CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE Job in Whitehall, OH

Vacancy No. DFAS-DHA-CO-12786915-25 Department Defense Finance and Accounting Service
Salary $42,086.00 to $60,986.00 Grade 5 to 6
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 8/22/2025 Close Date 9/1/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Whitehall, OH


Summary

Who may apply: U.S. Citizens and Nationals.

This is not a remote work opportunity. Positions are located in Columbus (OH).

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

Public Announcement open to all U.S. Citizens and Nationals.

Duties

  • Provides customer service and responds to customer inquiries for all contractor and vendor invoice payment issues including late payment, underpayment or over-payment of invoices.
  • Uses automated pay systems to research, analyze and resolve customer service issues.
  • Identifies accounts receivables, erroneously taken discounts or failure to take discounts, improperly paid interest, input errors, refunds, duplicate payments or other problem situations.
  • Receives, researches, analyzes, and answers telephone and written inquiries.
  • Explains and/or assists inquirers in the preparation of various forms and documents.
  • Duties will be developmental in nature when the position is filled below the full performance level.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • Must be a U.S Citizen or National
  • Background or Security Investigation - see the Additional Information field below for more details.
  • Registered for Selective Service (males born after 12-31-1959)
  • Suitable for Federal employment
  • Obtain/Maintain Financial Management Certification
  • New employees to the Defense Finance and Accounting Service will be required to successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit e-verify.gov.

Qualifications

This position is being filled under the Direct Hire Authority for Certain Personnel of the Department of Defense via delegated authority by the Office of the Secretary of Defense. We reserve the right to close this announcement early or to extend, as appropriate, based upon the needs of the Agency. Qualified application packages may be referred to management at various points in the selection process depending on the number and timing of applications received. Selections may be made at any point during the announcement open period.

Applicants MUST have related financial experience AND/OR a related financial degree (examples include: Finance, Accounting, Management, Actuarial Science, or related), in addition to meeting Office of Personnel Management (OPM) minimum qualification requirements. Substitution of combination of education and experience must still, in conjunction, minimally satisfy the DHA qualification requirement.

Human Resources will determine your qualifications for each entry grade level based on your interest and the additional following criteria. Resumes for federal government positions need more detailed work descriptions and accomplishments than a typical private sector resume. Please be sure to clearly describe this in your resume. Combinations of education and experience may also be sufficient.

To be hired at the GS-05 entry grade level, applicants must minimally have:
  • One (1) year ofexperience processing of financial transactions using standardized procedures to include reviewing documents for accuracy and inputting financial accounting information into an automated system and correcting invalid/incorrect transactions.
  • SUBSITUTION OF EDUCATION FOR GS-05 SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Four years of successfully completed education above the high school level in any field for which high school graduation, or the equivalent, is a prerequisite may be substituted to meet the specialized experience required.

To be hired at the GS-06 entry grade level, applicants must minimally have:
  • One (1) year of experience applying regulations, policies and procedures governing pay, billing and other types of financial transactions sufficient to convey information to customers and other interested parties, researching customer accounts and financial regulations, policies and procedures to identify discrepancies and suggest solutions, explaining pay, billing and other types of financial procedures, interpreting technical materials, conveying options and resolving problems within automated financial systems.
  • SUBSITUTION OF EDUCATION FOR GS-06 SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Six months of graduate education that is directly related to the work of the position being filled.
This position is developmental and selections may be made at the GS-05 or GS-06 entry grade level. Once eligibility and qualification requirements are met, selectees will be eligible for promotion at management discretion to the GS-06 grade level without further competition.

Volunteer Experience: Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual, community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

You may qualify for consideration if meeting time-in grade, specialized experience, education requirement, 90 days after competitive appointment requirement, and all other qualification requirements within 30 calendar days after the closing date of the announcement, unless otherwise indicated on the announcement.

This announcement will be used to fill positions with an entry grade of GS-05 with a target grade of GS-06. The minimum salary for grade GS-05 is $42,086, maximum $54,706. The minimum salary for GS-06 is $46,914, maximum $60,986.

Education

GS-05 Substitution of Education for Experience: Four years of successfully completed education above the high school level in any field for which high school graduation, or the equivalent, is a prerequisite may be substituted to meet the specialized experience required. Equivalent combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and experience may be used to meet total experience requirements.

GS-06 Substitution of Education for Experience: Six months of graduate education may be substituted to meet the specialized experience required when it is directly related to the work of the position being filled.

If you are using education to substitute for the specialized experience, you must submit transcripts at the time you apply. To be creditable, education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. You must report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions that are recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (http://www2.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html).

Additional information

  • Moving expenses will not be paid.
  • Telework availability is limited and will only be provided on a rare case-by-case basis during situations where Agency Leadership has determined that telework serves a compelling Department of Defense (DoD) need.
  • Selections are subject to restrictions resulting from the DoD Program for Stability of Civilian Employment.
  • A one year probationary period may be required.
  • We may use this announcement to fill additional vacancies within 90 days of the closing date.
  • Travel requirement is Seldom.
  • This position is covered by a bargaining unit.
  • Veteran's Preference: Veteran's preference does not apply under this Direct Hire Authority (DHA).
  • This position requires you to obtain and maintain a Level 1 Certification under the DoD Financial Management (FM) Certification Program as a condition of employment. If you are selected, you will have to obtain this certification within two (2) years of your entry on duty in the position unless you are already in a position that requires a Level 1 Certification in which case you must complete the certification within the original 2-year period. Failure to become certified within the required time-frame may be grounds for removal from the position and/or from Federal service. Information about the DoD FM Certification Program is available at http://www.dfas.mil/dam/dfas/careers/pdf/DoDFMCertificationProgram.pdf.
  • Applications will be accepted for the open period as stated above. A first cut-off or multiple cut-offs may be utilized for this opportunity. To ensure consideration, submit your application early. The agency reserves the right to close or extend the announcement based on mission need and/or volume of applications received.
  • Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or be exempt from Selective Service (see http://www.sss.gov).
  • Retired Civil Service Employee: Employment of retired Federal employees receiving an annuity is subject to the requirements of the DoD policy guidance. (See DoD Instruction 1400.25, Volume 300, here).
  • Priority Placement Program (PPP) Military Spouse Preference (MSP) eligible candidates will receive priority consideration at the highest grade level for which they have applied and been determined best qualified up to and including the full performance level.
  • PPP Application Based Preference Eligibles (Military Reserve and National Guard technicians, Military Reserve and National Guard technicians receiving disability retirement, and Retained Grade employees) will receive priority consideration at the full performance level only.
  • The Security Designation will vary and dependent upon position and may require a secret clearance or higher. Employment in this position requires a background investigation which may delay starting date. If you are selected and cannot obtain a favorable security determination within a reasonable period of time due to disclosed/undisclosed background issues, the employment offer may be withdrawn. Individuals selected are required to obtain/maintain a favorable security determination to occupy a sensitive position within the agency as a condition of employment. Failure to maintain eligibility to occupy a sensitive position may result in termination. For more information see the security section of Understanding Vacancy Announcements.
  • This opportunity may be used to fill current and future anticipated agency needs.

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.

Benefits

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.

IMPORTANT NOTE - YOU MUST FOLLOW ALL APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY. ERRORS OR OMISSIONS MAY AFFECT YOUR RATING.

All information included in the resume and Occupational Questionnaire is subject to review and verification. HR will review your resume and supporting documentation to ensure you meet the minimum qualification requirements. Applicants meeting the minimum requirements will be further evaluated based upon information you provided in the Occupational Questionnaire. If a determination is made that the work experience described in your submitted resume does not support your responses to the self-assessment questionnaire, your score may be reduced, and you may lose consideration for this position. If you are already a DFAS employee, you may be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including removal from Federal service, if you are found to have exaggerated, embellished, inflated, mischaracterized, or falsified your resume or qualifications.

The Assessment Questionnaire takes approximately 15 minutes to complete and collects information on your education, training and experience.

You can preview the Assessment Questionnaire here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12786915

DFAS recognizes the value of competencies gained through formal education and professional certifications. To ensure that consistent credit is given for these credentials in the selection process, DFAS has developed standard selection criteria to be used when filling positions in professional and administrative series. Selections for professional and administrative positions will be based on four categories of selection criteria: Experience, Other, Education, and Certifications.

Required Documents

You must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

  1. Resume: You are encouraged to choose only ONE method of submitting your resume. (HR will review the resume that the system date stamps as the latest one received and this may not be the resume, which best reflects your qualifications for the job and may result in an ineligible rating.) You may submit your resume by: attaching in your USAJOBS account; uploading in your Application Manager account; OR faxing. For assistance in preparing your resume, take a look at the DFAS Resume Tools.
  2. Complete Assessment Questionnaire: Your resume must describe the quality of work in regards to responses to the occupational self-assessment questionnaire as they generate your eligibility rating.
  3. Other Supporting Documents
The following supporting documents are ONLY required if applicable to your personal qualifications or status. They must be received by the closing date of the announcement.
  1. Transcripts and/or Certifications: All applicants to include current agency employees, must submit proof of education if the job announcement requires education to meet the basic qualification requirements, or if substituting education to meet the specialized experience requirements. For additional information on acceptable documents, click here Transcripts and Certifications. All applicants t include current agency employees/contractors must also document your education and/or certifications in your resume. To be creditable, education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
  2. SF-50: Current or former federal employees are encouraged to submit a Notification of Personnel Action reflecting the highest grade held on a permanent basis, tenure and appointment type.
  3. Cover Letter: You may submit a cover letter which will be forwarded to the selecting official with your resume. Your cover letter will not be used to verify your qualifications or eligibility.
WARNING: Failure to submit a complete application package including any required documentation by 11:59 PM (EST) 09/01/2025, or at the time of application for announcements with an extended closing date, may result in an ineligible rating and loss of consideration. To verify that your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, select Application Status and More Information. The Details page will display the status of your application. It is the applicant's responsibility to verify that information entered, uploaded, or faxed is received, legible and accurate. HR will not modify answers submitted by an applicant.

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 provide a complete Application Package. See required documents below.

Click 'Apply Online' to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account.
1. Follow the prompts to complete the assessment questionnaire and upload required documents.
2. Please ensure you click the Submit My Answers button to submit your application.
3. Check application status by logging into your USAJOBS account, clicking Application Status, then More Information for this position. Return to an incomplete application by logging into your USAJOBS account and clicking Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
4. Applicants may receive an email invitation to complete an additional assessment for this position. The invitation will be sent via email. Please ensure your email account settings will allow email from an "@mail.mil" email address. If not, the email may appear in a "Spam or "Junk" folder.

Agency contact information

HR Customer Care Center
Address
DFAS - ACCOUNTING OPERATIONS - COLUMBUS
3990 E. Broad Street
Columbus, OH 43213
US

Next steps

The occupational questionnaire and the resume that you submit will be used to assess your qualifications for the job, and to identify the best qualified applicants to be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible interviews. We will notify you of the outcome after each of these steps has been completed. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation.


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.


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