Financial Specialist Job in Lakewood, CO

Vacancy No. OCDE-24-12552195-BT Department Bureau of Land Management
Salary $44,001.00 to $86,670.00 Grade 5 to 9
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 9/19/2024 Close Date 10/1/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Lakewood, CO


Job Description (Please follow all instructions carefully)

Summary

Explore a new career with the BLM - where our people are our most precious resource.

This position is located in National Operations Center (NOC), Division of Business Services, Land and Realty Section, Lakewood, Colorado. Information about Lakewood, CO and the surrounding area can be found here.

We expect to fill few vacancies at this time; however, additional positions may be filled from this announcement if they become available.


This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

All U.S. Citizens - No previous Federal Service is required. CTAP and ICTAP candidates in the local commuting area.

Duties

  • Duties listed below are at the Full performance level of the position, GS-09. Lower graded duties will be developmental.
  • Receives and deposits funds in accordance with Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Department of Interior (DOI), and Department of Treasury regulations ensuring compliance with internal controls.
  • Conducts research and provide guidance to bureau field personnel to ensure funds are deposited into the appropriate account(s) in accordance with Appropriations Law.
  • Reviews and reconciles financial system reports to determine compatibility of prior month status, and processes adjustments to correct or update to ensure customer debt balances are properly recorded and suspense account balances are timely cleared.
  • Provides guidance and instructions as needed to BLM employees and customers to ensure receivables and collections are processed in accordance with Federal regulations and policies.
  • Prepares reports and statements that contain timely, accurate, and essential financial management information.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • U.S. Citizenship is required. Direct Deposit Required.
  • Be sure to read the "How to Apply" and "Required Documents" Sections.
  • You cannot hold an active real estate license; nor can you have an interest or hold stocks in firms with interest in Federal Land.
  • Appointment will be subject to a favorably adjudicated background/suitability investigation/determination.
  • May require a one year probationary period.
  • Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered for Selective Service
  • DOI uses E-Verify to confirm employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit: www.dhs.gov/e-verify

Qualifications

In order to be rated as qualified for this position, we must be able to determine that you meet the qualification requirements - please be sure to include this information in your resume. No assumptions will be made about your experience.

For GS-05: You must have completed a 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree.

-OR-

Possess 3 years of progressively responsible experience, 1 year of which was equivalent to at least GS-4, that demonstrates the ability to: Assist in analyzing problems to identify significant factors, gather pertinent data, and work towards solutions; assist in planning and organizing work; and communicate orally and in writing.

-OR-

Combination of Education and Experience as listed above.

For GS-07: You must possess one (1) full year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-05 level that is equivalent in difficulty and complexity. Specialized experience is defined as work in the use of automated accounting systems such as the Collections and Billings System (CBS) or the Financial and Business Management System (FBMS); experience receipting collections received; work providing help desk/customer support activities to research customer problems.

-OR-

Education: One year of graduate level education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree.

- OR-

Combination of Education and Experience: You may meet qualifications requirement for this position with an equivalent combination of specialized experience and appropriate graduate education. Graduate level education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position.

- OR-

Superior Academic Achievement (See OPM's General Policies, Application of Qualification Standards Section 4.f.) S.A.A. must have been gained in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled.

For GS-09: You must possess one (1) full year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-07 level that is equivalent in difficulty and complexity. Specialized experience is defined as work in the use of automated accounting systems such as the Collections and Billings System (CBS) or the Financial and Business Management System (FBMS); experience receipting and depositing of collections received; work providing help desk/customer support activities to research problems associated with collecting, depositing, or transferring collections.

-OR-

Education: You may meet the qualification requirement by substituting graduate education for experience. To be creditable, you must show that you have a 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-

Combination of Education and Experience: You may meet qualifications requirement for this position with an equivalent combination of specialized experience and appropriate graduate education. Graduate level education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position.

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.

Applicants must meet both eligibility and qualification requirements for the position of interest by the closing date of the announcement.

This position is considered a career ladder opportunity, with a full performance level of GS-09. If selected at a lower grade level, you may be non-competitively promoted to the next grade level at the discretion of your supervisor and is contingent upon meeting regulatory and legal requirements for promotion, satisfactory performance, and the availability of higher-level work. Promotion is not guaranteed, and no promise of promotion is implied.

Applicants who apply under this job opportunity announcement agree to have their application, associated documents and applicable personal information shared with other Bureaus/Offices within the Department of the Interior (DOI) who have vacancies within the same occupational series, grade, full performance level and in the same geographic location(s), including within the same metro/commuting area. Applying to this announcement does not replace the need to apply to other job opportunity announcements for which you wish to receive consideration.

Education

If using education to qualify, you must submit copies of all transcripts or a list of college courses that include hours and grades from an accredited U.S. college/university. See Required Documents section for more information.

Additional information

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)/lnteragency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP): These programs apply to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. To receive selection priority, you must: 1) meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; 2) be rated well qualified for the position with a score of 85 or above; and 3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. For more information: CTAP or ICTAP

Certain incentives (such as Recruitment, Relocation or Student Loan Repayment) may be authorized to eligible selectees. If eligible and qualified, you may be offered a recruitment or relocation incentive. The decision to offer an incentive will be made on a case-by-case basis and is neither promised nor guaranteed. For information visit: Recruitment Incentive or Relocation Incentive or Student Loan Repayment.

Travel and relocation expenses will not be paid by the Department of the Interior. Any travel, transportation and relocation expenses associated with reporting for duty in this position will be the responsibility of the selected employee.

The official worksite for the selectee is the duty station identified in this vacancy announcement. The selectee will typically report to this duty location on a regular and recurring weekly basis. The selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.

This is a bargaining unit position represented by the National Federation of Federal Employees Chapter 1945.

This announcement is being advertised concurrently under number OCMP-24-12552184-BT, for status candidates and special hiring authority eligible. You must apply to each announcement separately if you wish to be considered under both recruitment methods.

Reasonable Accommodation Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended and Americans with Disabilities Act 1990 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a reasonable accommodation in your online application. Requests for Reasonable Accommodations for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for Reasonable Accommodation must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for Reasonable Accommodations are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a Reasonable Accommodation, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

Once the application process is complete, we will review your application to ensure you meet the job requirements. To determine if you are qualified for this job, a review of your resume, supporting documentation and responses to the online questionnaire will be made. Your responses to the online questionnaire will be used to measure the degree to which your background matches the requirements for this position. Qualified applicants will be placed in one of three predefined categories: Best Qualified, Well Qualified and Qualified. However, your resume must support your responses to the scored occupational questionnaire, or your score may be lowered. Within these categories, applicants eligible for veteran's preference will receive selection priority over non-veterans. Candidates placed in the Best Qualified category will be identified for referral to the hiring manager and may be contacted for an interview.

Your answers to the online questionnaire will be used to evaluate your competencies in the following areas:

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


In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.

The assessment includes 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.

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

Required Documents

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

Resume or Application. At a minimum, your resume MUST contain job title (include job series and grade, if federal), duties, starting and ending dates (month and year), and hours worked per week. USAJOBS has a template to ensure a complete resume. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YX7o1PBoFk

Your resume will be used to validate your responses to the assessment tool(s). Failure to provide required information will result in loss of eligibility. You are welcome to submit an optional cover letter.

Transcripts: If using education to qualify, submit a copy of ALL your college transcripts or a list of ALL college courses that include hours and grades from an accredited U.S. college/university. If your degree is from a Foreign Institution, See Foreign Education. Upon selection, official transcripts must be received prior to appointment.

Veterans: If you are claiming veterans' preference you must submit a copy of your DD-214, 'Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty,' (Member 4 copy is preferred), showing the dates of active duty, type of discharge, and character of service (must be honorable) OR written documentation from the armed forces that certifies you are 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 the certification is submitted.

If you are claiming 10-point veterans' preference, in addition to the documents specified above, you must submit documentation that supports your claim as shown on the back of the Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference. SF-15.

If you are claiming Sole Survivorship Veterans' Preference (SSP), please provide the documentation you received granting this preference.

Additional information on veterans' preference can be found in the www.fedshirevets.gov/job-seekers/special-hiring-authorities/.

Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) eligibles: Submit documentation verifying your CTAP/ICTAP eligibility - this includes a copy of the agency notice and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level and duty location.

Please note that documents selected for transfer from your USAJOBS profile are NOT automatically added to your application. You need to transfer your document(s) in the 'Documents' step during the application process.

Required documentation must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, on the closing date of this announcement.

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

THIS IS AN ONLINE APPLICATION PROCESS THROUGH USAJOBS. Your application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM Eastern Time by 10/01/2024. If you need assistance in applying on-line, please contact the HR Office at 303-236-6421 or blm_oc_hr_staff_team@blm.gov.

PLEASE NOTE: If you have access to a public library, State Job Service Office, etc., you should use these resources to apply online. You must follow the steps described below to complete the application process:

YOU MUST HAVE OR CREATE A PROFILE IN USAJOBS. Your profile must contain a current resume for submission. See Required Documents section for what to include in your resume.

INSUFFICIENT INFORMATION COULD RESULT IN AN INELIGIBLE RATING.

The USAJOBS Resume Builder was designed to ensure that your resume includes the standard information needed. The Resume Builder is an available tool when you login to your USAJOBS account.

  1. Review the Appointment Eligibility Criteria to choose how you wish to be considered for this vacancy announcement. You must provide proof of your eligibility.
  2. You must submit a resume and also complete the online application and assessment questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the 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 resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. 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.
  • Your eligibility will be based on the selections you have indicated in this section. Provide proof of your eligibility to be considered. You may choose more than one eligibility.
  • To view the assessment questionnaire, click here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12552195
  • Note: If invited to take additional competency assessment(s), you will be able to preview a sample exercise at the time of the assessment.
If you are asked to take the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be presented with a unique URL to access the USA Hire system. Access to USA Hire is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Be sure to review all instructions prior to beginning your USA Hire Assessments. Click here for Computer System Requirements

Note: set aside at least 3 hours to take these assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue at a later time, you can re-use the URL sent to you via email and also found on the Additional Application Information page that can be located in the application record in your USAJOBS account.

To update your application, including supporting documentation, at any time during the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login). There you will find a record of your application, the application status, and an option to Update Application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.

Agency contact information

HQ/NOC HR
Address
BLM National Operations Center
BLM, National Operations Center, HR-250
Denver Federal Center, Building 85
P.O. Box 25047
Denver, CO 80225
US
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

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/.

FOLLOW UP. Check your application status before the announcement closes. It is your responsibility to ensure that a complete application (including a resume, on-line questionnaire, and applicable supplemental documentation) is received by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on 10/01/2024. NOTE: Technical problems may take at least 1 business day to resolve; therefore, you are highly encouraged to complete the application process prior to the closing date.

Based on your application and your responses to the application questionnaire, you may be presented with instructions on how to access the USA Hire system to complete the online assessments. The online assessments must be completed within 48 hours following the close of this announcement. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation for the assessment should you have a disability covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Your assessment results will be kept on record for one year and used toward future positions for which you might apply that require the same assessments.

To be considered for the position, you must meet all qualifications, including meeting or exceeding the cut score on the required assessments.

You can track the progress of your application package via your USAJobs account. You will receive an acknowledgement email from USAJobs that your submission was successful once we have received your online questionnaire, resume, and any supporting documentation. You will be notified of the status of your application and/or referral to the hiring official via your USAJobs account after the evaluation process is complete. You will be contacted if further evaluation or interviews are required.


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