Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to all US Citizens as well as current/former federal employees and individuals eligible under one or more of the following: veterans eligible for VEOA, disabled veterans receiving 30% or more disability compensation from the VA, military spouses under E.O. 13473, certain former overseas employees, present/former Peace Corps volunteers/employees or VISTA members; present and former Foreign Service officers and employees and Schedule A.

As an Auditor, in this position, you will assist in the audits and financial analyses of campaigns and political organizations. Specifically, you will:

• Assist in auditing the committees of persons seeking election to the office of the President, the House of Representatives, the Senate, as well as political party organizations and political action committees that fail to meet the Commission's standards for compliance with federal campaign finance laws.
• Perform analysis of data from multi-use accounting systems, such as those used by political party organizations and the political action arms of labor unions and major corporations.
• Conduct compliance reviews and special projects, with guidance and supervision by higher graded auditors and Audit Division managers.
• Assist in preparing draft reports that incorporate audit findings and recommendations, comments made by the auditee, and responses to those comments, ensuring adequacy, technical sufficiency and adherence to the audit program and division quality standards.
• Perform bank reconciliations, database reconciliations, dollar unit sampling (DUS) and other audit procedures necessary to complete an audit with guidance from higher graded auditors and Audit Division management.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. citizen or national.
• You must be able to pass a background investigation.
• Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see Legal and regulatory guidance below).
• You may be required to serve a 2 year probationary period.
• Direct Deposit of Pay is required.
• You must meet eligibility and qualification requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.
• Status candidates must meet time-in-grade/band requirements (52 weeks at the next lower grade).

Qualifications

In order to qualify, applicants must meet the Basic Requirement AND at least One (1) of the Minimum Qualification Requirements described below. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience. If qualifying based on education, a copy of your unofficial or official transcripts must be provided with your application.

BASIC REQUIREMENT (All Grade Levels)
A. Successfully completed a bachelor's or higher degree in accounting, auditing; or a degree including auditing courses 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.
OR,
B. A 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. Your background must also included at least one (1) of the following:

1. Twenty-four (24) semester hours in accounting or auditing courses of appropriate type and quality. This can include up to 6 hours of business law; OR
2. A certificate as a 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 option 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 option 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**
MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENT:
GS-07 Requirement: Applicants must have at least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-05 grade level in the Federal service (obtained either in private or public sectors) performing a variety of tasks designed to provide experience in the practical application of auditing principles, procedures, and techniques. This must include activities such as: (1) applying financial analysis and evaluation techniques; (2) using financial databases and/or spreadsheets (i.e., Access, Excel, etc.); (3) conducting research into financial discrepancies; and/or (4) reviewing segments of audit reports to assess completion.
OR,
Successfully completed one year (18 semester hours) of graduate education. Such education must have provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the work of this position.
OR,
Meet the requirements for Superior Academic Achievement. Successfully completed a bachelor's degree with at least one of the following (1) a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher based on a 4.0 scale; (2) a 3.5 GPA or higher for required courses completed in a major field of study during junior and senior year of a 4-year college or university; (3) class standing of upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or a major subdivision of the college, based on completed courses; or (4) membership in a National Scholastic Honor Society certified by the Association of College Honor Societies, excluding freshman honor societies. In order to be creditable under this provision, superior academic achievement must have been gained in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position being filled.
OR,
Have an equivalent combination of specialized experience and graduate level education. To compute this, first determine your total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required above; then determine your total qualifying graduate education as a percentage of the education required above; add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal to 100 percent to qualify.

GS-09 Requirement: Applicants must have at least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service (obtained either in private or public sectors). This must include activities such as: (1) applying analysis research and evaluation techniques; (2) using databases and spreadsheets (e.g., Access, Excel, etc.); (3) conducting audit assignments requiring an integrated analysis of a number of different operational regulations; and/or (4) writing and reviewing segments of audit reports and memoranda to ensure adequacy, technical sufficiency, and adherence to the audit program.
OR,
Successfully completed two years (36 semester hours) of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree, or master's or equivalent graduate degree, that provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties of this position.
OR,
Have an equivalent combination of specialized experience and graduate education. To compute this, first determine your total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required above; then determine your total qualifying graduate education as a percentage of the education required above; add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal to 100 percent to qualify. You may only use graduate education beyond the first year (18 semester hours) in determining your creditable education.

Status candidates must meet time-in-grade/band requirements: Merit promotion applicants must meet applicable time-in-grade requirements to be considered eligible. One year at the GS-05 is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-07 grade level. One year at the GS-07 is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-09 grade level. (Must submit your SF-50 that shows Time-in-Grade eligibility and reflects your title, series, and grade. No award SF-50 will be accepted).

In addition, you must provide a cover letter describing your experience with the competencies identified below: Please limit your cover letter to 2 pages. If you do not provide a cover letter with your application, you will be found ineligible for the position.

• Auditing - Knowledge of generally accepted auditing standards and procedures for conducting financial and compliance, economy and efficiency, and program audits.
• Audit Reporting - Knowledge of the principles, practices, and techniques used to report audit findings (criteria, condition, cause, effect, and recommendation).
• Financial Analysis - Knowledge of the principles and methods to identify, analyze, evaluate and specify the requirements; to include conducting qualitative and quantitative analysis.
• Self-Management - Sets well-defined and realistic personal goals; displays a high level of initiative, effort, and commitment towards completing assignments in a timely manner; works with minimal supervision; is motivated to achieve; demonstrates responsible behavior.
• Written Communication - Writes in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing manner for the intended audience. Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately.

How you will be evaluated

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

Once the announcement closes, we will conduct a review of your application package to verify your eligibility and qualifications.
If you are found qualified, your application will move forward to additional phases of the review process which will determine the best qualified candidates.

Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

For those applying under "the public":

Category Rating: Your application will be evaluated and rated under Category Rating selection procedures. Once the application process is complete, a review of your rsum and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this position. If, after reviewing your rsum and supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your responses when compared to your background information, your category rating may be adjusted to more accurately reflect your skills and abilities, or you may be rated ineligible. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your eligibility. Qualified candidates will be assigned to a quality category. The quality categories are:

Best Qualified: Candidates in this category possess exceptional skills and experience to exceed well above the minimum requirements for this position.

Highly Qualified: Candidates in this category possess good skills and experience above the minimum requirements for this position.

Qualified: Candidates in this category meet the minimum education and/or experience requirements for this position.

The Category Rating Process does not add veteran's preference points, but protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each category. Preference eligible who meet the minimum qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent must be listed in the highest quality category (except for scientific or professional positions at the GS-09 level or higher).

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

1. Your Resume listing hours worked per week, dates of employment (month/year) and duties performed for each position held. Limit your resume to two pages. Only resumes 2 pages or less in length will be accepted to determine eligibility and qualifications.
2. Transcripts if qualifying based on education.
3. Cover Letter which addresses the competencies identified in the Qualifications section above. Please limit your cover letter to 2 pages.
4. Other supporting documents if applicable:

• Veterans documents:
  • If you are a Discharged, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 showing character of discharge (Member 4 copy), or other Documentation of Service and Separation under Honorable Conditions, as listed on the SF15. If you don't have your DD-214, you may request it after discharge from the National Archives.
  • If you are a veteran within 120 days of discharge, you must submit signed documentation from the Armed Forces certifying: 1) your expected release/retirement from active duty, 2) under honorable conditions, 3) your pay grade/rank/rate at time of discharge, 4) dates of active duty service, 5) any campaign or expeditionary medals received, & 6) dated within 120 days of your separation.
  • If you are a Disabled Veteran, Purple Heart Recipient, or Mother or Spouse of a Disabled or Deceased Veteran, you must submit all additional proof required by the SF15. You may request a copy of your Department of Veterans Affairs letter from www.ebenefits.va.gov or call 1-800-827-1000 to establish proof of disability.
• Current Federal Employee (including FEC employees):
  • To verify your eligibility, you must submit a copy of your most recent Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50), or equivalent personnel action, reflecting your permanent competitive or excepted service status with Block 24 as "Tenure 1 or 2" and in Block 34 as "Competitive Service" or "Excepted Service." No award SF-50s will be accepted as proof of eligibility.
  • In addition to submitting your most recent SF-50, if you have held a higher grade than the one you're applying for on a permanent basis, please submit an SF-50, or equivalent personnel action, which documents the highest grade you have held on a permanent basis.
• Former Federal Employee (including FEC employees):
  • To verify your eligibility, you must submit a copy of your most recent Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50), or equivalent personnel action, reflecting your permanent competitive or excepted service status reflecting one of the criteria listed below:
    • You are a former Federal employee who previously attained Career status identified on your last Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50) in Block 24 as "Tenure 1" and in Block 34 as "Competitive Service" or "Excepted Service."
    • You are a former Federal employee without veterans' preference who separated within the past three years and previously attained Career-Conditional status as identified on your last SF-50 in Block 24 as "Tenure 2" and in Block 34 as "Competitive Service" or "Excepted Service."
    • You are a former Federal employee with veterans' preference who previously attained Career-Conditional status identified on your last SF-50 in Block 24 as "Tenure 2" and in Block 34 as "Competitive Service" or "Excepted Service."
    • Your last Federal performance appraisal plan must reflect a rating of Fully Successful or equivalent.
    • If you have held a higher grade than the one you're applying for on a permanent basis, please submit an SF-50, or equivalent personnel action, which documents the highest grade you have held on a permanent basis.
• Certain Family Members of Overseas Employees Eligible under E.O. 12721: Your most recent non-award SF-50 and performance appraisal.
• Certain Military Spouses Eligible under E.O. 13473: Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders, issued within the last 2 years, that lists you as authorized 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).
• Peace Corps volunteers and VISTA members: submit a copy of your description of service or other proof of non-competitive eligibility. If you are a former Peace Corps volunteer or VISTA member who is requesting an extension of your non-competitive eligibility, please also provide the necessary documentation to support your request.
• Schedule A, Persons with Disabilities Appointment Eligibles: Schedule A letter from a physician, local, state or federal rehabilitation or benefits office citing disability - eligibility under 5 CFR 213.3102 (u).

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