Summary

This position is in the Farm Credit Administration (FCA), Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO), Finance Team. The OCFO supports FCA's operation by providing financial management policy advice and reporting the agency's financial results. The office oversees the agency's budget and accounting operations. This position is located in McLean, VA.

This position is part of the FCA's Pathways Program and is a paid internship.

This job is open to

Students

Current students enrolled in an accredited high school, college or graduate institution.

Clarification from the agency

All United States Citizens who: are enrolled at least half-time as students in an accredited 4-year college/university Bachelor's or Master's degree program; will have completed at least their junior year in college when they enter the internship; have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.95; have a planned graduation date not before August 2026 but not later than June 2027; are majoring in a specified field (see qualifications tab of this announcement); and are in good academic standing.

Duties

As a Student Trainee (Accountant), you will be responsible for gaining hands-on experience performing accounting work that requires the application of accounting theories, concepts, principles, and standards to the internal financial management of the Farm Credit Administration (FCA). Interns will:

Gain knowledge of accounting principles and standards to recognize and measure revenues, automated accounting systems, internal controls, and general business practices to evaluate financial data and transactions.
Gain knowledge of budget principles and practices of budget administration and analysis; including preparing, justifying, reporting on, and executing the budget; and the relationships among program, budget, accounting, and reporting systems.
Learn effective verbal and written communication skills and practice active listening and reading comprehension;
Expand their exposure to working professionally in a team environment;
Learn time management skills and how to organize tasks to ensure timely and accurate completion of work products; and
Learn to achieve task and assignment objectives within established deadlines and keep project leaders, supervisors and other personnel informed of progress and any impediments to timely completion of assigned activities.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

Must be a U.S. citizen.
Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service.
Resume and supporting documents (See How to Apply)
Suitability for Federal employment, as determined by a background investigation.
You will be required to sign a Pathways Internship Program Participant Agreement.
Complete the initial online assessment and USAHire Assessment, if required
You must maintain status as a current student while on this appointment.
Must be able to work at least part-time (40 hours every two weeks) during the school year.
Must be able to work full-time during summer break.

Qualifications

As a Pathways Student Trainee/Intern, you must meet and comply with PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS:

Maintain your enrollment on at least a half-time basis at qualifying educational institution. Half-time is typically 6 semester hours for undergraduate and 3 semester hours for graduate students but may be defined differently by your educational institution;
Provide course registration information at the start of each school term and verification of academic status (transcript) at the end of each academic term;
Meet and maintain the required GPA of at least a 2.95 or higher on a 4.0 scale, or equivalent;
Sign a Pathways Internship agreement that sets forth the expectations for the internship upon entry on duty;
Have the ability to work a full-time (40 hours/week) or part-time (a minimum of 20 hours/week) during your appointment while in school and have the ability to work a full-time work schedule (40 hours/week) during your summer break from school; and
Failure to meet or maintain qualifications or program requirements or failure to provide required documentation will result in termination of your appointment.

You must meet STUDENT STATUS REQUIREMENTS to be eligible for this internship opportunity. You must:

Be enrolled as a student in an accredited 4-year college/university bachelor's or master's degree program on at least a half-time basis;
Have substantially completed 3 academic years of progressive, higher-level education, i.e., be a current college junior or higher. Three full academic years of undergraduate or graduate education is the number of credit hours determined by your college/university to represent three years of full-time study;
Provide proof that you have completed your third academic year of higher-level education by submitting an official transcript at the end of your school's 2026 spring term
Have and maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.95 on a 4 point scale. If your school uses an alternate grading system, you must submit proof and explanation of the grading system with your application or you will not be considered for this position;
Have a planned graduation date not earlier than August 2026 and no later than June 2027; and
Be in good academic standing (e.g., not on academic probation).

If you graduate before August 2026 you are not eligible for this Pathways Internship unless you are pursuing further education and provide proof of enrollment or acceptance into a degree or certificate seeking program with your application.

In addition to meeting the Student Status and Educational Requirements you may qualify at the VH-32 (GS-05 equivalent) band level if you have completed 1) at least 2 full academic years of post-high school study leading to a bachelor's degree or 2) an associate's degree.

You must meet all eligibility and qualification requirements and submit all required supporting documentation by the closing date of this announcement.

Education

In addition, you must meet EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS to qualify for this internship. Your undergraduate or graduate-level education must be in one of the following major fields of study:

Accounting,
Business Administration with an Accounting Concentration
Master of Business with an Accounting Concentration
Master of Accountancy
Other major field of study directly related to the work of the internship position such as Finance.

You MUST submit copies of your transcript(s) that include: your name, the name of the educational institution, course titles, number of semester/quarter hours, cumulative GPA, grade(s) earned and degree(s) awarded. Unless otherwise stated: (1) official or unofficial transcripts are acceptable at the time of application, or (2) you may submit a list with all of your courses, grades, semester, year, and credit for the course. Educational institutions must be accredited by one of the accrediting agencies or associations recognized by the U.S. Department of 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 your courses, grades, semester, year, and credit for the course. All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement.

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 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: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: https://www.ed.gov/laws-and-policy/higher-education-laws-and-policy/college-accreditation

Additional information

Only experience and education obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered.
All FCA employees are subject to the conflict of interest laws and Standards of Ethical Conduct imposed upon all employees of the Executive Branch of the Federal Government and may be required to file a Financial Disclosure Report.
FCA's supplemental ethics regulations restrict certain FCA employees concerning their direct or indirect interests in, or connections with, Farm Credit System institutions. These rules also require all employees to obtain approval for outside employment or business activities. Please contact the HR Division for additional information on these rules.
FCA uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees.
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 85.0 or above; and (3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. For more information visit: http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp
This announcement may be used to fill similar vacancies.

Program Completion and Conversion Eligibility: You may be non-competitively converted to a term, career-conditional or career appointment, within 180 days following successful completion of all of your educational and work experience requirements in accordance with 5 CFR 362.204, at the discretion of the Agency. Conversion is not automatic nor guaranteed. If you meet program requirements and are approved for conversion, you will be appointed at the grade level for which you are qualified to a FCA Examiner position, which has promotion potential to the VH-38 (GS-12) band level.

The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act of 2019, with some exceptions, prohibits the Farm Credit Administration from requesting an applicant's criminal history record before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. If you apply to this position and are selected, we will not ask about your criminal history before you receive a conditional job offer. If you believe you were asked about your criminal history improperly, visit our website at (Careers at FCA | Farm Credit Administration) for information on filing a complaint.

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.

Review our benefits

How you will be evaluated

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

Once the announcement has closed, a review of your résumé and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed on this announcement. If you are minimally qualified, your résumé and supporting documentation will be compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire to determine your level of experience. If, after reviewing your résumé and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

All qualified candidates will be assigned to a quality category. The category assignment is a measure of the degree in which your background matches the competencies required for this position. Your qualifications will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):

Decision-Making Ability
Math Skills
Reading Comprehension
Reasoning Skills
Soft Skills
Interpersonal Skills
Stress Tolerance
Accountability

The USA Hire Assessment 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.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Request: 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: https://appsupport.usastaffing.gov/hc/en-us/sections/28980686389652-Reasonable-Accommodation-Information.

The Category Rating Process does not add veterans' preference points or apply the "rule of three" but protects the rights of Veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each quality category. Veterans' preference eligibles who meet the minimum qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent will be listed in the highest quality category (except in the case of scientific or professional positions at the VH-35 [equivalent GS-09 level or higher]).

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes:

Your resume showing (1) paid and non-paid work experience including your position title, start and end dates (month/year) of employment, hours worked per week, and duties performed (separated by position series and grade for each federal position, if applicable).
Other supporting documents:

Cover letter, optional
College Transcript(s), if qualifying based on education.
Undergraduate students: You must submit college transcripts (official or unofficial transcript) showing your name, the name of your university(s), all courses completed, and cumulative GPA. Your undergraduate degree must be in one of the fields of study listed in the Qualifications Tab of this announcement.
Graduate students: If you are pursuing a Master's degree, your Master's degree and Undergraduate degree must be in one of the fields of study listed in the Qualifications tab of this announcement. In this case, you must submit all college transcripts (undergraduate and, if applicable, graduate) that document the educational requirements for this position (unofficial transcripts are acceptable).
If You Are Not a Current Student: You must submit proof of enrollment (letter from the registrar's office or acceptance letter from an accredited educational institution) showing intended enrollment on not less than a half time basis as defined by the academic institution.
Veterans' Preference documentation, if applicable (e.g. DD-214 Member Copy 4 showing type of discharge/character of service; SF-15 Form and related documentation; VA letter.)
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.)

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

To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.

A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration.

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 résumé 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 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 (https://www.usajobs.gov/), all 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://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status.If you are unable to apply online, you must request an alternative application which is available from the Human Resources Division. Please contact FCA HR Division at Employment_Opportunities@fca.gov between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. ET, at least two business days prior to the closing date of this announcement to obtain an alternative application.

Agency contact information

FCA HR Division

Email: Employment_Opportunities@fca.gov

Address: Office of Agency Services, Human Resources Division
1501 Farm Credit Drive
McLean, VA 22102
US

Next steps

Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. Your application will be evaluated by the Human Resources Division to determine your eligibility for the position. After the evaluation is complete, you will receive another notification regarding the status of your application.

Accountant Job in McLean, VA