Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to all US Citizens as well as current/former federal employees and individuals eligible under one or more of the following: veterans eligible for VEOA, disabled veterans receiving 30% or more disability compensation from the VA, military spouses under E.O. 13473, certain former overseas employees, present/former Peace Corps volunteers/employees or VISTA members; present and former Foreign Service officers and employees and Schedule A.

As the Senior Accountant in this position, you will:

• Identify regulatory and accounting changes, and operating level problems to ensure funds are efficiently controlled and financial records accurately reflect the status of the Agency's financial condition.
• Compile and verify the accuracy of accounting data and adequacy of supporting data to prepare statements and reports, schedules, and comparative analysis of accounting transactions.
• Lead the completion of various monthly and quarterly reconciliations: Funds balance with Treasury, Property plant and equipment, GTAS, Undelivered orders, FECA liability, FEUB calculations, Unfunded annual leave, AP accrual, Rent amortization, Imputed costs, AR, AP, Other Financing Sources, Earned Revenue, Other Liabilities and Operating Exp, Payroll Exp, Accrued Payroll Liabilities and other significant account line items.
• Assist with annual financial statement audit, Prepared by Client (PBC) documentation, financial statement, footnotes preparation and compilation of the complete Agency Financial Report (AFR).
• Manage ongoing development and data gathering for the AFR.
• Lead and review the preparation, reconciliation and consolidation of internal and external accounting and financial management reports in compliance with both FEC and Treasury requirements and U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.
• Assist with the coordination and completion of the Corrective Action Plan (CAP).
• Keep abreast of Treasury's requirements and changes for implementation of the Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996 and prepare the Treasury Report on Receivables (TROR) quarterly.
• Monitor receivables and prepare journal entries for Fines Penalties.
• Review and evaluate existing financial and accounting programs and develops operating procedures, directives and manuals for new or revised financial, as applicable.
• Complete reconciliations and external reports within FEC, Treasury, and OMB mandated deadlines.
• Ensure Internal Controls Assessments, ERM and additional requirements are completed.
• Review the Statements on Standards for Attestation Engagements, Reporting on Controls at a Service Organization (SSAE 18) reports received from its shared service providers.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. citizen or national.
• You must be able to pass a background investigation.
• Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see Legal and regulatory guidance below).
• You may be required to serve a 2 year probationary period.
• Direct Deposit of Pay is required.
• You must meet eligibility and qualification requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.
• Status candidates must meet time-in-grade/band requirements (52 weeks at the next lower grade).

Qualifications

In order to qualify, you must meet the Basic requirement AND the Specialized Experience requirement described below. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience. If qualifying based on education, a copy of your unofficial or official transcripts must be provided with your application.

Basic Requirement:
A. Bachelor's or higher degree in 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 6 hours of credit in business law. (The term "accounting" means "accounting and/or auditing." Similarly, "accountant" should be interpreted, generally, as "accountant and/or auditor.").
-OR-
B. Combination of education and experience: at least 4 years of experience in accounting, or an equivalent combination of accounting experience, college-level education, and training that provided professional accounting knowledge. The applicant's background must also include one of the following:

• Twenty-four semester hours in accounting or auditing courses of appropriate type and quality. This can include up to 6 hours of business law (You must submit a copy of your transcripts); or
• A certificate as Certified Public Accountant or a Certified Internal Auditor, obtained through written examination (You must submit documentation of your certification); or
• Completion of the requirements for a degree that included substantial course work in accounting or auditing, e.g., 15 semester hours, but that does not fully satisfy the 24-semester-hour requirement of paragraph A, provided that (a) the applicant has successfully worked at the full-performance level in accounting, auditing, or a related field, e.g., valuation engineering or financial institution examining; (b) a panel of at least two higher level professional accountants or auditors has determined that the applicant has demonstrated a good knowledge of accounting and of related and underlying fields that equals in breadth, depth, currency, and level of advancement that which is normally associated with successful completion of the 4-year course of study described in paragraph A; and (c) except for literal nonconformance to the requirement of 24 semester hours in accounting, the applicant's education, training, and experience fully meet the specified requirements. (You must submit applicable documentation supporting the provisions of this paragraph such as transcripts, and/or written statements from a panel of accountants or auditors, and/or additional resume experience entries).

**AND**
Specialized Experience Requirement GS-14: Applicants must have at least one full year of specialized experience, comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-13 grade level in the Federal service (obtained either in private or public sectors). This must include activities such as: (1) planning and/or administering the Agency's over-all accounting program and systems; (2) analyzing financial data and preparing financial reports; (3) overseeing the execution of financial audits and resolving discrepancies in financial data; (4) developing recommendations for improvements to accounting procedures to prevent waste, fraud, abuse, or irregularities; (5) managing staff by planning or evaluating work assignments as well as recruiting, training, or resolving grievances.

In addition, you must provide a cover letter describing your experience with the competencies identified below: Please limit your cover letter to 2 pages. If you do not provide a cover letter with your application, you will be found ineligible for the position.

• Accounting Operations: Knowledge of general ledger accounting and the control/subsidiary account relationships and reconciliation techniques, including accounts receivable, accounts payable, and disbursing officer's accountability.
• Financial Analysis: Knowledge of the principles, methods, and techniques of financial analysis, forecasting, and modeling to interpret quantitative and qualitative data; includes data modeling, earned value management, and evaluating key financial indicators, trends, and historical data.
• Financial Systems: Knowledge of the standards, architecture, and specifications of automated financial systems, including source documents, system flows, system interfaces, and related internal controls.
• Manages Human Resources: Plans, distributes, and monitors work assignments; evaluates work performance and provides feedback to others on their performance.

Status candidates must meet time-in-grade/band requirements: Merit promotion applicants must meet applicable time-in-grade requirements to be considered eligible. One year at the GS-13 is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-14 grade level. (Must submit your SF-50 that shows Time-in-Grade eligibility and reflects your title, series, and grade. No award SF-50 will be accepted).

Part-time or unpaid experience: Credit will be given for appropriate unpaid and or part-time work. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week.

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

How you will be evaluated

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

Once the announcement closes, we will conduct a review of your application package to verify your eligibility and qualifications.
If you are found qualified, your application will move forward to additional phases of the review process which will determine the best qualified candidates.

Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

For those applying under "the public":

Category Rating: Your application will be evaluated and rated under Category Rating selection procedures. Once the application process is complete, a review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this position. If, after reviewing your resume and supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your responses when compared to your background information, your category rating may be adjusted to more accurately reflect your skills and abilities, or you may be rated ineligible. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your eligibility. Qualified candidates will be assigned to a quality category. The quality categories are:

Best Qualified: Candidates in this category possess exceptional skills and experience to exceed well above the minimum requirements for this position.

Highly Qualified: Candidates in this category possess good skills and experience above the minimum requirements for this position.

Qualified: Candidates in this category meet the minimum education and/or experience requirements for this position.

The Category Rating Process does not add veteran's preference points, but protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each category. Preference eligible who meet the minimum qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent must be listed in the highest quality category (except for scientific or professional positions at the GS-09 level or higher).

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

1. Your Resume listing hours worked per week, dates of employment (month/year) and duties performed for each position held. Limit your resume to two pages or less.
2. Transcripts if qualifying based on education.
3. Cover Letter which addresses the competencies identified in the Qualifications section above. Limit your cover letter to 2 pages or less.
4. Other supporting documents if applicable:

• Veterans documents:
  • If you are a Discharged, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 showing character of discharge (Member 4 copy), or other Documentation of Service and Separation under Honorable Conditions, as listed on the SF15. If you don't have your DD-214, you may request it after discharge from the National Archives.
  • If you are a veteran within 120 days of discharge, you must submit signed documentation from the Armed Forces certifying: 1) your expected release/retirement from active duty, 2) 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, & 6) dated within 120 days of your separation.
  • If you are a Disabled Veteran, Purple Heart Recipient, or Mother or Spouse of a Disabled or Deceased Veteran, you must submit all additional proof required by the SF15. 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.
• Current Federal Employee (including FEC employees):
  • To verify your eligibility, you must submit a copy of your most recent Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50), or equivalent personnel action, reflecting your permanent competitive or excepted service status with Block 24 as "Tenure 1 or 2" and in Block 34 as "Competitive Service" or "Excepted Service." No award SF-50s will be accepted as proof of eligibility.
  • In addition to submitting your most recent SF-50, if you have held a higher grade than the one you're applying for on a permanent basis, please submit an SF-50, or equivalent personnel action, which documents the highest grade you have held on a permanent basis.
• Former Federal Employee (including FEC employees):
  • To verify your eligibility, you must submit a copy of your most recent Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50), or equivalent personnel action, reflecting your permanent competitive or excepted service status reflecting one of the criteria listed below:
    • You are a former Federal employee who previously attained Career status identified on your last Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50) in Block 24 as "Tenure 1" and in Block 34 as "Competitive Service" or "Excepted Service."
    • You are a former Federal employee without veterans' preference who separated within the past three years and previously attained Career-Conditional status as identified on your last SF-50 in Block 24 as "Tenure 2" and in Block 34 as "Competitive Service" or "Excepted Service."
    • You are a former Federal employee with veterans' preference who previously attained Career-Conditional status identified on your last SF-50 in Block 24 as "Tenure 2" and in Block 34 as "Competitive Service" or "Excepted Service."
    • Your last Federal performance appraisal plan must reflect a rating of Fully Successful or equivalent.
    • If you have held a higher grade than the one you're applying for on a permanent basis, please submit an SF-50, or equivalent personnel action, which documents the highest grade you have held on a permanent basis.
• Certain Family Members of Overseas Employees Eligible under E.O. 12721: Your most recent non-award SF-50 and performance appraisal.
• Certain Military Spouses Eligible under E.O. 13473: Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders, issued within the last 2 years, that lists you as authorized to accompany the Military member to the new duty permanent station; OR verification of the member's 100% disability (VA Letter); and/or verification of the member's death while on active duty (DD-1300 and Death Certificate) AND verification of the marriage to the service member (i.e., a marriage license or other legal documentation verifying marriage).
• Peace Corps volunteers and VISTA members: submit a copy of your description of service or other proof of non-competitive eligibility. If you are a former Peace Corps volunteer or VISTA member who is requesting an extension of your non-competitive eligibility, please also provide the necessary documentation to support your request.
• Schedule A, Persons with Disabilities Appointment Eligibles: Schedule A letter from a physician, local, state or federal rehabilitation or benefits office citing disability - eligibility under 5 CFR 213.3102 (u).

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