Requirements
Conditions of employment
- U.S. Citizenship is Required.
- See Special Conditions of Employment Section.
Career Transition Programs (CTAP): These programs apply to Federal and/or DOJ employees who meet the definition of surplus or displaced from a position in the competitive service. To receive selection priority for this position, you must:
- 1. Meet CTAP eligibility criteria;
- 2. Be rated well-qualified for the position with a score of 85 or above based on scoring at least half of the total possible points for the vacancy KSAs or competencies; and
- 3. Submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP eligibility.
NOTE: Applicants claiming CTAP eligibility must complete all assessment questions to be rated under the established ranking criteria.
Qualifications
To be considered for the position, you must meet the following qualification requirements:
Basic Requirements:
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) 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 to meeting the above Basic Requirements, applicant must have the following:
Education:
GS-11:
Three (3) years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree OR Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree.
GS-12:
There is no substitution of education for specialized experience for this position.
OR
Experience:
GS-11 and GS-12:
You must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the next lower grade level. To be creditable, this experience must have equipped the applicant with the qualifications to perform successfully the duties of the position, and must typically be in or related to the position to be filled.
Some examples of this qualifying experience are:
GS-11:
- Experience in monitoring the accuracy and completeness of accounting data entered into the automated Financial Management Information (FMIS).
- Experience in monitoring and verifying the accuracy of the proof checks, SF-224, draft systems, general ledger, and other on-line systems.
- Experience in thorough knowledge of accounting principles, theories, concepts and practices, Federal fund, property, payroll, grantee and cost accounting.
GS-12:
- Experience in preparing reports covering the status of accounting operations, identifying problem areas, and recommending effective solutions to resolve issues.
- Experience in providing training and serving as a liaison between the Finance Branch, Central Office, Washington, D.C. and accounting personnel.
- Experience in analyzing, interpreting, and consolidating accounting data from the region’s facilities in order to determine trends, preparing forecasts, and suggesting management actions or alternative that can be taken.
OR
GS-11 Only: A combination of education and experience. This experience must have equipped you with the qualifications to perform the major duties of this position as described above.
If applicable, credit will be given for paid and unpaid experience. To receive proper credit, you must show the actual time (such as number of hours worked per week) spent in the activities.
**Your eligibility for consideration will be based on your responses to the questions in the application.**
Education
See Qualifications Section for education requirements, if applicable.
ONLY if education is a requirement/substitution for specialized experience, applicant MUST upload legible transcripts as verification of educational requirement. Transcripts MUST be uploaded and electronically linked from USAJOBS at the time you apply and MUST include identifying information to include School Name, Student Name, Degree and Date Awarded (if applicable). All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, Click Here.
Foreign Education: For information regarding foreign education requirements, please see Foreign Diploma and Credit Recognition at the U.S. Department of Education website: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications.
If you are selected for this position and qualified based on education (i.e. basic education requirement and/or substitution of education), you will be required to provide an OFFICIAL transcript prior to your first day on duty.
Additional information
In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 3307, a maximum entry age of 36 has been established for original appointment to a position in a Bureau of Prisons institution.
The representative rate for this position is $108,493 per annum ($51.99 per hour).
Special Conditions of Employment Section:
Appointment is subject to satisfactory completion of a urinalysis, physical, and background investigation. All applicants are subject to National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and credit checks.
The addresses listed on the USAJOBS account/resume must be the primary residence at the time of application. You may be required to provide proof of residence.
Additional selections may be made if vacancies occur within the life of the certificate.
Although competitive and non-competitive applications are being accepted, the selecting official may elect to have only one group reviewed.
NOTE: Applicant may be subject to an interview
Current Federal Law Enforcement Employees:
A prerequisite of the secondary law enforcement position is the completion of the mandatory courses in "Introduction to Correctional Techniques Phase I and Phase II". If you have not completed the mandatory courses in "Introduction to Correctional Techniques Phase I and Phase II", you are ineligible for secondary law enforcement position(s) and coverage but may still be considered for a non-law enforcement position.
If you are not a current Bureau of Prisons employee, you must submit training records demonstrating you have completed the mandatory courses in "Introduction to Correctional Techniques Phase I and Phase II" to your hiring Human Resource office prior to appointment.
Individuals selected who are under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) or Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and who have not had three years "primary" law enforcement retirement coverage, will not be covered by law enforcement retirement while in this position. To regain coverage, individuals must return to a position with "primary" coverage.
As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:
- your performance and conduct;
- the needs and interests of the agency;
- whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
- whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.
Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Exceptions may apply. See 5 CFR part 11.
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.
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.
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.
If your composite score exceeds the average score for this job, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your online assessment responses and utilized to determine whether you meet the job qualifications listed in this announcement. If your selections are not supported by your application materials, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job. If you are found to be among the top candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration.
There are several parts of the application process that affect the overall evaluation of your application:
- Your resume, which is part of your USAJOBS profile;
- Your responses to the eligibility questions;
- Your responses to the online assessment;
- Your supporting documentation, if required.
Time-in-Grade: Federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements for consideration. You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.
If you applied to more than one grade level, BE ADVISED that you may be selected at ANY grade level for which you applied and are found qualified (i.e., if the job is announced at the 9/11 grade levels and you apply for the GS/GL-9 and the GS-11,and you are found qualified at BOTH grade levels, you may be selected at either grade level).
What Competencies/Knowledge, Skills and Abilities are Required for this Position?
The following Competencies/Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA's) are required:
GS-11 and GS-12:
- Ability to communicate in writing.
- Ability to meet and deal with people.
- Ability to interpret and apply financial policies, procedures, and guidelines.
- Ability to apply accounting concepts, theories, and practice to derive solutions.
- Knowledge of principles, theories, techniques, and methodology of accounting.
You may preview questions for this vacancy.
Required Documents
Failure to provide legible required documents and/or follow the prescribed format often results in removal from consideration. If uploading documentation, do not identify/save your documents utilizing a special character such as %, #, @, etc. Documentation should be identified/saved as VA Letter, DD-214, or Transcripts.
- Resume: Resume (includes name and contact information) limited to 2 pages showing relevant experience (cover letter optional). Experience that would not normally be part of the Federal employee's position is creditable when documented by satisfactory evidence of qualifying experience (e.g., a memorandum from the manager, Human Resource Manager, SF-52, etc.).
- To receive credit for experience contained in an application, the experience must be documented:
- Reflecting start date and end date in month/year format (MM/YYYY) AND
- Include the number of hours worked per week.
- SF-50: Current or former Federal employees NOT employed by the Bureau of Prisons MUST submit a copy of their SF-50 Form which shows competitive service appointment, tenure group, and salary. If you have promotion potential in your current position, please provide proof. If you are applying for a higher grade, and your experience was gained at a Federal agency other than the Bureau of Prisons, you MUST provide the SF-50 Form which verifies the length of time you have been in your highest grade and supports your claim for time in grade.
- Employees applying with an interchange agreement must provide proof of their permanent appointment.
- Current federal employees NOT employed by the BOP and former federal employees MUST submit a copy of their latest yearly performance appraisal/evaluation.
- CTAP, Click Here, if applicable.
- College transcript: includes the School Name, Student Name, Degree, and Date Awarded (if applicable).
- NOTE: If you are selected, official transcript(s) will be required prior to your first day.
For more help, visit USAJOBS Help Center - What should I include in my resume?
We cannot be held responsible for incompatible software, delays in mail service, applicant application errors, etc.
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.