Technology is increasingly intertwined with the core functions of every industry, including the financial industry. Many companies are marketing “artificial intelligence” as a sweeping solution for any problem, often without being able to explain how it works or what data was used to train it. Big Tech is tracking more-and-more user behavior and building higher walled gardens. The design of a product can include impediments to a person’s ability to make apples to apples comparisons.
Technology is rapidly changing how existing products and services work, but that doesn’t change obligations to existing laws. It is essential that the government has the technical expertise it needs to address and regulate this constantly evolving marketplace.
In July 2022, the CFPB announced efforts to recruit and embed individuals with technical skills across its core functions. Currently, technologists at the CFPB are conducting exams of supervised entities, supporting investigations, and informing policy decisions to address advanced technology.
Today, the CFPB is launching a cross-government hiring effort to embed technical experts across multiple agencies that share a variety of consumer protection, competition, and civil rights authorities. At each agency, technologists will work to enforce federal laws and address rapidly evolving technology.
Creating a pipeline of technical talent to enforce federal laws
Using pooled hiring , technologists can submit a single application to the CFPB and be considered for employment at multiple federal agencies, such as the Department of Justice, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Federal Trade Commission, and United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.
This approach will speed up hiring and reduce burden on job applicants. Additionally, consolidating and streamlining hiring actions will save enforcement agencies significant work and effort while maintaining ambitious and rigorous standards for hiring and recruiting. It’s our hope these combined efforts will help us scale how we monitor and address advanced technologies across government.
How do technologists in government contribute to policy and enforcement?
Technologists work alongside attorneys and policy experts to hold companies accountable for the misuse of technology and ensure the marketplace is fair and competitive. We are looking for experts in product design, user experience, research, software engineering, data science, machine learning, and product management.
We want people who are curious, eager to learn, and are excited to use their expertise to solve complex and high-impact problems. These jobs are the chance to go past theoretical discussions of artificial intelligence and instead ensure the government develops and enforces policies to protect the rights, safety, and privacy of all Americans.
How to apply
Over the next few months, the CFPB will use pooled hiring for the following technical roles:
- Supervisory Senior Technologist – Serve as a principal technical expert at their agency and support other technologists across a variety of domains to further strategic investigative and policymaking goals. This job announcement is currently open and closes on May 28, 2024. Apply to be a Supervisory Senior Technologist in government.
- Program Technologist – Help lead the work of small, cross-functional investigatory teams and monitor new entrants in financial markets. This job announcement will be available in summer of 2024. Join our mailing list to be notified when this job is available.
To apply, you’ll need a federal resume, which is typically multiple pages and has a bit more detail than you may be accustomed to. We are looking for the full story and relevant details that show how your experiences meet the specialized experience required of the position. If your resume is found to demonstrate the required specialized experience, you will then receive a skill-based assessment. Based on the assessment, qualified applicants will then be considered for various technologist positions across multiple agencies.
Your work will improve the lives of millions of Americans, and we need you. If you have questions about the hiring process, email technologists@cfpb.gov or visit consumerfinance.gov/tech.