Clarification from the agency

See Area of Consideration

This National Guard position is for a COST ACCOUNTANT (Title 5), Position Description Number T5137P01 and is part of the CT USPFO, National Guard.

Temporary promotion not to exceed two (2) years. The purpose of the temporary promotion is to backfill a deployed Soldier. The temporary promotion will be terminated within 30 days of return of the incumbent to the position.

Position to be filled upon the vacancy of the incumbent.

JOB SUMMARY: The purpose of this position is to perform review and analysis of the various procedures used in administering and operating the fiscal control systems of the state and to identify, determine the cause of, and take corrective action to resolve difficulties, problems, and inefficiencies within those systems and ensure costing structure is established and monitored in the systems at the state level. Main responsibility is to serve as the financial expert for the US Property and Fiscal Office (USPFO) Comptroller in a cost management environment under the General Fund Enterprise Business System (GFEBS).

The major duties include, but are not limited to:

• The incumbent will analyze, examine, and interpret accounting data, records, and reports to determine past costs, identify improperly recorded costs, and reallocate cost to ensure they are recorded in proper cost structure.
• Provides accounting advice and recommendations to program managers and the installation staff.
• Plans, coordinates, and performs comprehensive reviews, special studies, and selective internal examinations of USPFO functions pertaining to cost management environment under the General Fund Enterprise Business System (GFEBS) and its interfacing feeder systems (STANFINS/AFCOS,SPS, DTS, DCPS, GCSS-A, ODS, FCM, IATS).
• Confers with representatives of other local offices/directorates to resolve USPFO problems associated with improper cost management attributable to functions under their jurisdiction.
• Incumbent will utilize GFEBS to inform managers of the cost of performing various functions associate with Service Level Agreements (SLA) and Service Support Programs (SSP) and assist them in using their funds in a more cost efficient and cost-effective manner in support of their goals.

Conditions of employment

• Males born after 31 December 1959 must be registered for Selective Service.
• Federal employment suitability as determined by a background investigation.
• Direct Deposit is mandatory.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a secret security clearance.
• U.S. Citizenship required.
• As a basis of continued Title 5 Excepted Service employment/appointment in the GS-0510 Accounting Program position, the employee must complete the requisite quantity of CETs every two years to sustain the achieved certification level.
• Incumbent must meet the DoD directed civilian financial management certifications for the Accounting Program position within two years of initial hire date or promotion appointment date.
• Must possess a valid state drivers license.
• As a basis of continued Title 5 Excepted Service employment/appointment to a GS-0510 position, the employee must complete all Financial Management Program education and training.

Qualifications

MANDATORY EDUCATION REQUIREMENT:

1. 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 six hours of credit in business law.

-OR-

2. Combination of Education and Experience: At least four years of experience in accounting, or an equivalent combination of accounting experience, college-level education, and training that provided professional accounting knowledge. The candidate'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 six hours of business law;
2. A certificate as Certified Public Accountant or a Certified Internal Auditor, obtained through written examination;
3. Completion of the requirements for a degree that included substantial course work in accounting or auditing. For example, completed 15 semester hours however, the school course work does not fully satisfy the 24-semester-hour degree requirement as defined above in paragraph one (subject: Degree), provided that:
   1. The candidate successfully worked at the full-performance level in accounting, auditing, or a related field for example, valuation engineering or financial institution examining;
   2. A panel of at least two higher level professional accountants or auditors determined that the candidate demonstrated a good knowledge of accounting and of related and underlying fields that equals in breadth, depth, currency, and advancement levels that are normally associated with successful completion of the four-year course of study degree, as described above in Paragraph One; and,
   3. Except for literal nonconformance to the requirement of 24 semester hours in accounting, the candidate's education, training, and experience fully meet the specified requirements.

GENERAL EXPERIENCE: All on-board Title 5 Excepted Service employees assigned to Series GS-0510 positions, are considered eligible for merit promotions if they have the competencies and a minimum of one year experience in the grade immediately below the next higher level.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Your resume and any other supporting documentation you wish to provide must clearly substantiate you currently possess 24 months of specialized experience in the following:

• Experience demonstrating accounting competencies that provided knowledge of principles and procedures.
• Experience demonstrating an excellent understanding of the basic principles and concepts of the accounting business program requirements.
• Experience and training that demonstrate the ability to conduct accounting business in accordance with directives and policies; the ability to study and evaluate the existing internal control systems to determine the level of reliability; and, the skills to determine the appropriate procedures needed to validate system reliability.
• Experience demonstrating the ability to obtain sufficient reliable evidence through inspection, observation, inquiries, and confirmation to provide a reasonable basis for an opinion regarding the activity under examination.
• Experience demonstrating GS-0510 accounting competencies that used statistical and/or judgmental sampling of financial records and management controls to determine the degree of efficiency, economy, and effectiveness in which the activities discharged their financial responsibilities, and/or to determine that the financial records were maintained in accordance with applicable regulations.
• Experience demonstrating the ability to follow directions, to read, retain, and understand a variety of instructions, regulations, policies and procedures.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Skill in collecting and analyzing data effectively, efficiently, and accurately.
• Ability to clearly enunciate English without impediment of speech that would interfere or prohibit effective communication.
• Ability to write English in reports and presentation formats.
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively.
• Skill in presenting formal training presentations and briefings.
• Skill in applying procedures and directives by reading and interpreting program material.
• Knowledge of theories, practices, methods, and techniques of accounting and organizational or program practices, policies, and functions sufficient to independently plan and conduct a variety of assignments or investigations and analyze accounting systems or modify and adapt conventional accounting and analytical techniques to solve a variety of accounting problems.
• Skill to perform advanced level of accounting, cost, and performance analysis functions to improve financial management and mission accomplishment and in support of resource management policies and objectives.
• Ability to support state Army National Guard programs, ensuring efficient and effective use of organization resources.
• Skill to keep accounting data processing through local, Army-wide and DoD accounting systems IAW regulatory requirements to satisfy management's information requirements.
• Knowledge of, and skill in applying, commonly used cost management and cost accounting principles, practices, and procedures.
• Knowledge of auditing principles and practices and skill to review audits to identify and recommend solutions for resource management problems.
• Knowledge of budgeting and analysis to support the ISA program and relate this knowledge to the needs to serviced organizations.
• Ability to work independently on routine and continuing assignments.

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT CERTIFICATION: As a condition of continued employment in the GS-0510-11 position and dependent on the positions certification level (level II), the employee must complete the higher financial management certification within 24 months of appointment to the position.

How you will be evaluated

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

Please ensure you follow all instructions carefully. Once the announcement has closed, your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine if you meet the qualifications listed on this announcement. If you are minimally qualified, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses on the assessment questionnaire to determine your level of experience. If you rate yourself higher than is supported by your application package, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this position. If you are found to be among the top qualified candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration.

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

• Resume showing relevant experience (including Month and Year, e.g., 02/2017, Feb 2017, etc.)
• Responses to the Assessment Questionnaire
• Member 4 copy of DD 214 (if claiming veterans' preference)
• National Guard Bureau (NGB) Form 22 or NGB Form 22A (if you are a former member of CTNG)
• Financial Management certification level I or II, if applicable
• SF 15 or supporting documentation listed on the SF 15 (if claiming 10 points veterans' preference)
• In addition, if claiming a compensable service-connected disability of 10% or more, you must submit a VA Letter or a disability determination from a branch of the Armed Forces (or documentation of purple heart, if applicable)
• Unofficial Transcripts (You must provide transcripts or other documentation to support your Educational claims)

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.

ACTIVE DUTY SERVICE MEMBERS: The VOW Act Chapter 21 of Title 5, United States Code (U.S.C.), Section 2108a, requires Federal agencies treat active duty service member as veterans, disabled veterans, and preference eligible, when they submit, at the time they apply for a Federal job, a "certification" of active service in lieu of a DD-214, assuming the service member is otherwise eligible. A "certification" letter should be on letterhead of the appropriate military branch of the service and contain (1) the military service dates including the expected discharge or release date; and (2) the character of service. The service member's military service dates are necessary in order to determine whether he or she meets the definition of "veteran" under 5 U.S.C. 2108(1). The "certification" must reflect the service member is expected to be discharged or released from active duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date of submission. The "certification" must be signed by, or by direction of, the adjutant, personnel officer, or commander of your unit or higher headquarters and must indicate when your terminal leave will begin (if applicable), your rank, dates of active duty service, the type of discharge and character of service (i.e. honorable). Further, under paragraph (h) of the rule, agencies are required to verify a qualifying separation from military service prior to appointment, through the DD-214 or other appropriate documentation. Your preference and/or appointment eligibility will be verified prior to appointment. Active duty members that fail to provide a valid "certification" of service with their initial application will be found "not eligible." Military members may be appointed before the effective date of their military retirement/separation if member is on terminal leave.

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