Summary

The GAO is part of the Legislative Branch of the Federal government. As such, all positions are in the excepted service. This position is located in the Government Accountability Office. As a Accounting Officer you will be responsible for development, maintenance, and management of GAO's financial operations, accounting operations, fiscal policy, and financial management systems oversight and support.

This job is open to

Federal employees - Competitive service

Current federal employees whose agencies follow the U.S. Office of Personnel Management's hiring rules and pay scales.

Land and base management

Current or former employees of a base management agency.

Veterans

Veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces or a spouse, widow, widower or parent of a veteran, who may be eligible for derived preference

Military spouses

Military spouses of active duty service members or whose spouse is 100 percent disabled or died on active duty.

Individuals with disabilities

Individuals who are eligible under Schedule A.

Peace Corps & AmeriCorps Vista

Individuals who have served at least 2 years with the Peace Corps or 1 year with AmeriCorps VISTA.

Clarification from the agency

Status Candidates (Merit Promotion and VEOA Eligibles)

Duties

As aAccounting Officer, MS-0510-2your typical work assignments may include the following:

Plan, direct, and control the allocation and utilization of all authorized resources for execution of agency-wide programs.
Ensure timely delivery and completion of all products and services by anticipating problems and providing solutions or alternatives to customers.
Initiate and direct special projects needing significant management involvement to integrate multiple disciplines and units in order to achieve project objectives.
Assign work and establish workload priorities.
Ensure effective implementation of EEO and all other special emphasis programs.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

You must meet all qualification requirements before the announcement closes.
1. You must be a U.S. citizen
2. You may be required to submit a financial disclosure statement.
3. You must be suitable for federal employment.
4. Registered for Selective Service, if applicable. (www.sss.gov).
5. Completion of a probationary period may be required

Qualifications

In addition to meeting the Individual Occupational Requirements, you must also meet the specialized experience below:

Basic Requirements:
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--

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:

Twenty-four semester hours in accounting or auditing courses of appropriate type and quality. This can include up to 6 hours of business law;
A certificate as Certified Public Accountant or a Certified Internal Auditor, obtained through written examination; or
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.

Minium Requirements:
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must have 1 year (52 weeks) of specialized experience at the next lower band level or level equivalent to the GS-14, MS-1, PT-III, PE-IIB in the federal service, or comparable private/public sector experience which has equipped the applicant with the skills and knowledge to successfully perform the duties of the position.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE is defined as experience in developing and implementing policies and procedures, preparing, and ensuring the propriety of reported financial information; processing payments and collections; and interfaces data from external systems.

Education

See education requirements in the qualification area.

Additional information

Update your resume so it meets new resume requirements:
Starting on September 27, 2025, federal agencies will only accept resumes up to two pages in length to comply with the Merit Hiring Plan. USAJOBS will not allow you to upload or build resumes longer than two pages, and you will need to update the resumes in your profile before applying to a job.
What is required in the resume?
Resumes submitted for federal jobs are required to have:

Contact Information-your name and the best way to contact you.
Relevant work experience-Job 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 your previous work experience relates to and helps you meet the required qualifications in the GAO job announcement to which you are applying.
Education, certifications or licensures-If the job announcement requires any education, certifications or licensures, make sure you include the required information on the resume.

For more information on the how to check the resume for the new 2-page requirement, please go to the Help Center or click the link : USAJOBS Help Center - Update your resume now so it meets new resume requirements

Form I-9, Employment Verification and the Electronic Eligibility Verification Program - GAO participates in the Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify). E-Verify helps employers determine employment eligibility of new hires and the validity of their Social Security numbers. If selected, the Form I-9 will be required at the time of in-processing. Click here for more information about E-Verify and to obtain a copy of the Form I-9.

This is not a bargaining unit position.

Travel and relocation expenses will not be paid for by the GAO.

Males born after 12/31/59 and at least 18 years of age must be registered with the Selective Service System. Visit https://www.sss.gov/RegVer/wfRegistration.aspx.

Selectees will be required to complete questions contained on the Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) at the time a tentative job offer is made. If selected, at the time of appointment, selectees will be required to update the OF-306.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION: GAO provides reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. To request accommodation, please email ReasonableAccommodations@gao.gov.The U.S. Government Accountability Office's policy is to provide equal employment opportunity for all regardless of race, religion, color, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office's policy is to provide equal employment opportunity for all regardless of race, religion, color, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

The U.S. GAO is part of the Legislative Branch of the Federal government. As such, all positions are in the excepted service. Initial appointments, permanent or indefinite, to the GAO require completion of a one or two-year probationary period.

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.

Review our 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 you meet the qualification requirements stated above, you will be further rated based on your responses to the assessment questions. Please make sure that your responses to the assessment questions are supported in your resume. Please follow all instructions carefully. If you provide incomplete answers, fail to provide a narrative response to any vacancy question(s) that requires further explanation, or if your response to a vacancy question is "see resume", your rating may be affected or you may be determined ineligible.
Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):

Accounting Operations, Administration and Management, Client Engagement/Change Management, Financial Analysis, Financial Management, Oral Communication, and Planning and Evaluating

To preview the assessment questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12942211

Required Documents

You must provide a complete application package which includes:

Resume: For qualification determinations your resume must contain hours worked per week (if part-time) and dates of employment (i.e., month/year to month/year or month/year to present). If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as insufficient and you will not receive consideration for this position. If you are a current Federal employee or previous Federal employee, provide your pay plan, series and grade, i.e. GS-0301-09. Do NOT include photographs (or links to social media such as LinkedIn), inappropriate material, inappropriate content, nor personal information such as age, gender, religion, social security number, etc., on your resume.

If you are using your education to qualify (even partially), you must submit a copy of your transcripts. Transcripts do not need to be official, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you will be required to provide official transcripts. Foreign Education: If you are submitting a transcript from a non-US educational institution, applicants must submit all necessary documents to a private U.S. organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials, commonly called a credential evaluation service. For additional information, please visithttp://www.gao.gov/careers/foreignedu.pdf.

Veteran Hiring Authority Eligibles: VEOA, VRA, and 30% Disabled Veterans must submit adequate proof of active service in the Armed Forces including Member 4 copy of your DD-214, which indicates character of service. To claim 10-point veterans' preference, you must also submit an SF-15 and a letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs verifying the percentage of your disability and preference in hiring. To claim 5-Point veterans' preference, you must submit a Member 4 copy of the DD-214 or if you are currently active duty: an official statement of service from your command. For more information on veterans' preference visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Veterans.

If you are applying under Military Spouse Preference, you must Proof of marriage to the service member and the service members DD-214 (member 4 copy); or Proof the service member was released or discharged due to a 100 percent disability; or Proof of the service member's death while on active duty.

Current or former federal employees must submit their most recent Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50 or equivalent), showing tenure, type of service (competitive/excepted) and the highest grade held.

If you are applying under the Schedule A hiring Authority for individuals with disabilities, you must submit proof disability.

If you are applying as a Former Peace Corps and AmeriCorps Vista Volunteers, you must submit Certification of this volunteer service.

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 (EST) 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 in order 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://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of 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://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.
If you are unable to apply online, please contact Yvette Jacksonat JacksonY@gao.gov or JacksonY@gao.gov by 4 p.m. on the closing date of the announcement.

For technical issue with USAJOBS: Please refer to the USAJOBS help page.

Agency contact information

Yvette Jackson

Phone: 4046791913
Email: JacksonY@gao.gov

Address: Government Accountability Office
Human Capital Office
441 G Street NW
Washington, DC 20548
US

Next steps

After the closing date of this announcement, GAO's Human Capital Office will conduct an evaluation of your qualifications by reviewing your assessment questionnaire and resume to complete an analysis. Please be as complete and thorough as possible. If your application is rated "best-qualified," your name will be referred to the selecting official for consideration. At this point you may be contacted for an interview.

If you do not meet the key requirements, and/or basic qualifications or you fail to submit all required application materials, your application will not be considered.

Accounting Officer Job in Washington, DC