Summary
This vacancy is for an ACCOUNTANT position in the Accounts Payable & Accounts Receivable Branches located at the U.S. Census Bureau Headquarters in Suitland, Maryland. The Census Bureau is accessible from the Metro Rail Green Line - Suitland Station.
This job is open to
Clarification from the agency
All qualified United States citizens.
Duties
- Applies financial data, identifies problem areas, resolves discrepancies in reported data, develops solutions and recommends alternatives to improve operating program effectiveness.
- Provides authoritative advice, guidance, and operational support in fulfilling OMB, GAO, and Treasury's over financial management and reporting requirements as mandated.
- Conducts financial analyses, reviews, and validates financial data.
- Serves as a Supervisory Accountant CSRA working in collaboration with management managing and overseeing a staff in accounting and financial operations.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- Applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
- U.S. Citizen.
- Suitable for Federal employment.
- Registered for Selective Service, if applicable (www.sss.gov).
- A one-year probationary period may be required.
- A supervisory probationary period may be required.
- This is a NON-BARGAINING unit position.
Qualifications
This vacancy is advertised under 2 different announcements. Please read the 'Who May Apply' section carefully to determine your eligibility. If you are not eligible under this announcement, please see Accountant, GS-0510-13, 24-CFO-12530485-ST-CB.
This Job Opportunity Announcement may be used to fill other ACCOUNTANT, 0510-13, FPL GS-13 positions within the Census Bureau in the same geographical location with the same qualifications and specialized experience.
Minimum Education Requirement:
Degree: accounting; or a degree in a related field such as business administration, finance, or public administration that included or was supplemented by 24 semester hours in accounting. The 24 hours may include up to 6 hours of credit in business law. (The term "accounting" means "accounting and/or auditing" in this standard. Similarly, "accountant" should be interpreted, generally, as "accountant and/or auditor.")
OR
Combination of education and experience: at least 4 years of experience in accounting, or an equivalent combination of accounting experience, college-level education, and training that provided professional accounting knowledge. The applicant's background must also include one of the following:
Twenty-four semester hours in accounting or auditing courses of appropriate type and quality. This can include up to 6 hours of business law; a certificate as Certified Public Accountant or a Certified Internal Auditor, obtained through written examination; or completion of the requirements for a degree that included substantial course work in accounting or auditing, e.g., 15 semester hours, but that does not fully satisfy the 24-semester-hour requirement of paragraph A, provided that (a) the applicant has successfully worked at the full-performance level in accounting, auditing, or a related field, e.g., valuation engineering or financial institution examining; (b) a panel of at least two higher level professional accountants or auditors has determined that the applicant has demonstrated a good knowledge of accounting and of related and underlying fields that equals in breadth, depth, currency, and level of advancement that which is normally associated with successful completion of the 4-year course of study described in paragraph A; and (c) except for literal nonconformance to the requirement of 24 semester hours in accounting, the applicant's education, training, and experience fully meet the specified requirements.
AND
Specialized Experience: For GS-13, you must have one year of experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service. Experience is defined as: Gather, record, and process financial data from an accounting and/or financial system; Review and examine the accuracy of financial data/general ledger to ensure conformance to regulations, policies, and operating procedures; Provide technical guidance on a variety of financial matters related to Governmentwide Treasury Account Symbol (GTAS) Adjusted Trial Balance System, Financial Statements, The US Standard General Ledger (USSGL), SF 133: Report on Budget Execution and Budgetary Resources; Assist with audit inquiries and requests; and Analyze and reconcile financial transactions.
Education: Education can not be substituted for experience at this grade level.
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer.
How You Will Be Evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Your resume, optional cover letter and supporting documentation will be reviewed to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications for the position. If you meet the minimum qualifications stated in the job opportunity announcement, we will compare your resume, optional cover letter and supporting documentation to your responses on the scored occupational questionnaire (True/False, Yes/No, Multiple Choice questions) and place you in one of three pre-defined categories. These categories are "gold," "silver," and "bronze." Your resume and/or optional cover letter must support your responses to the scored occupational questionnaire, or your score may be lowered. Candidates placed in the "gold" category will be identified for referral to the hiring manager and may be invited for an interview.
If you are invited for an interview, you will be required to provide a writing sample.
CTAP and ICTAP candidates:
CTAP and ICTAP candidates will be eligible for selection priority if it is determined that they have exceeded the minimum qualifications for the position by attaining at least a rating of 85 out of 100. Information about CTAP and ICTAP eligibility is on the Office of Personnel Management's Career Transition Resources website at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/ctap_guideline.pdf.
How you will be evaluated for preference eligibility: Within each category, those entitled to veterans' preference will be listed at the top of the pre-defined category for which they are placed.
The scored occupational questionnaire will evaluate you on the following competencies; please do not provide a separate written response:
- Financial Analysis
- Financial Management
- Leadership
- Technical Competence
For more information on category rating, please go to: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-information/competitive-hiring/#url=Category-Rating .
We recommend that you preview the online questions for this announcement before you start the application process.
Do NOT include the following types of information in your application:
- Social Security Number (SSN)
- Date of Birth (DOB)
- Photos of yourself (if included on your resume you will not be considered for this position)
- Personal information: such as age, gender, religious affiliation, etc.
You may view the https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12530484 for this vacancy.
Required Documents
A complete application consists of the following:
- Resume showing relevant experience; cover letter optional. Your resume must list your educational and work experience including the dates (mm/yy) of each employment along with the number of hours worked per week. Your resume may be used to validate your responses to the scored occupational questionnaire. Your resume should also indicate your citizenship and if you are registered with the Selective Service System if you are a male born after 12/31/59.
- Veterans' Preference Documentation: Please indicate on your resume the type of veterans' preference you are claiming and provide the appropriate supporting documentation (DD-214 stating disposition of discharge or character of service, VA letter, SF-15, etc.) to validate your claim. For more information regarding eligibility requirements, please go to: Veteran's Resource Page.
- Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) documentation, if applicable:
- CTAP applicants MUST submit the following documents:
- A copy of your RIF separation notice; notice of proposed removal for declining a directed geographic relocation outside of the local commuting area; a Certificate of Expected Separation (CES); or certification that you are in a surplus organization or occupation (this could be a position abolishment letter, a notice of eligibility for discontinued service retirement, or similar notice).
- A copy of your SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action" noting current position, grade/band level, and duty location;
- A copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating; and
- Any documentation from your bureau/operating unit that shows your current promotion potential.
- ICTAP applicants MUST submit the following documents:
- A copy of your RIF separation notice; notice of proposed removal for declining a directed geographic relocation outside of the local commuting area; notice of disability annuity termination; certification from your former agency that it cannot place you after your recovery from a work-related compensable injury; or certification from the National Guard Bureau or Military Department that you are eligible for disability retirement.
- A copy of your SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action", documenting your RIF separation, noting your position, grade/band level, and duty location, and/or Agency certification of inability to place you through RPL, etc.;
- A copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating; and
- Any documentation from your agency that shows your current promotion potential.
- Education Documentation: If this position requires proof of higher education, or you are substituting education for experience, you must submit an unofficial transcript or a list of courses that includes the following information: name of accredited institution, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned. This also applies to Census Bureau employees. Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. Please refer to OPM's Qualification Policy for more information.
You are not required to submit official documents at this time; copies are sufficient.
Special Instructions for Foreign Education: Qualifying education from colleges and universities in foreign countries must be evaluated in terms of equivalency to that acquired in U.S. colleges and universities. Applicants educated in whole or in part in foreign countries must submit sufficient evidence, including transcripts, to an accredited private organization for an equivalency evaluation of course work and degree. You must provide a copy of the letter containing the results of the equivalency evaluation with a course-by-course listing along with your application. Failure to provide such documentation when requested will result in lost consideration. For further information on the evaluation of foreign education, refer to the U.S. Department of Education's web site at Academic and Professional Mobility | International Affairs Office (ed.gov).
NOTE: You will not be considered if you fail to provide all required documents.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from
schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
How to Apply
Your complete application, including required documents, must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on 09/19/2024.
To apply on-line, you must complete and submit an application by accessing the USAJOBS website at https://www.usajobs.gov.
- To begin, click Apply Online to create a USA JOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
- Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.
USAJOBS Help Center | How to see your application and job status
To return to your saved application, log in to your USAJOBS account at https://www.usajobs.gov/ and click on "Applications." Click on the position title, and then select "Update Application."
Applicants are strongly encouraged to apply online; however, if you are unable to apply online, please contact:
catherine.butler@census.gov
Next steps
You will be notified of your application status through USAJOBS at four points during the hiring process, as applicable. You can check the status of your application by accessing the USAJOBS website at https://usajobs.gov and clicking on "Applications." The status will be visible next to the corresponding positions. The four points of notification are:
- Application Received or Application Incomplete;
- Minimum Qualification Requirement Met or Minimum Qualification Requirement Not Met;
- Referred or Not Referred; and
- Selected or Not Selected.
By submitting your application, you are certifying the accuracy of the information contained in your application. If you make a false statement in any part of your application, you may not be hired; you may be terminated after you begin work; or you may be fined or jailed. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation.
You will be required to submit official documentation prior to appointment. The agency will then verify the information provided on your application (i.e., degree, veterans' preference, disability, etc.).
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