Ascension is seeking an accomplished Senior Federal Financial Management / Defense Agencies Initiative (DAI) Lead to provide senior-level financial systems, accounting, reconciliation, analysis, audit-readiness, and advisory support to Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps Programs & Resources.

The ideal candidate combines DoD financial management expertise with hands-on knowledge of DAI, USSGL accounting, financial feeder systems, general ledger operations, reconciliations, variance analysis, and financial statement/audit support. This individual should understand not simply how to extract information from a financial system, but how transactions move through interconnected business and financial systems, how those transactions affect the general ledger and financial statements, and how anomalies should be researched, reconciled, documented, and resolved.

This role is particularly important because RFA supports Marine Corps financial reporting and the annual full financial statement audit, while SDI is responsible for financial systems/data integration and the Marine Corps DAI program.

Ascension is looking for a candidate who can operate as both a hands-on senior analyst and trusted financial management advisor—someone capable of independently researching difficult accounting/system issues, explaining findings to government stakeholders, and translating financial and system data into defensible recommendations.

Summary of the Contractor Role

The Senior Federal Financial Management / DAI Lead provides subject matter expertise supporting the Marine Corps’ financial systems environment, with particular emphasis on DAI, USSGL accounting, general ledger integrity, feeder-system interfaces, financial reconciliations, reporting, and audit readiness.

The professional analyzes financial information and system transactions; researches discrepancies and abnormal conditions; evaluates system and feeder-system interfaces; supports reconciliations; develops variance explanations; and advises government stakeholders regarding financial management, accounting, reporting, data integrity, and compliance issues.

The PWS specifically requires financial systems support for financial analysis, mixed-use systems and applications, performance measurement and analysis, system/application training, and the maintenance, execution, and analysis of databases, reports, tools, and documentation.

The position also contributes to RFA’s general ledger and financial reporting responsibilities, including monthly financial closeout, quarterly trading-partner reconciliations and eliminations, review of DFAS-prepared journal vouchers, and quarterly financial statement variance analysis and supporting narratives.

This is a role for a highly analytical, detail-oriented professional who can work independently, investigate issues that do not always have obvious solutions, communicate effectively with both financial and technical personnel, manage competing deadlines, and maintain accuracy in a high-visibility financial environment.

Anticipated Day-to-Day Activities

The Senior Federal Financial Management / DAI Lead is expected to:

• ANALYZE financial transactions, accounting data, general ledger activity, and financial system outputs to identify discrepancies, abnormal conditions, trends, and potential reporting issues.
• RESEARCH complex financial management and accounting issues involving DAI, financial feeder systems, interfaces, accruals, reporting, and USSGL accounts.
• RECONCILE financial and system information across DAI, feeder systems, general ledger records, supporting documentation, and applicable reporting sources.
• VALIDATE that financial transactions are accurately recorded to the appropriate USSGL accounts and supported by appropriate documentation.
• SUPPORT monthly financial closeout activities and associated financial/accounting analysis.
• PERFORM and/or support quarterly trading-partner reconciliations and elimination activities.
• REVIEW DFAS-prepared journal vouchers and supporting financial information for completeness, accuracy, consistency, and potential anomalies.
• CONDUCT quarterly financial statement variance analyses and develop clear narratives explaining material variances.
• INVESTIGATE DAI and feeder-system discrepancies, data-interface issues, abnormal accounting conditions, and other financial data-integrity concerns.
• DEVELOP written recommendations and analyses addressing specific financial systems, accounting, data, and reporting issues.
• ADVISE government leadership and working groups on financial systems, accounting, data analysis, data management, and reporting issues.
• SUPPORT financial statement preparation, audit readiness, audit response, and remediation activities.
• COORDINATE financial information and supporting documentation required for auditor, Inspector General, DFAS, and other stakeholder requests.
• FACILITATE and support Provided-by-Client (PBC) requests and follow-up questions associated with financial statement audits.
• IDENTIFY root causes and process weaknesses revealed through financial analysis, reconciliations, system reviews, or audit findings.
• RECOMMEND and help implement process improvements that strengthen financial reporting, internal controls, auditability, and financial statement reliability.
• INTERPRET applicable Treasury, OMB, OSD, DoD, DFAS, DON, and Marine Corps financial management requirements and translate them into actionable guidance.
• DEVELOP reports, analytical products, briefing materials, recommendations, and supporting documentation for senior government stakeholders.
• SUPPORT financial system/application training and provide functional guidance to government personnel when required.
• MAINTAIN supporting documentation, analysis files, reports, databases, and financial-system artifacts in an audit-ready manner.
• COLLABORATE with accountants, financial managers, system personnel, data analysts, auditors, DFAS personnel, and other internal and external stakeholders.
• BRIEF complex financial or system issues in clear business language appropriate for technical personnel, financial managers, and senior leadership.