vesting and contributions matched dollar for dollar, up to 7 percent of eligible compensation. Roth in-plan conversion available. 

• Comprehensive and competitive health benefit offerings – Medical, dental, and vision plans

• Supportive paid family leave benefits – Up to 16 weeks paid parental leave and up to 16 weeks paid caregiver leave

• Life insurance benefits – Basic life and AD&D insurance provided; supplemental insurance also available

• Education benefits – PCAOB staff qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. We also offer student loan repayment assistance, staff college tuition assistance, and college coach program support.

• Well-being and family resources – Mental health and well-being resources, paid volunteer time, emergency child/adult dependent back-up care services, family-forming assistance, discounted gym memberships, employee assistance program (EAP), health advocate program, and more  

• Commuter benefits – Tax-free employer subsidy and pretax employee deductions 

Role Summary

The Senior Advisor will report to the Chief Economist and Director, Office of Economic and Risk Analysis (OERA) and provide management, legal, and operational support to the Director, in support of the PCAOB’s mission.  This includes developing and maintaining work products that support management decision making, action tracking and monitoring, strategy development, and coordination and management of processes.

The Senior Advisor will be responsible for overseeing critical OERA functions, including the Chief Counsel, research and operations support, and key activities related to people, culture, processes, management, budget, and staffing. They will serve as the academic liaison to outside academics, advising on policy issues, representing the Director in cross-divisional settings, and managing the liaison to the Office of the Chair. This position will require a candidate skilled at interfacing, communicating, and collaborating with all levels of employees and leadership across the organization, including those with PhD and JDs.

Responsibilities

• Support the Director in dealing with a range of strategic and policy initiatives, manage the flow of information; and directly handle matters of organizational importance in consultation with the Director.

• ​Provide leadership and oversight to key activities in the areas of people, culture, processes, management, budgeting, and risk management, including:

  • Interpret, communicate, and implement the PCAOB and OERA strategic goals and objectives into relevant initiatives and solutions for OERA.

  • Contribute to the development of the PCAOB’s consolidated budget, by overseeing OERA’s participation in and contributions to budget activities.

  • Promote a positive, constructive tone at the top and throughout the organization and advance a culture that is results-oriented, collaborative, mission-driven, and focused on continuous improvement. 

  • Develop, implement, monitor, and manage performance metrics and tracking mechanisms to oversee performance management and continuous improvement.

  • Support the growth and development of OERA staff through effective management and mentorship.

• Prepare and/or coordinate agendas of the Deputy Chief Economists and Chief Economist.

• Coordinate action and task assignment to responsible parties and establish completion dates.  

• Track actions and tasks to timely closure with minimal oversight; assist and escalate as needed when task owners fail to achieve timely closure, including communications, data calls, and status reporting.

• Develop planning artifacts including but not limited to statements of work, charters, schedules, and Gantt charts.

• Perform reviews and updates of documentation of processes to ensure sufficient detail and accuracy (e.g. which code is written in SASS, SQL, Python), and reflects current tools utilized.

• Negotiate and maintain accurate and timely documentation about ownership of processes within OERA and across other Divisions.

• Develop executive level status and summary briefings.  

• Create associations of trust and respect with key stakeholders. 

• Prepare and distribute preparatory material with sufficient time to ensure participants are prepared to support meeting and workshop objectives.  

• Facilitate meeting execution for meetings and workshops of sufficient size and complexity to warrant additional facilitation support, preparing work scope, and effort estimates.  

• Document meeting outcomes including actions, decisions, agreements, assumptions, and relevant discussion points; coordinate publication of meeting results consistent with meeting goals and objectives.

• Facilitate development and refinement of administrative and operational processes as needed to aid in improving effectiveness and productivity in delivering on office objectives.  

• Identify and track to closure audit requirements for which the office must be compliant (including financial and internal controls requirements); maintain the technology risk register for operational and investment projects and programs. 

• Implement and track progress of internal audit recommendations.

• Collaborate with the Director and OHR on staffing needs, including managing the review of job descriptions across OERA and implementing necessary updates.

• Oversee procurement needs, including procurement of datasets to support economic analysis and working with Finance as needed.

• Work closely with the Chief Economist, Director, and team leads to foster and inspire a positive, inclusive, innovative culture that aligns with the PCAOB’s values and facilitates the work of staff. ​

• Perform the full range of supervisory duties, including but not limited to, evaluating employee performance, making recommendations for appointment and promotion, hearing and resolving complaints, and identifying development and training needs of OERA staff.  

• ​Recruit, maintain, and develop staff consistent with business needs.​ 

• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Education/Technical Expertise

• PhD in Economics, Finance, Accounting, Statistics, or related field; or JD.

• Minimum of 12 years of relevant experience.

• Proven track record of successful project management.

• A self-starter able to administer a number of open, ongoing assignments at any one time, where some assignments are routinely unstructured, requiring autonomy and independent judgment.

• In-depth experience or ability to successfully harmonize diverse and competing interests across an organization.

• Outstanding verbal and written communication skills.

• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States without the need for employer sponsorship, now or at any time in the future.

Preferred Qualifications

• Recent experience with digital transformation and data management projects.

• ​Highly preferred experience and skills in project management, operational management, strategy development and planning, communication, and executive decision support. ​ 

Leadership/Management Skills and Abilities

• Proven ability to drive a positive “tone at the top” of the organization and hold others accountable for doing the same.

• Ensures that own behavior and the behavior of others is consistent with the highest ethical standards and aligns with the values of the organization.

• Ability to motivate and inspire employees at all levels of the organization to enhance team commitment and individual performance.

• Proven skill as a leader capable of building, managing, and retaining talented staff.

• Proven ability to develop, coach, and mentor staff, and provide constant feedback and clear direction.

• Ability to promote collaboration by unifying teams, setting common goals, and incentivizing collaborative behavior.

• Demonstrated success in establishing and maintaining positive working relationships with others, both internally and externally, to achieve the goals of the organization.

• Strong ability to build credibility, organize effectively, solve problems quickly, and communicate clearly.

• Possesses the balance and emotional intelligence required to meet the diverse needs of the other PCAOB Divisions and Offices.

• Proven ability to navigate and resolve various types of conflict in a timely and productive manner.

• Experience leading office or organization-wide projects and initiatives designed to address critical business challenges and achieve organizational goals and objectives.

Equal Employment Opportunity

All PCAOB employees are entitled to equal opportunity and a professional work environment, free of discrimination and harassment. A workplace free of discrimination and harassment is fundamental to professional success and to the PCAOB's mission. The PCAOB will consider for employment all qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with applicable law.

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