Clarification from the agency

• Current Department of Homeland Security (DHS) employees serving on career or career-conditional appointments • Persons eligible under DHS Interchange Agreements

Serving as an Accountant GS-0510-12/13 makes you a valuable member of the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC) team and mission. This position is located in the Finance Division under the Chief Financial Officer Directorate.

The primary purpose of this position is to provide professional accounting services to the FLETC and serviced DHS components.

Typical duties include:

• Providing expert and authoritative advice on complex and difficult areas of financial accounting work.
• Instructing and directing lower-graded and/or newly assigned personnel in the practical application of accounting principles.
• Operating the accounting system modules; the application of rules and regulations regarding expenditures, revenue, and cash collections; delivery of customer-oriented fiscal services; and the proper methods of selecting various data for recording financial transactions.
• Independently performing reconciliations of varied complexity encompassing diverse sets of accounting data and designs, developing and validating new reconciliations for processes and data as the need arises.

View common definitions of terms found in this announcement: Common Definitions.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position.
• Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for Selective Service.
• You must successfully pass a background investigation.
• Current permanent DHS federal employees within the General Schedule (GS) must meet the time-in-grade requirements outlined in the "Qualifications" section of this announcement.
• This is a non-bargaining unit position.
• You will need to set up direct deposit so we can pay you.
• Complete the initial online assessment and USAHire Assessment, if required.
• Occasional travel may be required.
• Overtime may be required.
• Working on weekends and federal holidays may be required.
• This position is Emergency Essential and required to sustain FLETC’s operations under all conditions to ensure FLETC Continuity of Operations for Mission Essential Functions in the event of an emergent disruption.

Qualifications

A resume must be no more than two pages. If an applicant's resume exceeds two pages, the USAJOBS database will not allow the application to be submitted. For additional assistance, please visit: USAJOBS Help Center - Update your resume now so it meets new resume requirements

All applicants must meet the requirements in A or B below:

A: Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree in 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." Similarly, "accountant" should be interpreted, generally, as "accountant and/or auditor.")

OR

B: Combination of education and experience: Appropriate combination of education: At least four years of experience in accounting, or an equivalent combination of accounting experience, college-level education, acquired through the successful completion of a full 4-year course of study with a major in the appropriate field, and training that provided professional accounting knowledge. In addition to courses in the major and related fields, a typical college degree would have included courses that involved analysis, writing, critical thinking, research, etc. These courses would have provided an applicant with skills and abilities sufficient to perform progressively more responsible work in the occupation. Therefore, creditable experience should have demonstrated similarly appropriate skills or abilities needed to perform the work of the occupation 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.

-AND-

In addition, applicants must meet at least one of the Specialized Experience statements below:

You qualify for the GS-12 grade level if you possess one year of specialized experience, equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the federal government, performing duties such as:
1)providing expert and authoritative advice on complex and difficult areas of financial accounting work 2) instructing and directing lower-graded and/or newly assigned personnel in the practical application of accounting principles; 3)operating the accounting system modules; 4)applying rules and regulations regarding expenditures, revenue, and cash collections; AND 5)delivery of customer-oriented fiscal services; and the proper methods of selecting various data for recording financial transactions.

You qualify for the GS-13 grade level if you possess one year of specialized experience, equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the Federal government, performing duties such as:
1)providing expert and authoritative advice on complex and difficult areas of financial accounting work 2) instructing and directing lower-graded and/or newly assigned personnel in the practical application of accounting principles; 3) conducting training for finance personnel on new and/or revised accounting standards, financial management laws and regulations, reporting requirements and Standard General Ledger (SGL) account posting logics; 4)operating the accounting system modules; 5)applying rules and regulations regarding expenditures, revenue, and cash collections; 6)delivery of customer-oriented fiscal services; and the proper methods of selecting various data for recording financial transactions.

All qualifications and eligibility requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.

If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration of Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application, prior to entry on duty. False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment, dismissal after beginning work, fine, or imprisonment.

Time-in-grade: Current General Schedule (GS) federal employees, and those that have served in GS positions within the last 52 weeks, must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade, or a combination of the next lower grade level and an equivalent band in the federal service by the closing of this announcement.

Note: Current DHS Federal employees MUST submit a copy of their SF-50 Form which shows competitive service appointment ("position occupied" block 34 on the SF-50 should show a "1"), tenure group (block 24 should show a 1 or 2), grade, and salary. If you are applying for a higher grade, please provide the SF-50 Form which shows the length of time you have been in your current/highest grade (examples of appropriate SF-50s include promotions, With-in Grade/Range Increases, and SF-50s dated a year apart within the same grade/job). If you have promotion potential in your current position, please provide proof. Employees applying with an interchange agreement must provide proof of their permanent appointment. IF YOU DO NOT SUBMIT ALL OF THE REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION, YOU WILL NOT RECEIVE CONSIDERATION.

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.

Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.

Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) Eligibles: If you have never worked for the federal government, you are not CTAP eligible. View information about CTAP eligibility on OPM's Career Transition Resources website. To be considered eligible under CTAP, you must be placed in the well-qualified category for this position, as described above. In addition, you must submit the supporting documents listed under the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

How you will be evaluated

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

A resume must be no more than two pages. If an applicant's resume exceeds two pages, the USAJOBS database will not allow the application to be submitted.

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), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the online assessments required for this position. 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, and Teamwork

To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process, including the application, USA Hire.

Online assessment: Applicants must complete the online USA Hire Competency Based Assessments measuring critical general competencies required to perform the job. Examples used in the assessment may include general situations not directly related to customer experience. Applicants submitting complete application packages and completing the online assessment will move on to the next phase of the assessment process.

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.

If you are the best qualified, you may be referred to the hiring manager for consideration and may be called for an interview. To preview the application questionnaire, click: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12926930

Due weight will be given to performance appraisals and incentive awards in merit promotion selection decisions in accordance with 5 CFR 335.103(b)(3).

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

The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits the Department of Homeland Security and its Components from requesting an applicant's criminal history record before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201 certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance to Compete Act. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint to fletc-jobinfo@fletc.dhs.gov.

Work Environment: Work is primarily performed in a normal office setting.

Physical Demands: The work is principally sedentary. No unusual physical demands are involved.

This announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies during the next 90 days. This could result in a few or many vacancies being filled from this announcement.

1. Your resume (click the link for information on what to include). If you are a current or former Federal employee, your resume must indicate the GS or pay band level for each position held. Limit your resume to no more than two pages. The USAJOBS database will not allow an applicant to submit an application that includes a resume over two pages.
2. Your responses to the job questionnaire https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12926930
3. Are you a current DHS federal employee? Submit your most recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action that demonstrates your eligibility for consideration, e.g., length of time you have been in your current grade; your highest grade held; your current promotion potential and proof of permanent appointment if applying based on an interchange agreement. Examples of appropriate SF-50s include promotions, within-grade increases and accessions.
4. Education is required for this position. Submit a copy of your college transcript (unofficial is acceptable) from an accredited institution listing the college/university, degree confirmation date(s) and applicable courses. Once selected and prior to appointment, applicants must provide an official college transcript. Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet Federal qualification requirements if you can show that your foreign education is comparable to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States. For example, specific courses accepted for college-level credit by an accredited U.S. college or university, or foreign education evaluated by an organization recognized for accreditation by the Department of Education as education equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. college or university. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence with your application. See Recognition of Foreign Qualifications for more information.
5. Are you claiming special priority selection rights under the Career Transition Assistance Program/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP? Submit the following:
   • A copy of your agency notice,
   • A copy of your most recent performance rating, and
   • A copy of your most recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, noting your current position, grade level, and duty location.
6. Are you a current or former political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee? Submit a copy of your applicable SF-50, along with a statement that provides the following information regarding your most recent political appointment:
   • Position title,
   • Type of appointment (Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES, or Presidential Appointee),
   • Agency,
   • Beginning and ending dates of appointment.
7. If you are referred, you may be asked to provide a copy of your recent performance appraisal and/or incentive awards.

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