Summary

The Staff Accountant is part of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO). This position serves in one or more of the following sections: financial management systems, accounting, budget execution processing, transfer of funds, financial reporting, and auditing. The position performs general ledger accounting assignments; assists with reporting, reconciliations, and analysis; and may support budget execution and/or audits.

This job is open to

Federal employees - Competitive service

Current federal employees whose agencies follow the U.S. Office of Personnel Management's hiring rules and pay scales.

Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)

Federal employees whose job, agency or department was eliminated and are eligible for priority over other applicants.

Land and base management

Current or former employees of a base management agency.

Veterans

Veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces or a spouse, widow, widower or parent of a veteran, who may be eligible for derived preference

Military spouses

Military spouses of active duty service members or whose spouse is 100 percent disabled or died on active duty.

Individuals with disabilities

Individuals who are eligible under Schedule A.

Family of overseas employees

Family members of a federal employee or uniformed service member who is or was, working overseas.

Peace Corps & AmeriCorps Vista

Individuals who have served at least 2 years with the Peace Corps or 1 year with AmeriCorps VISTA.

Special authorities

Individuals eligible under a special authority not listed in another hiring path.

Clarification from the agency

Status Candidates (this includes current or former Federal employees with career or career-conditional tenure in the competitive service, Former Overseas Employees, CTAP, ICTAP, VRA, VEOA, 30% or More Disabled Veterans, Schedule A, Military Spouses, Americorps, Peace Corps, Vista, Land Management, and Interchange Agreement Eligibles).

Duties

Major duties may include:

Assists in providing professional accounting and budget support to ensure transactions are properly valued, recorded, reconciled, and reported in compliance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), federal accounting standards, credit reform requirements, and Treasury/Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations and guidance
Administers accounting operations by maintaining accounting records, preparing and interpreting accounting statements and reports, monitoring trends, and recommending corrective actions to management
Coordinates and works with leadership to conduct detailed operational financial analyses and reconciliations across cash receipts, receivables/revenues, disbursements, and intra-governmental payables; coordinate with internal stakeholders and external entities (Treasury, trading partners, vendors) to resolve discrepancies, ensure proper coding, and prepare correcting entries where needed
Reconciles and analyzes budget execution reports and resolves differences
Supports audit and internal control activities by managing financial statement audits
Performs Federal Credit Reform reporting
Resolves problems and persuades clients to take corrective action and comply with laws/regulations

Please Note: This is a Bargaining unit position represented by AFGE, local 1534.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

Must be a U.S. Citizen or National
Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service
Must submit resume and supporting documents (See How To Apply)
Suitability for Federal employment, as determined by a background investigation
May be required to successfully complete a probationary period

Qualifications

Status candidates must meet time-in-grade requirements (52 weeks at the next lower grade level). Applicants must meet all eligibility and qualification requirements no later than the closing date of this announcement.

TIME-IN-GRADE: Current career or career-conditional employees of the Federal government, or former career or career-conditional employees, who have a break in service of less than one year, are required to meet the time-in-grade restriction of one year of Federal experience at the next lower grade, with few exceptions outlined in 5 CFR 300.603(b).

BASIC REQUIREMENT
A. 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
B. 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

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENT
In addition to the Basic Requirement listed above, you must meet the required specialized experience/education listed below.

You may qualify at the GS-09 level, if you fulfill one of the following qualification requirements:
A. One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service that demonstrates your ability to 1) utilize established accounting standards to compile, analyze, and summarize accounting data resulting from day-to-day accounting operations; 2) maintain the integrity of financial accounts; and 3) prepare financial reports in accordance with policies, procedures, and regulations;

OR

B. A master's or equivalent graduate degree in an accredited or pre-accredited college or university; or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree; or possession of a LL.B. or J.D degree, if related. Graduate level education must demonstrate the competencies necessary to do the work of the position;

OR

C. A combination of education and experience as listed above.

You may qualify at the GS-11 level, if you fulfill one of the following qualification requirements:
A. One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service that demonstrates your ability to 1) provide professional accounting and/or budget support to ensure transactions are properly valued, recorded, reconciled, and reported in compliance with applicable accounting standards, requirements, regulations, and/or guidance; 2) assist in designing, implementing and/or assessing internal accounting control processes or policies; and 3) maintain, reconcile, analyze, and report on accounting/budget data;

OR

B. A Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree; or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree; or possession of a LL.M. degree, if related. Graduate level education must demonstrate the competencies necessary to do the work of the position;

OR

C. A combination of education and experience as listed above.

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 experience.

This position is being advertised concurrently with vacancy announcement 26-OCFO-DE-12971781-KS using Delegated Examining (DE) procedures. If interested, refer to that announcement to determine if you meet DE requirements and can apply to that announcement. NOTE: You must apply separately to each announcement in order to be considered under both.

This announcement may be used to fill similar positions, if additional vacancies occur.

Education

ARE YOU USING YOUR EDUCATION TO QUALIFY?
You MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Unless otherwise stated: (1) official or unofficial transcripts are acceptable, or (2) you may submit a list with all of your courses, grades, semester, year, and credit for the course. All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement. 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.

PASS/FAIL COURSES:
If more than 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) were taken on a pass/fail basis, your claim of superior academic achievement must be based upon class standing or membership in an honor society.

GRADUATE EDUCATION: One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study.

FOREIGN EDUCATION is education acquired outside of any State of the U.S., the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, a Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, or any territory or possession of the U.S. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification and/or eligibility requirements, you must submit a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency (a U.S. private organization's interpretation that such education has been deemed at least equivalent to conventional U.S. education programs or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university) with your application in order to receive credit for that education. (Foreign education transcripts will not be accepted). For more information regarding evaluation of foreign education for federal employment, please visit the U.S. Department of Education webpage on the Recognition of Foreign Qualifications. All transcripts must be in English or include an English translation.

Additional information

Career Transition Assistance Programs: These programs apply to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. To receive selection priority for this position, you must:
1) meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria;
2) be rated well-qualified for the position with a score of 85 or above; and
3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility.
For more information: http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp).

Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA): To be eligible for a VEOA appointment under Merit Promotion procedures, you must be a preference eligible or a Veteran separated after 3 years or more of continuous active service performed under honorable conditions.

Noncompetitive Appointment Authorities: For more information on appointment authority eligibility requirements:

Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see https://www.sss.gov/verify/).

Telework Suitability: The duties of this position are suitable for telework. The selectee may be allowed episodic or emergency telework with supervisor approval and if they meet the eligibility criterion in the 2010 Telework Act.

Stipulations of Employment: Selection may require completion of a 1-year probationary period.

Work Schedule: This position allows for a flexible work schedule.

Miscellaneous: DFC uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit https://www.e-verify.gov/.

If selection is made below the full performance level, promotion up to the full performance level may be made without further competition. However, promotion(s) will depend on the performance of the incumbent and are not guaranteed. Please note: the full performance level of this position is GS-13.

Recruitment and relocation incentives may be authorized for this position.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. If you are found to be among the top qualified candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration.

You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

Accountability
Arithmetic/Mathematical Reasoning
Attention to Detail
Customer Service
Decision Making
Flexibility
Integrity/Honesty
Interpersonal Skills
Learning
Reasoning
Self-Management
Stress Tolerance
Teamwork

Principles of Accounting

The USA Hire Assessments includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment.

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

You may preview the Application Questionnaire at: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12971782

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes:
1. Your resume showing work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment and duties performed. IMPORTANT UPDATE: Your resume must not exceed two (2) pages. If your resume exceeds the two-page limit, you will be removed from consideration for this announcement.
2. Your responses to the application questionnaire: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12971782
3. Other supporting documents:

Cover Letter, optional
College transcript(s), if qualifying based on education. If using foreign education, submit a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency (refer to the Education, Foreign Education, section in this vacancy announcement).
Your most recent Promotion, Within-Range Increase (WRI/WGI), or Appointment/Conversion Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50), if applying as a current or former Federal Employee (i.e. status candidate), showing you are/were in the competitive service, on a permanent basis, and the highest grade or promotion potential held, is required. DO NOT submit NON-Pay Impacting Action SF-50's to include, "Organizational Code Change SF-50's, Award SF-50's and/or General Adjustment SF-50's, etc." or SF-52's Request of Personnel Action as they cannot be used to prove time-in-grade.
Most recent Performance Appraisal, if applicable
DD-214, SF-15 Form and/or VA letter, or certification of expected discharge or release from active duty from Veterans for consideration under Veteran hiring authorities
Noncompetitive appointment authority documentation, if applicable
Career Transition Assistance Program/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program Documentation, if applicable (e.g. Certification of Expected Separation, Reduction-In-Force Separation Notice, or Notice of Proposed Removal; SF-50 that documents the RIF separation action; and most recent performance appraisal.)

How to Apply

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:

Click the Apply Online button.
Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice.
Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.
Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.
Set aside about two (2) hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link.
Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused.

Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us.

To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.

To view the announcement status or your application status: Visit https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/howto/application/status/. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.

Read the Eligibility questions carefully. The questions address if you are eligible to apply to this JOA. Your responses will affect your consideration for the position. You may qualify for more than one eligibility, so please choose carefully. You will only be considered under the options you have selected. If you respond that you do not meet any of the eligibility questions, you will not be considered for this position.

Do not submit photographs with your application package. Documents with photographs may not be seen by hiring officials - you must remove your image from any badges, licenses, etc. If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content (e.g. SSN or DOB), your resume will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations and you will not be considered for this vacancy.

Documents submitted as part of the application package, to include supplemental documents, may be shared beyond the Human Resources Office. Some supplemental documents such as military orders and marriage certificates may contain personal information for someone other than you. You may sanitize these documents to remove another person's personal information before you submit your application. You may be asked to provide an un-sanitized version of the documents if you are selected to confirm your eligibility.

Do not upload Adobe portfolio documents. Adobe portfolio documents are not viewable by our agency's staffing offices.

It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted prior to the closing date of the announcement.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer (TJO). Please visit https://www.dfc.gov/who-we-are/careers/fairchanceact for more information.

Agency contact information

Kirstin Showalter

Email: kirstin.showalter@dfc.gov

Address: INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT FINANCE CORPORATION
1100 NEW YORK AVE NW
WASHINGTON, DC 20527
US

Next steps

For status updates on your application, please follow the directions listed above in the How to Apply section. Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. If you are selected for an interview for this position, you will be contacted directly. A final job offer for this position is typically made within several weeks after the closing date of the vacancy announcement. After confirming a job offer, all other applicants will be notified of their non-selection.

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