Accountant

Clarification from the agency

Your application will be considered if you are a: Current career/career-conditional federal employee in the competitive service; reinstatement eligible; Special Appointing Authority eligible; VEOA eligible veteran; ICTAP eligible; or OPM Interchange Agreement eligible.

Location of positions: Washington, DC; Kansas City, MO; Fort Worth, TX; Lakewood, CO; Tacoma, WA; Raleigh, NC; Atlanta, GA; New York, NY; San Francisco, CA; Philadelphia, PA; Chicago, IL; and Boston, MA.

As an Accountant, you will be responsible for performing the following duties:

• Review financial and/or management reports and render advice and/or assistance to the appropriate officials in interpreting trends or spotting abnormal fluctuations, including the determination and recording of adjustments required. Develop new or revised reporting formats to serve changing needs of management. Create Standard General Ledger (SGL) posting models for the proper recording of accounting transactions in the accounting systems. Perform analysis of SGL accounts for proper accounting treatment, accuracy, and correction of existing posting models.

• Coordinate the resolution of accounting issues arising from factors such as changes in legislation, regulations, and accounting standards as prescribed by GAO, Treasury, and OMB, and makes appropriate changes to policy, procedures and reports. Review agency financial procedures for compliance with policy. Recommend changes to financial, accounting and business procedures and practices to ensure complete, reliable and consistent financial information is provided to executives, managers, employees and clients.

• Participate in research and development work to formulate accounting policies and procedures to: (1) design and develop new techniques, (2) review and evaluate effectiveness and compliance with policy of current and proposed procedures and (3) provide advice and guidance to management, financial and operational components. Plan and implement, through changes in the official handbooks, manuals and regulations of GSA, modifications to existing policies and procedures to meet the changing program requirements and management needs.
• Maintain effective relationships with GSA’s OCFO and program offices to develop economical and useful accounting and financial reporting systems.

• Create various reports required  by senior management, financial managers, or program officials. Prepare replies to correspondence from members of Congress, State and local agencies, and interested segments of the private industry.

Conditions of employment

• US Citizenship or National (Residents of American Samoa and Swains Island)
• Meet all eligibility criteria within 30 days of the closing date
• Meet time-in-grade within 30 days of the closing date, if applicable
• Register with the Selective Service if you are a male born after 12/31/1959

If selected, you must meet the following conditions:

Qualifications

To evaluate your qualifications, your resume must clearly demonstrate how you meet the specialized experience described below. Your resume must not exceed two pages. To ensure your qualifications can be fully evaluated, we recommend including the following information: 

• Name, address, telephone number, email address;

• Job title (if federal service, provide series and grade; if not in GS plan, provide GS equivalent grade);

• Relevant work experience—should include employer name, job title, start and end dates (month/year), the number of hours worked per week and descriptions that explain how you meet the required qualifications in the job announcement.

• Education, certifications or licensures—If the job announcement requires any education, certifications or licensures, make sure to include the required information and any required documents like transcripts.

Your resume should contain enough information to make a valid determination that you fully meet experience requirements for each grade level you are applying to. If you do not provide enough information for us to determine your qualifications, you may be rated ineligible.

If you have volunteered your service through a National Service program (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps), we encourage you to apply and include this experience on your resume.

The GS-13 salary range starts at $108,173 per year.  

If you are a new federal employee, your starting salary will likely be set at the Step 1 of the grade for which you are selected.

This position has a positive education requirement: Applicants must submit a copy of their college or university transcript(s) and certificates by the closing date of announcements to verify qualifications. If selected, an official transcript will be required prior to appointment.  

Basic Requirements:  You must have either A or B:

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:

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; AND; (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.

Refer to OPM’s Accounting Qualification Standard for more information.

In addition to the Basic Requirements, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level in the federal service. Specialized experience is defined as performing accounting and financial management functions that demonstrate the following:

• Analyzing and evaluating accounting transactions, problems, reports, systems, etc. to support meeting the organization’s goals and objectives;
• Drafting recommended changes to policy, procedures, and reports to improve organizational effectiveness; and
• Serving as a central point of contact for professional and technical guidance, and resolving customer requests and issues.

How you will be evaluated

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

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), and responses you provide on the application questionnaire. 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. You will not be considered for the position if you fail to complete the assessment. You will be assessed on the following competencies:

• Attention to Detail, Self Management, Technology Orientation, Problem Solving, Interpersonal Skills, Teamwork, Oral Communication, Customer Service, and Writing.

Additional hurdle assessments, such as narrative responses or other assessments, may be administered to applicants who meet the requirements of the first hurdle, e.g., the minimum qualification requirements. If additional assessments are used, you will be provided with further instructions.

Consideration will be given to performance appraisals and incentive awards in merit promotion selection decisions in accordance with 5 CFR 335.103(b)(3). You should list any relevant performance appraisals and incentive awards in your resume so that information will be taken into consideration during the selection process. If selected, you may be required to provide supporting documentation.

If you are eligible under the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) or GSA's Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), you must receive a score of 85 or higher to receive priority.

ALL required documents must be submitted before the closing date. Review the following list to determine what you need to submit.

Resume: Must not exceed two pages. Refer to the Qualifications section for resume requirements. 

Federal employees (includes current GSA employees): You must submit a legible copy of your most recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, AND an SF-50 reflecting the highest grade held if different from your recent SF-50. The SF-50, block 24, must contain "1" or "2" AND block 34 must be a "1." Employees eligible under an OPM approved interchange agreement , block 34 may contain a "1" or "2."

Note: If required to submit an SF-50 (Notice of Personnel Action), an equivalent agency Notice of Personnel Action form is acceptable. The SF-50 or equivalent agency Notice of Personnel Action form must show all of the following: effective date, position, title, series, grade, and rate of basic pay, tenure group 1 (career) or 2 (career-conditional), position occupied group, and name of agency. 

Promotion Consideration: If your most recent SF-50 became effective within the past year, it may not demonstrate that you meet the one-year time-in-grade requirement. In that case, submit additional SF-50(s) (such as promotion, within-grade increase, grade/range increase, or an SF-50 with an effective date more than one year old) that clearly document you meet the time-in-grade requirement.

Reinstatement Eligible : submit your separation SF-50.

If you are claiming veterans preference:

(a) DD-214 that shows your type of discharge, character of service and the dates of your active duty service.

(b) If you are claiming 10-point preference or derived preference (spouse, widow/widower, or parent of a deceased or disabled veteran), you must submit documentation that establishes your entitlement in addition to the DD-214:

• VA disability rating letter or other official documentation (refer to SF-15 for complete list).

• SF-15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference

Note: If sufficient documentation is provided to establish 10-point preference, preference may be granted based on the supporting documentation even if the SF-15 is not submitted. If selected, a completed SF-15 will be required prior to appointment. 

IF YOU ARE:

Active duty military: Certification on a letterhead from your military branch that includes your rank, character of service (must be under honorable conditions) & military service dates including discharge/release date (must be no later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted).

Former Peace Corps or VISTA volunteer: Submit your description of service.

Current and former Land Management agency employees:  Submit a and b:

• (a) one or more SF-50s, including your most recent one that shows you were on a competitive time-limited appointment(s) with a Land Management Agency and served on the appointment for a period(s) totaling more than 24 months without a break of 2 or more years.
• (b) Copy of your agency’s annual performance appraisal(s) or written reference(s) from a supervisor at the agency verifying satisfactory performance during your appointment(s).

ICTAP/CTAP eligible : submit a, b, and c: (a) proof of eligibility including agency notice; (b) SF-50, and (c) most recent performance appraisal.

Current or former political appointee: Submit your SF-50.

Applying under another special appointment authority: Submit proof of your eligibility under the appropriate appointment authority. See USAJOBS for more information.

If you have a disability: Submit proof of eligibility. For information on eligibility and required documentation, refer to USAJOBS  page for more information.

College Transcripts: If you are using some or all of your college education to meet qualification requirements for this position, you must submit a photocopy of your college transcript(s). Transcripts MUST show: name of the institution, student's name, course work/degree(s) completed/conferred and dates. If selected, an official transcript will be required prior to appointment.

For education completed outside the United States, also submit a valid foreign credential evaluation that substantiates possession of the required education.

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