Summary
Are you interested in a rewarding and challenging career? SBA OIG provides auditing, investigative, and other high-quality services to support and assist the SBA in achieving its mission. We promote open and honest communication to create a positive work environment. The Partnership for Public Service named SBA OIG as being the #1 OIG in the Federal Government and as being among the Top 5 Federal Agency Subcomponents in the 2022 Best Places to Work in the Federal Government rankings!
This job is open to
Clarification from the agency
This position is open to the public.
Duties
As a Senior Auditor, you will be responsible for:
- Planning, organizing, and conducting research on complex financial issues to conduct program evaluations and make recommendations.
- Planning and overseeing complex audits, evaluations, reviews, surveys or other analytical processes. Reviews and approves the purpose, scope, and audit approach of each project.
- Ensuring projects meet professional standards in planning, execution, and issuance of reports and other products. Also ensures approved audit objectives are met and that adequate practical coverage is achieved.
- Reviewing and edits audit reports and discusses the report's findings with appropriate management personnel or stakeholders.
- Identifying unique issues where no policy or criteria exists; explores innovative approaches for developing ambiguous areas; and ensures staff meet their objectives and goals and provides coaching and feedback when necessary.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- You must be a U.S. Citizen.
- You must successfully complete a background investigation. Candidates who do not respond to the background investigation request by the pre-determined due date, will be disqualified.
- You may be required to serve on a one-year probationary period.
- You must meet the Basic Education Requirement.
- Candidates who are determined to be qualified for this position, must complete an additional online assessment through Talent Plus. You must complete the Talent Plus Assessment within 48 business work hours of being sent the email notification.
Qualifications
In order to qualify for this position, your resume must provide sufficient evidence of experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform the duties of the position. Therefore, we encourage you to submit a thorough resume that directly relates to this position.
Applicants must meet any basic requirements and specialized experience.
Basic Education Requirement:
Degree: auditing; Accounting/Auditing; 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" in this standard. Similarly, "accountant" should be interpreted, generally, as "accountant and/or auditor."); OR
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; OR A certificate as a Certified Public Accountant or a Certified Internal Auditor, obtained through written examination. The applicant's background must also include one of the following:
- A certificate as a Certified Internal Auditor or a Certified Public Accountant (Must submit proof of license.), obtained through written examination; OR
- Completion of the requirements for a degree that included substantial coursework in auditing or accounting, e.g., 15 semester hours, but that does not fully satisfy the 24-semester-hour requirement of paragraph 1, 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.
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the next lower grade level in the Federal Service. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular competencies/knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. This experience need not have been in the federal government.
To qualify at the GS-14 level:
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: You must have one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-13 in the Federal service. Specialized experience MUST include all of the following:
- Planning, organizing and directing audit teamwork.
- Conducting quality assurance review of auditor work papers and reports and presenting review results to upper management.
- Providing technical staff assistance and guidance to field audit offices in a variety of complex and highly technical audit program areas; planning and conducting technical, complex and comprehensive audits demonstrating an expert knowledge of audit standards.
Additional information on the qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualifications Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions.
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.
Selective Placement Factor: In addition to the minimum qualifications described above, you must meet the following requirement(s) to be considered qualified for the position: A certificate as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). (Must submit proof of license.), and at least five (5) years of financial/program auditing experience that includes planning and conducting audits, evaluations, or inspections (Your resume must reflect where, when, and how you gained this experience.)
This position is also announced under vacancy number ST-12285202-24-AP, which is open to Status Candidates. You must apply to both announcements if you want to be considered for both.
All qualification requirements must be met by 11:59 pm (Eastern Time) on 05/08/2024.
Education
There is a positive education requirement for this position. Transcripts/certificates must be provided with your application that reflects the requirements of this position. (NOTE: Transcripts/certificates must be provided to show proof of education unless you currently or previously held a 0511 position; failure to submit required documents by the close of the announcement may result in an ineligible rating.)
APPLICANTS PLEASE NOTE: 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 (particularly positions with a positive education requirement.) Therefore, applicants must report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Verify School accreditation. All education claimed by applicants will be verified by the appointing agency accordingly. *** If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. *** For further information, click on: Foreign Education.
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.
Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials, the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the online assessment required for this position (if you are determined qualified after initial review). To preview this questionnaire, click on the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12370964. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):
Auditing Management, Knowledge Management, Teamwork Skills, Technical Auditing, and Writing
Your application will be evaluated under the Category Rating method based on your responses to the assessment questions. You will receive a score based on the responses to the assessment questions. If, after reviewing your resume and or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience your score can and will be adjusted to more accurately reflect your abilities. If you meet basic requirements for the position, your application will be evaluated and placed into one of three categories:
1. Best-Qualified: highly proficient with an overall comprehensive level of knowledge, skills and abilities related to the job based on a complete review of experience, education, and training as described in an applicant's responses to the assessment questions and resume.
2. Well-Qualified: competent in the position with an overall accomplished level of knowledge, skills, and abilities related to the job based on a complete review of experience, training, and education as applicable, as described in an applicant's responses to the assessment questions and resume.
3. Qualified: an overall basic level of knowledge, skills, and abilities related to the job based on a complete review of experience, education, and training, as described in an applicant's responses to the assessment questions and resume.
Candidates eligible for veterans preference will be placed ahead of other candidates in the appropriate category for which they have been rated. Additionally, preference eligibles who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent and who meet Minimum Qualification Requirements will automatically be placed in the Best Qualified Category.
In addition to the application and Occupational Questionnaire, this position requires submission of an Talent Plus Online Assessment by all candidates determined to be qualified. 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 online assessment (if forwarded to you). In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process.
Required Documents
To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes:
1. Your resume showing work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment and duties performed.
2. A complete Occupational Questionnaire
3. A complete Talent Plus Assessment, if required after initial qualification determination
4. In addition to the online application (resume and responses to the occupational questionnaire), you are required to submit the following forms, if applicable. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure all documents are legible:
- If you are using education as a substitution for experience (the announcement will state whether this is allowed), or if there is an educational requirement for this position, you must submit a copy of your transcripts (unofficial or official) that clearly describes your qualifying education. If selected, official transcripts will be required;
- If you are claiming Veteran status, you must submit a copy of all required documents to support your claim (showing character of service)--see VetGuide;
- Veterans who are still in the service may be granted tentative preference on the basis of information contained in their applications, but they must produce a DD-214 (showing the character of service) or other proof of service to receive consideration for veterans' preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit FedsHireVets.gov.
- For proof of CTAP/ICTAP eligibility, you must provide documentation from each of the following three categories:
- 1. One of the following:
- Your Reduction in Force (RIF) separation notice;
- Your RIF notice offering a lower graded position accompanied by a declination of the offer (the RIF notice must state that declination will result in separation under RIF);
- Notice of proposed removal for declining a directed geographic relocation outside the local commuting area (e.g., a directed reassignment or change in duty station);
- Certificate of expected separation; or
- Other official agency certification or notification indicating that your position is surplus (e.g., a notice of position abolishment or a notice of eligibility for discontinued service retirement).
- 2. Your Notification of Personnel Action(s), SF-50(s), or other official documentation that shows:
- a. You are a current:
- i. career or career-conditional competitive service employee, in tenure group 1 or 2, at grade GS-15 or equivalent and below; or
- ii. excepted service employee serving without time limit at grade GS-15 or equivalent and below who has been conferred noncompetitive appointment eligibility and selection priority by law for competitive service positions; and
- b. The position you may be or are being separated from:
- i. Is equal to or higher than the grade of the job announced; and
- ii. Has the same or higher promotion potential as the job announced; and
- iii. Is in the same local commuting area as the job announced.
- 3. Your most recent performance rating of record (which must be rated at least fully successful or equivalent).
- 4. CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANT. (Required: Upload and save as a "Professional Certification" document.)
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
Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include the initial online assessment and submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 05/08/2024 to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:
- To begin the application process, click the Apply Online button.
- Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
- Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
- After submitting an online application, you will be notified whether or not you are required to take the additional online assessment through Talent Plus. This message will be delivered to you via email. You must complete the Talent Plus Assessment within 48 business hours of being sent the email notification.
- If you are asked to take the Talent Plus Assessment, you will be presented with a unique URL to access the Talent Plus system.
- Note, set aside at least 40 minutes to take the assessment; however, most applicants complete the assessment in less time. If you need to stop the assessment and continue at a later time, you can re-use the URL sent to you via email.
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.
To verify the status of your application both during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account: https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login . All of your applications will appear on the Welcome page. The application record in your USAJOBS account provides an Additional Application Information page that provides information regarding the documentation you submitted and any correspondence we have sent related to this application. 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/.
Next steps
Once your responses to the occupational questionnaire are received by our system, you will be sent an acknowledgement email stating that your submission was successful. If you meet the minimum qualifications of this position, you will be presented with instructions on how to access the Talent Plus Assessment system via email. The additional assessment must be completed within 48 business hours following email notification. After a review of your complete application is made, you will be notified of your rating and/or referral to the hiring official. If further evaluation or interviews are required you will be contacted. During the evaluation and interview process you may be asked to provide written responses to questions or writing samples. You may track the status of the application process through USAJOBS and you will be notified of the outcome.
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