Senior Research Scientist

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 diverse 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 $217,000 - $375,000.

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 from December 25 31, 2024

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 PCAOB has a full-time, regular position for a Senior Research Scientist in the Office of Economic and Risk Analysis (OERA).

The Senior Research Scientist will lead research projects in support of the PCAOB’s strategic initiatives. The Senior Research Scientist will report to the Chief Economist and Director, OERA.

Responsibilities

Lead more complex research projects, including short and long-term research assignments, broad audit risk measurement and monitoring, and evaluating innovation and its impact on auditing.

Develop, identify, and apply appropriate statistical models and empirical techniques to analyze and assess the potential impact of financial, economic, political, and technological developments, as well as existing or proposed policies on the audit industry.

Work with other analysts both within and outside OERA to monitor and assess the significance of current and future financial, economic, political, and technological developments, including producing memos and papers on such developments, occasionally under tight time constraints.

Draft papers, memoranda, reports, presentations, and articles based upon analyses of data, published studies, and specialized knowledge of the audit industry, economy, government policies, technology, and other areas relevant to evaluating risks to the audit industry.

Present analysis and findings to the Board and other internal and external audiences.

Engage with outside experts in academia and industry to further strengthen the PCAOB’s understanding of auditing and its impact in capital markets or econometric modeling capabilities.

Lead efforts to analyze public and proprietary data to support and inform other PCAOB initiatives and projects.

Provide guidance to research analysts in the development of complex datasets.

Review and provide guidance, input, and direction on work developed by OERA Research Scientists and other staff.

Qualifications

Education / Technical Expertise

Ph.D. in accounting, finance, economics, or related field.

At least 2 publications in a Financial Times Top 48 journal.

Minimum of 6+ years of progressively responsible experience (excluding post-graduate experience) conducting empirical research related to auditing, accounting, or financial markets, or developing econometric / statistical models for prediction and causal inference .

Expertise in programming languages (such as Python and R) to conduct econometric modeling and statistical analysis.

Outstanding collaborative skills and the ability to promote collaboration by unifying teams, setting common goals, and incentivizing collaborative behavior.

Ability to clearly articulate a position with sound logic, supporting empirical evidence, and impartiality.

Ability to effectively represent the organization to a variety of both internal and external constituencies.

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.

Demonstrated ability to effectively organize and manage projects and teams.

Ability to develop, coach, and mentor staff, providing constant feedback and clear direction.

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

In-depth experience successfully harmonizing diverse and competing interests.

Superior verbal and written communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications

7+ years of relevant experience (excluding post-graduate experience).

4+ years of experience managing projects and preparing reports and presentations for non-economist audiences.

At least 3 publications in a Financial Times Top 48 journal.

Knowledge of corporate finance.

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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