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Federal Career Guide

Business and Finance

Overview

Business and finance professionals in the federal government help agencies manage public resources responsibly to allow programs to effectively serve communities nationwide. They analyze budgets, guide spending decisions and manage contracts and grants to make efficient use of federal funds. 

Those in business and finance are valuable financial stewards, ensuring the sustainability of agency services and a reduction of waste across state government. This work is ideal for those who have strong quantitative skills, effectively manage their time and enjoy analytical thinking.

What You Might Work On

In the federal government, professionals in this field often:

  • Manage budgets, financial plans and resource allocations 
  • Oversee contracts, grants or procurement activities 
  • Conduct audits, reviews and financial evaluations to detect inefficiencies and improve accountability 
  • Analyze financial, operational, or program data to identify trends, flag potential risks and recommend improvements 

Is This a Good Fit?

While roles and responsibilities vary, you might enjoy this field if you:

  • Enjoy quantitative and detail-heavy work  
  • Want to enable the accountable use of public resources 
  • Balance big-picture organizational needs with smaller-scale decision making 
  • Thrive when optimizing systems and processes 
  • Job Series Codes

Job Series Codes

What are job series codes?

In the federal government, most jobs are grouped into “job series” based on the type of work. Each series has a four-digit code (for example, 0510, Accounting).

How to use them:

You can use job series codes to narrow your search on USAJOBS. Start with a keyword (like “program analyst”), then add a series code for more targeted results. Here are a few examples to get you started — there are hundreds of job series codes across the federal government!

Code Series / category name Common keywords What you’ll do  
0501 Financial Administration Financial Management Analyst, Financial Management Specialist, Tax Analyst, Control Analyst Manage fiscal, financial, accounting, or budget administrative functions 
0510 Accounting Accountant, Accounting and Budget, Resource Manager Apply accounting principles to analyze, manage and advise on financial activities 
0511 Auditing Auditor (Internal/Performance), Accounting and Budget, Program Manager Examine financial data to assess accuracy, integrity and management controls 
0512 Internal Revenue Agency Internal Revenue Agent, Fraud Specialist, Program Advisor Determine tax liability using accounting expertise and federal tax law 
0560 Budget Analysis Budget Analyst, Budget & Financial Manager, Resource Analyst, Budget Officer Support all stages of creating and managing agency budgets 
1101 General Business and Industry Asset Management Specialist, Acquisition Program Management Specialist, Asset Marketing, Management and Sales, Lender Relations, Realty Perform business functions that are not covered by another series 
1102 Contracting Contract Specialist, Procurement Analyst, Cost Analyst Acquire goods and services through federal contracting processes and regulations 

Where You Could Work

The federal government is big — so where do you start? 

One approach is to focus on a type of role. Another is to focus on a mission area, or the kind of impact you want to have (i.e., in public health, education, transportation or elsewhere).

Keep in mind: mission areas often span multiple agencies, so you may find relevant roles in places you wouldn’t expect! 

Professionals in this field work across many federal agencies depending on mission area, including: 

  • Financial risk and program oversight: Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation 
  • Actuarial science and insurance: Department of Homeland Security, National Flood Insurance Program 
  • Acquisition: Office of Management and Budget, Office of Federal Procurement Policy 

Sample Positions

Lender Relations Specialist (1101)

Employer / agencySmall Business Administration
Location(s)Kansas City, Missouri 
Mission contextAt the Small Business Administration, lender relations specialists act as the bridge between the agency and the financial institutions that issue SBA-backed loans. 

In this role you may:

  • Develop, conduct and participate in training sessions for small businesses, lenders, borrowers and partners to optimize SBA programs 
  • Provide assistance through consultation and customer interactions with lenders 
  • Provide assistance to small businesses by sharing information and guidance related to eligibility, credit readiness and financing options 

Contract Specialist (1102)

Employer / agency Department of Housing and Urban Development, Assistant Secretary for Housing – Federal Housing Commissioner 
Location(s) Atlanta, Georgia 
Mission context This role advances affordable housing programs by ensuring contracts and partnerships are managed effectively. 

In this role, you may:

  • Ensure that all policies and procedures are properly observed, all transactions are conducted with authorized personnel, all records and contracts are complete and all customer position limits/risk tolerances are observed 
  • Provide recommendations to the Senior Account Executive and/or the Branch Chief for all loan level and deal level credit decision making 
  • Serve as HUD’s primary point of contact for projects assigned for owners/management agents, tenants, federal, state and local governmental agencies, congressional interests, other external organizations and senior level managers

Top 10 agencies for this Field

Top 10 Most Common Jobs in this Field

Positions Currently Open on USAJOBS

Browse current federal job openings on USAJOBS and explore opportunities across agencies and career fields. Use the filters to find positions that match your skills, review requirements, and understand how to apply.

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