Accountant Job in College Park, MD

Vacancy No. DE-12600050-25-MU Department National Archives and Records Administration
Salary $55,924.00 to $88,926.00 Grade 7 to 9
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 11/8/2024 Close Date 11/19/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
College Park, MD


Summary

This position is part of the National Archives and Records Administration. This position is located in Accounting Policy and Operations (XA), Office of the Chief Financial Officer (X), National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), and under the general supervision of the Accounting Officer.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

U.S. Citizens or U.S. Nationals; no prior Federal experience is required.

Duties

The following are the duties of this position at the GS-12. If you are selected at a lower grade level, you will have the opportunity to learn to perform all these duties, and will receive training to help you grow in this position.

As an Accountant, you will:

  • Evaluate accounting reports and prepare narrative, interpretive, and graphic analysis thereof showing accomplishments, trends and comparison of performance to NARA objectives, programs goals and schedules.
  • Provide accounting policy and direction where necessary and follows-up with NARA's shared service provider and NARA program officials to coordinate accounting policy, accounting program changes and accounting processing requirements training with NARA's users.
  • Work on a variety of financial accounting systems (Oracle, PRISM, OBI, QuickTime, etc.) that require the application of established, and more or less standardized, accounting principles, theories, concepts, and practices.
  • Prepare prescribed and special financial reports, exception reports, and answer inquiries requiring management attention, regarding specific data derived from the accounting system.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

This opportunity is also open to Status Candidates under Announcement ST-12599847-25-MU.

Please refer to that announcement for details on open period, eligibility, and how to apply.

The experience may have been gained in either the public, private sector or volunteer service. One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-time work is considered on a prorated basis. To ensure full credit for your work experience, please indicate dates of employment by month/day/year, and indicate number of hours worked per week on your resume.

  • A one year probationary period may be required.
  • Must successfully complete a background investigation.
  • Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency.
  • If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so.
  • Go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the Form i-9. Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S.
  • Obtain and use a Government-issued charge card for business-related travel.
Key Requirements:
  1. Please refer to "Conditions of Employment."
  2. Click "Print Preview" to review the entire announcement before applying.
  3. Must be U.S. Citizens or U.S. Nationals.
  4. Public Trust background investigation will be required.

Qualifications

You must meet the following requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: For the GS-09, you must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position includes:

  • Examining and interpreting accounting data, records, and reports; AND
  • Operating automated accounting systems.
OR
  • EDUCATION: You may substitute education for general or specialized experience as follows: 2 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Master's degree or Master's or equivalent graduate degree.
OR
  • COMBINATION OF EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION: You may qualify by a combination of experience and education. Options for qualifying based on a combination will be identified in the online questions. A combination of education and experience. Only graduate level education in excess of 18 semester hours (27 quarter hours), may be used to combine education and experience.
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: For the GS-07, you must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-05 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position includes:
  • Experience applying accounting theory, concepts, principles and practices sufficient to: Demonstrate a basic level understanding of accounting theory and concepts; OR
  • Experience in operating and maintaining automated accounting systems sufficient to: Processing accounting documents and/or performing research and analysis.
OR
  • EDUCATION: You may substitute education for specialized experience as follows: One full year of graduate level education in either accounting or auditing or related fields, such as business administration, finance, or public administration; OR a Bachelor's Degree with Superior Academic Achievement demonstrated through class standing (upper third of the graduating class); grade point average (a GPA of 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 based on 4 years education or courses completed during the final 2 years; or a GPA of 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 based on required courses in the major field); or election to membership in a national scholastic honor society. A copy of transcript or list of college courses designating semester or quarter hours earned is required.
OR
  • A COMBINATION OF EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION: Only graduate level education (i.e. education beyond the Bachelor's degree) may be used to combine education and experience.

Education

Education Requirements: The education generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Individual Occupational Requirements
A. Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's degree or higher in accounting or 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/auditing" in this standard. Similarly, "accountant" should be interpreted, generally, as "accountant/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:

1. Twenty-four semester hours in accounting or auditing courses of appropriate type and quality. This can include up to 6 hours of business law;

2. A certificate as Certified Public Accountant or a Certified Internal Auditor, obtained through written examination;

OR

3. 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.

Additional information

  • We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies.
  • This announcement may be used to fill like positions in other organizations within the National Archives and Records Administration.
  • This is a bargaining unit position. AFGE Council 260.
  • We offer opportunities for telework, per Agency policy.
  • We offer opportunities for alternative and flexible work schedules, per Agency policy.

Benefits

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.

Review our 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.

Your application includes your resume, responses to the online questions, and required supporting documents. Please be sure that your resume includes detailed information to support your qualifications for this position; failure to provide sufficient evidence in your resume may result in a "not qualified" determination.

Rating: Your application will be evaluated in the following areas: Technical, Communication, and Analytical. Category rating will be used to rank and select eligible candidates. If qualified, you will be assigned to one of three quality level categories: Best Qualified, Well Qualified, or Qualified depending on your responses to the online questions, regarding your experience, education, and training related to this position. Your rating may be lowered if your responses to the online questions are not supported by the education and/or experience described in your application. Your application may be reviewed by a Subject Matter Expert.

Preference-eligibles at the GS-9 will be listed at the top of their assigned category and considered before non-preference-eligibles in that category. Qualified preference-eligibles at the GS-7 with a compensable service-connected disability of 10% or more will be listed at the top of the highest category.


Referral: If you are among the top qualified candidates, your application may be referred to a selecting official for consideration. You may be required to participate in a selection interview.

If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee (eligible for the Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP)) you must receive a score of 85 or better to be rated as "well qualified" to receive special selection priority

Required Documents

1. Resume - either by creating one in USAJOBS or uploading one of their own choosing. (Cover letters are optional.) To receive full credit for relevant experience, please list the month/date/year and number of hours worked for experience listed on your resume. We suggest that you preview the online questions, as you may need to customize your resume to ensure that it supports your responses to these questions. Please view resume tips.

2. Vacancy Question Responses - Completely answer the online assessment questionnaire associated with this job announcement.

3. Transcripts - For positions with an education requirement, or if you are qualifying for this position by substituting education or training for experience, you MUST submit a copy of your transcripts or equivalent. An official transcript will be required if you are selected.

If you are qualifying based on foreign education, you must submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. Refer to the OPM instructions.

4. CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PLAN (CTAP) OR INTERAGENCY CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PLAN (ICTAP) DOCUMENTATION: If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee, click CTAP/ICTAP for eligibility and a detailed list of required documents you must submit in order to be eligible.

Optional Documents:
In addition, we recommend that you submit copies of the following:

  1. VETERANS' PREFERENCE DOCUMENTATION: If you are claiming veterans preference, please visit the website for veterans hiring paths located at https://www.usajobs.gov/help/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/veterans/. In order to be considered for veterans preference, you must submit all required documentation such as a DD-214, VA letter showing disability, SF-15, etc. Please visit the applicant guide for further information on requirements.

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

The National Archives and Records Administration has partnered with the Treasury's Bureau of the Fiscal Service to provide certain personnel services to its organization. Fiscal Service's responsibilities include advertising vacancies, accepting and handling applications, and extending job offers.

The following instructions outline our application process. You must complete this application process and submit any required documents by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. ET, Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, please contact us by noon ET on the announcement's closing date.

The Bureau provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis. Please contact us if you require this for any part of the application and hiring process.

  • To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
  • Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
  • After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
  • You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.

To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (USAJOBS Login); all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear, along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.

For additional information on how to apply, please visit the Partnership for Public Service's Go Government website.

To preview the assessment questionnaire: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12600050

Agency contact information

Applicant Call Center
Address
OFFICE OF THE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFF
8601 Adelphi Road
College Park, MD 20740
US
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

Once the online questionnaire is received, you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. We will review your resume and transcript(s) (if appropriate) to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. We will evaluate each applicant who meets the basic qualifications on the information provided and may interview the best-qualified applicants. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability and/or security background investigation. A final job offer for this position is typically made within 40 days after the closing date of the announcement.


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.


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