Accountant

Clarification from the agency

Current Federal employees with competitive status or other eligibility; Former Federal employees with reinstatement eligibility; CTAP/ICTAP eligibles; Veterans with VOW, VEOA, or 30% disability; Military Spouses; Individuals with Disabilities Schedule A; Peace Corps, Vista (AmeriCorps) eligibles; Those eligible under an OPM interchange agreement or other special appointing authority.

As an Accountant, you will:

• Perform complex SEPA accounting program operations that include, but are not limited to, accounts receivable, fund distribution, obligations, payments, credit reform accounting, financial reporting, etc.;
• Work with contractors to prepare financial reporting, and analyze and reconcile contractor data;
• Apply industry best practices and existing accounting and financial policies to problems identified in day-to-day operations;
• Recommend and implement the best approach to solving problems by giving consideration to the impact upon the many DOE offices which may be affected;
• Recommend financial and accounting policies, principles and procedures for the organization or program supported, as well as revise existing guidance;
• Develop and support DOE's financial risk management framework, and DOE internal control program, financial management oversight, risk analysis, corporate reviews and analyses, management controls, accountability reporting, audit resolution and follow-up, and related issues;
• Develop and monitor accounting systems elements and internal controls, identifying problem areas and developing solutions to improve operating program or overall Department accounting and financial management effectiveness;
• Analyze and reconcile a wide variety of integrated accounts;
• Conduct special projects to perform in-depth analysis of complex accounting data and interpret that data/information to ensure that information accurately reflects the financial condition of the assigned organization;
• Gather data requests, as appropriate, for auditors and interacts with them to arrive at agreed upon audit solutions;
• Track and resolve audit findings and works with others to prevent audit findings from reoccurring in future audits.

Conditions of employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• This employer participates in the e-Verify program.
• Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for Selective Service.
• Suitable for Federal employment, as determined by a background investigation.
• May be required to successfully complete a probationary/trial period. Employees serving on a probationary or trial period may be terminated at any time during the probationary or trial period for performance, conduct, or business-related reasons in the interest of Federal service.
• Limit your resume to no more than two (2) pages. If more than two pages are submitted, only the first two pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility and qualifications.
• In accordance with Executive Order 14170, applicants are encouraged to respond to the four short, free-response, essay questions in the questionnaire. Answers to these questions are not scored or rated. Your answers will be reviewed by the hiring manager and agency leadership if you are referred for selection consideration.
• You may be required to complete a financial disclosure (OGE-450).

• Security clearance and associated requirements - Moderate risk.

Qualifications

https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0500/accounting-series-0510/

Applicants must demonstrate that they meet the Basic Requirement AND Specialized Experience/Education requirements as noted below.

BASIC REQUIREMENT:

A. Degree: 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 of business law. (The term "accounting" means accounting and/or auditing for this occupational series. Similarly, "accountant" should be interpreted, generally, as "accountant and/or auditor".)

OR

B. Combination of Education and Experience: At least four years of experience in accounting, or an equivalent combination of accounting experience, college-level education, and training that provided professional accounting knowledge with a background that also includes 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 in business law;
2. Certificate as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) or Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), 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 above, provided that (a) the applicant has successfully worked at the full performance level in accounting, auditing, or a related field, e.g., valuation engineering of 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 above; 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.

In addition to meeting the Basic Requirement above, applicants must also meet the appropriate Minimum Qualifications requirement below for the grade level(s) to which they are applying.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS:

To qualify for the Accountant, GS-0510-11 position: Applicants must have one year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-9 grade level or equivalent pay band. This experience must include all of the following:

• Tracking, analyzing, and reporting financial activities; AND
• Recording and reporting obligations and expenditures of appropriated funds.

OR

Completed a Ph.D., LL.M., or equivalent doctoral degree, or 3 full years of progressively higher level doctoral coursework leading toward such a degree from an accredited college or university in accounting or auditing. (You must submit relevant transcripts.)

OR

Possess a combination of the specialized experience described in A and education described in B that, when combined, equal 100% of the total requirement.

(You must submit relevant transcripts.)

To qualify for the Accountant, GS-0510-12 position: Applicants must have one year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level or equivalent pay band. This experience must include all of the following:

• Tracking, analyzing, and reporting financial activities;
• Recording and reporting obligations and expenditures of appropriated funds;
• Reviewing and reconciling posted transactions, and resolving related issues.

Time-in-Grade: Current career or career-conditional GS employees of the Federal government, or former career or career-conditional GS 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). Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to current career or career-conditional federal employees applying for a Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.

Limit your resume to no more than two (2) pages. If more than two pages are submitted, only the first two pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility and qualifications.

How you will be evaluated

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

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

All qualified Non-competitive applicants and the best qualified Merit Promotion and VEOA applicants will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration.

Career Transition Assistance Programs: To receive selection priority for this position, you must: 1) meet the eligibility criteria; and 2) be rated "well-qualified".

You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date (08/17/2026) of this announcement.

USAHire: To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.

Reasonable Accommodation 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 reasonable accommodation in your online application. Requests for Reasonable Accommodations for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for Reasonable Accommodation must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for Reasonable Accommodations 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. 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 Reasonable Accommodation, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here.

To preview the Assessment Questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13027756.

To apply for this position, you MUST provide a complete application package which includes:

• Your two (2) page RESUMEshowing all relevant work experience (paid and unpaid) including: duties performed; full name and address of the each employer; start and end dates (month/day/year); work schedule (part-time, full-time, number of hours if intermittent); salary; and any completed education and training (program title, subject area, number of hours completed, and completion date).
• Transcripts, if specific educational requirements are indicated in this job announcement. Unofficial transcripts or any report listing institution, course title, credits earned (semester or quarter hour) and final grade is acceptable. It is your responsibility to provide adequate proof that you meet the educational requirements.

Submit one or more of the following to support your eligibility(s) to apply to this job announcement:

• Current and former Federal employees: Most recent non-award SF-50 (Standard Form 50 - Notice of Personnel Action). To properly verify status eligibility, your SF-50 must show the following. If you do not submit an appropriate SF-50, we cannot verify your status eligibility.
  • Full position title;
  • appointment type;
  • occupational series;
  • pay plan, grade, and step;
  • tenure code; and
  • service computation date (SCD).
  • If your current position SF50 does not indicate you have competitive service status or does not reflect the pay plan and grade of the highest position you have held in the competitive service, in addition to your current SF50, you must provide your previous SF-50s that provide the proof of competitive status and highest grade held on a permanent basis. . If you do not submit an appropriate SF-50, we cannot verify your status eligibility.
• Veterans: DD-214 Member Copy 4 showing type of discharge/character of service; current active duty members- certification of expected discharge or release from active duty under honorable conditions dated within 120 days; SF-15 Form and related documentation; VA letter. For more information visit the USAJOBS Help Center & OPM CHCOC website for VOW information.
• Individuals with Disabilities: Schedule A letter from a physician, local, state or federal rehabilitation office citing your eligibility under 5 CFR 213.3102 (u). For more information visit the USAJOBS Help Center.
• Certain Military Spouses: Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders authorizing you to accompany the Military member to the new duty permanent station; OR verification of the member's 100% disability (VA Letter); and/or verification of the member's death while on active duty (DD-1300 and Death Certificate) AND verification of the marriage to the service member (i.e., a marriage license or other legal documentation verifying marriage). For more information visit the USAJOBS Help Center.
• Other non-competitive or special appointing authorities: provide documentation which supports your eligibility.
• 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.) For more information see the OPM Guide to Career Transition.

Failure to submit any of the above mentioned required documents may result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted.

Next steps