Pros
Salaries, benefits, work environment, and work schedules are among the best in the federal government. As a colleague of the employee that posted “Steer Clear of Contracting at the SEC”, I feel compelled to offer an alternative perspective on working for the SEC and the Office of Acquisitions (OA). As a relatively small federal agency, the SEC does not have the manpower available to provide full time staff members within every division/office for the sole purpose of monitoring the performance of current SEC contracts or completing procurement packages for submission to OA. For staff within most divisions/offices, these tasks are additional duties placed on top of an already substantial workload. As such, OA and its staff are charged with providing exemplary customer service by assisting these divisions/offices to the maximum extent possible. This role is made clear by management through our motto: “Stand in the Gap and Lead”. This is what is expected of our staff and the vast majority rise to the challenge in a positive and collaborative manner. The recent increase in OA’s staffing levels provide a good indication that senior management is very aware of the importance of our role in supporting the SEC mission. Given the salaries and benefits provided by the SEC, the agency tends to garner seasoned professionals who already possess advanced levels of education and wide breadths of experience. Having said that, ample training, rotations, and details are available to staff and the SEC is top-notch at providing both in-house and offsite training opportunities. Professional advancement within OA is encouraged and supported through internal promotions. In my experience, improvement ideas and out of the box thinking are valued within OA. Our office has been, and remains, in a constant state of improvement with a long list of initiatives completed, in-progress, and planned. Yes, there are challenges associated with our contract writing system but these difficulties are not unique to OA. OA’s review process is one of the most efficient and forward-thinking processes I have experienced and a breath of fresh air by comparison to most. Management regularly schedules all-staff meetings and encourages discussion during our monthly leadership meetings and weekly reviews. Morale in our office has been completely turned around in the past few years and remains high. In my opinion it is truly a great place to work with few negatives as compared to previous professional experiences. If you are looking for challenging work in a great environment with excellent benefits, by all means consider the SEC and the Office of Acquisitions.
Cons
Nothing that stands out as compared to other federal agencies.
