Summary
Securing Travel, Protecting People - At the Transportation Security Administration, you will serve in a high-stakes environment to safeguard the American way of life. In cities across the country, you would secure airports, seaports, railroads, highways, and/or public transit systems, thus protecting America's transportation infrastructure and ensuring freedom of movement for people and commerce.
This job is open to
Clarification from the agency
Open to All U.S. Citizens and U.S. Nationals
Duties
This Financial Specialist position is located at the Administration Branch, Oversight Division, Compliance, Security Operations, Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Duties include but are not limited to:
- Develops budget and funding plans based on identified needs and initial operations. Plans and develops independent cost analyses, estimates, and studies in support of the program's objectives.
- Develops initial cost schedules and associated performance requirements and conducts independent research to determine appropriate costs.
- Provides cost analysis support for both current and new initiatives. Incumbent will interpret information to determine the quality and relevance of information to be used for decision-making and process improvement projects.
- Through the use of models and mathematical formulations, establishes methods that will provide the foundation for the eventual life cycle cost estimate and procedures for estimating the cost impacts of programs to various budgets of the program office.
- Represents SO within TSA to brief program status, gain support for program goals, or otherwise positively influence program management. May act as a point of contact to provide advice and guidance on the applications of policies and procedures.
- Makes recommendations to managers implementing resource or policy changes in assigned areas. Develops and review responses to OMB, Congressional inquiries, and others.
- Participates as key member of Integrated Process Teams (IPTs) for current and new initiatives.
- Performs research to gain and formalize information for a project or program. The incumbent establishes and develops methodology to conduct analytic assessments in accordance with developed and published project plans (such as integrated master plans and schedules).
- Develops and implements new process efficiencies to reduce duplicate work, streamline procedures, decrease complexity for users and make processes more time and cost effective.
- Ensures data tracking systems are current and remains up to date, adding data as it becomes available. Recommends additions or deletion of data fields to ensure relevancy of maintained data. Resolves data discrepancies. Updates design and structure of database to remain relevant and updated with latest technology. Runs reports and queries as needed.
The major duties described above reflect the full performance level of this position. Typically, the lower pay band (H Band) performs the same duties but will receive more guidance and training; and/or projects/work assignments may be less complex.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- You must possess U.S. Citizenship or be a U.S. National.
- You must have reached the minimum age (18) at the time of application.
- You must complete a favorable Background Investigation (BI).
- Selective Service registration is required.
If you fail to meet the conditions of employment or any other pre-employment requirements, such as missing any of the scheduled appointments, the hiring agency may rescind their tentative offer of employment.
Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for TSA to share your application with others in DHS for similar positions.
Any offers of employment made pursuant to this announcement will be consistent with all applicable authorities, including Presidential Memoranda, Executive Orders, interpretive U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) guidance, and Office of Management and Budget plans and policies concerning hiring. These authorities are subject to change.
Qualifications
To qualify for the SV-H Pay Band (equivalent to GS-12), an applicant must have one year of specialized experience at the SV-G or GS-11 in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private sector. Specialized experience is defined as experience that has equipped you with the knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Specialized experience is defined as:
- Implementing and evaluating complex accounting and financial programs, policies, and accounts;
- Researching, analyzing, interpreting, and providing advice and counsel to program officials on financial policies, procedures, and laws;
- Compiling, developing, and presenting complex accounting, financial data, statements, and reports.
To qualify for the SV-I Pay Band (equivalent to GS-13), an applicant must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the SV-H Pay Band or GS-12 in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private sector. Specialized experience is defined as progressively responsible experience that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Such specialized experience is defined as:
- Providing advisory services on financial management or accounting program policy to ensure regulatory compliance;
- Providing oversight to project activities such as development, testing, life cycle support, resources management, contracting, cost and scheduling;
- Resolving financial discrepancies and recommending solutions to management.
Credit for experience is given based on a 40-hour workweek. Part-time experience is credited on a part-time ratio, i.e., working 20 hours per week for two months equals one month of experience. No additional credit is given for overtime.
National Service Experience (i.e., 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 directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.
Resumes must include the following:
- Narrative description of duties with start and end dates (including the month and year) for work experience.
- State the number of hours worked in a position (i.e. full-time or part-time). If part-time, state the total number of hours worked per week.
- Performance level (i.e. band or grade)
Utilizing the USAJOBS Resume Builder and completing all available fields is strongly encouraged.
You must meet the qualification requirements for this position no later than the closing date of the vacancy announcement.
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.
You will be evaluated based on a comparison of the position requirements against the quality and extent of the experience and/or related education as reflected in your resume and supporting documentation. You are encouraged to ensure work experiences clearly show possession of the competencies required for this position. We will compare your resume and supporting documentation to your responses on the assessment questionnaire. If, after reviewing your resume and any supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have rated yourself higher than is supported by your application materials, your category placement may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job.
Candidates will be rated and ranked using Category Grouping procedures. Under Category Grouping, candidates will be rated and ranked into one of three categories:
- Best-Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrate high proficiency in all of the critical competencies as determined by the job analysis.
- Well-Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrates acceptable proficiency in all of the critical competencies as determined by the job analysis.
- Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrate basic proficiency in most of the critical competencies as determined by the job analysis. If you are best qualified, you may be referred to the hiring manager for consideration and may be called for an interview.
Veterans: Qualified veterans who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10% are listed in the best-qualified category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level, or higher. (This position is not considered scientific/professional.) Other 10-point preference eligibles and veterans with 5-point preference who meet the eligibility and qualification requirements are placed above non-preference eligibles within the category in which they qualify. View information on Veterans' Preference.
Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies that are relevant to the duties of this position and must be fully supported by information in your resume:
- Administrative Procedures and Tasks
- Financial Management
- Oral Communication
- Technical Credibility
You may preview the questions for this vacancy here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12380794
Required Documents
In addition to a resume and the assessment questions, you must submit copies of any of the following documents if you are applying based on current or former Federal Government Status, Veterans' Preference or eligible Veterans' Service (a veteran who was honorably discharged from the armed forces after completing at least three (3) years of continuous active duty service), or education or a combination of education and experience:
DD-214 - If you are claiming Veterans' Preference or eligible Veterans' Service, provide a copy of your DD-214 (Member Copy 4), Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, or other appropriate documentation to prove your entitlement and to provide verification of an Honorable Discharge.
SF-15 and VA Letter - If you are claiming Veterans' Preference based upon a Compensable Disability, Widow or Spouse Entitlement, or as a Purple Heart recipient, you must submit your DD-214 or other proof of entitlement; an SF-15, and the required proof of disability, i.e., Department of Veterans Affairs letter dated 1991 or later.
SF-50 Notification of Personnel Action - Current TSA employees are strongly encouraged to submit the most recent non-Award SF-50, at the time of application, to support eligibility for Status consideration. TSA employees who do not submit the SF-50 with the application must document their current TSA position in their resume and may be required to provide the SF-50 document during the selection process. TSA employees may obtain a copy of their most recent non-Award SF-50 at https://eopf.opm.gov/dhs/.
If you do not submit required documentation described in this job opportunity announcement, your application will be deemed incomplete and you will be ineligible for further consideration for this vacancy.
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
All of the following must be received in our office by 11:59 PM EST (Eastern Standard time) on the closing date of this announcement. If we do not receive all required information by the closing date, your application may not be considered.
To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section above. Your application must include:
- Resume
- Self-Assessment Questionnaire for this position
- Applicable supporting documents (see Required Documents Section)
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. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
- It is your responsibility to verify that your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan.
- Additional information on how to complete the online application process and submit your online application may be found on the USA Staffing Applicant Resource Center.
- We encourage you to apply online. If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, please contact HC-ServeU@tsa.dhs.gov .
Veterans and Persons with disabilities possess a wealth of unique talents, experiences, and competencies that can be invaluable to the DHS mission. If you are a member of one of these groups, you may not have to compete with the public for federal jobs. To determine your eligibility for non-competitive appointment and to understand the documentation that is required, click on the links above or contact the Servicing Human Resources Office listed at the bottom of this announcement.
Next steps
The questionnaire will assess your qualifications for the job, and will be used to identify the best qualified applicants to be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible interview. We will notify you of the outcome of these steps when they have been completed.
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/.
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