Budget Analyst (Recent Graduate)

Clarification from the agency

All U.S. Citizens, Nationals, and Foreign Nationals who meet both Immigration and Annual Appropriations Laws who also meet the requirements of the Pathways Recent Graduate Program. See the Requirements and Qualification sections of this announcement for more information.

The Office of Environmental Management - Carlsbad Field Office office works to provide safe, compliant and efficient characterization, transportation, and disposal of defense-related Transuranic (TRU) waste.

The following are the duties of this position at the GS-12. Since you are being selected at a lower grade level, you will have the opportunity to learn to perform all these duties and will receive training to help you grow in this position.

As a Budget Analyst (Recent Graduate), you will:

• Prepare, review, and consolidate budget formulation narratives, cost estimates, and financial justifications in accordance with agency guidance and Congressional actions.
• Monitor the lifecycle of agency funds by tracking obligations, expenditures, and allotments to identify and report variances from annual work plans.
• Conduct initial analyses of budget estimates and requests for allotments submitted by managers, verifying mathematical accuracy, policy compliance, and proper formatting.
• Research, consolidate, and review financial data to detect conditions of over- or under-obligation, identifying needs for reprogramming or fund transfers.
• Offer administrative assistance and guidance to program managers regarding budget performance, fund availability, and the preparation of required budgetary forms or materials.
• Compile historical data, system reports, and quantitative justification estimates to help prepare background and briefing materials for senior officials, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and Congressional reviews.

Conditions of employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen, National, or Foreign National who meets both Immigration and Annual Appropriations Laws.
• 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.
• A Pathways Recent Graduate Participant Agreement is required.
• Recent Graduates serve a trial period for the entire duration of their excepted service appointment.
• Applicant must provide proof that they have obtained an associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, professional, doctorate, vocational, technical degree, or a certificate from a qualifying educational institution with the previous 2 years.; OR
• Applicant must provide proof that they have completed a qualifying career or technical education program within the previous 2 years.
• Veterans precluded by a military service obligation have up to 6 years after completion of degree or certificate to apply.

Qualifications

You must meet the eligibility and qualifications within 6 months of the closing date of this announcement.

To be eligible for the Pathways Recent Graduate program you must be a:

• Recent graduate who has completed, within the previous two years, a qualifying associates, bachelors, masters, professional, doctorate, vocational, technical degree, or certificate from a qualifying educational institution or completed a qualifying career or technical education program that awards a recognized postsecondary credential (such as a Registered Apprenticeship Program or Job Corps).

-OR-

• Student who within 6 months of the closing date of this announcement will meet the education requirements and will graduate with a qualifying associates, bachelors, masters, professional, doctorate, vocational, technical degree, or certificate from a qualifying educational institution or completed a qualifying career or technical education program. A student may not be appointed to a position until they have graduated.

-OR-

• Preference eligible veterans who were prevented from applying during the two-year period due to their military service obligation may begin their two-year eligibility period upon release or discharge from active duty. Eligibility for these veterans cannot exceed six years after degree or certificate completion. You MUST submit a copy of the DD214 showing the duration and dates of service that precluded you from applying due to the military service obligation.

For the GS-09: You must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-07 grade level in the Federal Service. Specialized experience for this position at the GS-9 includes:

• Assisting in identifying and resolving financial or budget issues.

OR YOU MAY QUALIFY FOR THE GS-9 BASED ON EDUCATION:
master's or equivalent graduate degree; OR
2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree; OR
LL.B. or J.D., if related

OR YOU MAY QUALIFY FOR THE GS-9 BASED ON COMBINATION: If you have some qualifying education and some qualifying experience, but don't fully meet either requirement on its own, you may be able to combine them. Only graduate education in excess of one year (18 semester hours or equivalent) can be used in this calculation. Experience must be reflected in your resume, and transcripts are required.

1. Divide your qualifying graduate semester hours beyond the first 18 by 18. That gives you your education percentage.
2. Divide your months of qualifying experience by 12. That gives you your experience percentage.
3. Add the two together. If the total is 100% or more, you qualify.

For the GS-11: You must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal Service. Specialized experience for this position at the GS-11 includes ALL of the following:

• Identifying and resolving financial or budget issues; AND
• Assisting with budget formulation, justification, or execution.

OR YOU MAY QUALIFY FOR THE GS-11 BASED ON EDUCATION:
Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree; OR
3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree; OR
LL.M., if related

OR YOU MAY QUALIFY FOR THE GS-11 BASED ON COMBINATION: If you have some qualifying education and some qualifying experience, but don't fully meet either requirement on its own, you may be able to combine them. Only graduate education in excess of two years (36 semester hours or equivalent) can be used in this calculation. Experience must be reflected in your resume, and transcripts are required.

1. Divide your qualifying graduate semester hours beyond the first 36 by 18. That gives you your education percentage.
2. Divide your months of qualifying experience by 12. That gives you your experience percentage.
3. Add the two together. If the total is 100% or more, you qualify.

Education must be obtained from an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Experience may include paid or unpaid work, including internships, volunteer service, student leadership, military service, apprenticeships, or other relevant activities. Resumes must clearly describe duties, dates, and hours worked per week.

How you will be evaluated

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

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position.

You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

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

If you are minimally qualified for this job, you will be placed into one of two pre-defined quality categories. These categories are "Highly Qualified" and "Qualified".

Application of Veterans' Preference: If you are a preference eligible candidate, you will be listed at the top of whichever quality category your rating places you in. CP/CPS veterans are placed at the top of the highest category for all positions except professional and scientific positions at GS-9 and higher.

Application questionnaire: Applicants must complete a questionnaire as part of the application process. To preview the Application Questionnaire, click here https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13033447

Online assessments: Applicants must complete the online USA Hire Assessments measuring critical general competencies required to perform the job. Examples used in the assessments include general scenarios addressing the underlying competencies required for this position. The USA Hire Assessments include a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment. Applicants who complete the online assessments and meet or exceed the cut score will move on to the next phase of the assessment process.

Pathways eligibility/Transcripts review: HR Specialists will review your transcripts or certificate of completion to determine your eligibility based on Pathways Recent Graduate Program requirements and qualifications for this position based on any education substituted, as described in the Qualifications and Education sections above. Applicants passing the Pathways eligibility/transcripts review will move on to the next phase of the assessment process.

Resume review: HR Specialists will review your resume to determine your technical qualifications for this position based on the specialized experience. Resumes submitted for Federal positions may not exceed two pages. Be sure you address the specialized experience within the two-page resume limit. HR will not review additional information beyond your resume (e.g., cover letter, links embedded in your resume). Applicants passing the resume review will move on to the next phase of the assessment process.

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

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

1. A resume of no more than two pages which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, with dates specified in month and year, and indicates hours worked per week. If military or a civilian Federal employee, you must include your rank and/or grade.
   • Resumes must be legible so they can be reviewed for eligibility, minimum qualifications, and other position requirements listed in the job announcement.
   • Your resume must be 5MB or less. We recommend saving and uploading your resume as a PDF to maintain formatting and number of pages. We also accept GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, TXT, PDF, ODT or Word (DOC or DOCX). We do not accept PDF portfolio files.
   • We recommend using a sans-serif font style such as Lato, Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, or Open San Source Sans Pro.
   • The USAJOBS resume builder can help you create a resume using these recommendations and uses the information in your USAJOBS profile to help you get started.
     
2. A complete application questionnaire and online USA Hire Assessments.
   • If you are requesting a reasonable accommodation to the USA Hire Assessments, you can find the Reasonable Accommodation process here.
3. Proof of eligibility for the Pathways Recent Graduate Program.
   • This may include college transcripts or other proof of having completed a qualifying program, as described in the Qualifications and Education sections above.
   • You may need to submit multiple transcripts to show how you meet all requirements for this position (e.g., Recent Graduate eligibility versus meeting minimum qualifications).
   • For career or technical education programs where transcripts are not available you can submit a copy of the partnership or cooperative agreement that outlines the program requirements.
4. Other supporting documents, if applicable:
   • College transcripts (See Qualifications and Education sections above for more detail.)
   • Are you claiming veterans' preference?
     • If you are a disabled veteran, Purple Heart recipient, or parent or spouse of a disabled or deceased veteran, you must submit all additional proof required by the SF-15, and if applicable, a completed SF-15. 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.
     • If you are a veteran within 120 days of discharge (from when you apply to this announcement), you must submit signed documentation from the Armed Forces certifying: 1) your expected release/retirement date from active duty, 2) your discharge will be 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, and 6) your separation date from active duty service.
     • If you are a discharged, non-disabled veteran, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 showing character of service (Member 4 copy), or other documentation of service and separation under honorable conditions, as listed on the SF-15. If you don't have your DD-214, you may request it after discharge from the National Archives.
     • For more information visit the USAJOBS Help Center & OPM CHCOC website for VOW information.
   • Are you a current or former political Schedule A, Schedule C, non-career SES, or Presidential appointee employee?
     • Submit a copy of your applicable SF-50, along with a statement that provides the following information regarding your most recent political appointment:
       • Position title;
       • Type of appointment (Schedule A, Schedule C, non-career SES, or Presidential appointee);
       • Agency; and
       • Beginning and end dates of appointment.

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.

Do not submit photographs with your application package. Documents with photographs may not be seen by hiring officials. You must remove your image from any badges, licenses, etc. or you may be removed from consideration.

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