Summary
This vacancy is for a Supervisory Accountant position in the Direct Investment Division located at the Bureau of Economic Analysis.
This Job Opportunity Announcement may be used to fill other Supervisory Accountant, ZA-0510-4 positions within the Bureau of Economic Analysis in the same geographical location with the same qualifications and specialized experience.
This job is open to
Internal to an agency
Current federal employees of the hiring agency that posted the job announcement.
Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)
Federal employees whose job, agency or department was eliminated and are eligible for priority over other applicants.
Clarification from the agency
Current Department of Commerce employees (includes any Bureau under Commerce) on a permanent competitive appointment; Current Department of Commerce employee (includes a term, temporary or excepted service appointment with reinstatement eligibility; and Surplus and displaced Commerce employee (CTAP).
Duties
- Conduct direct investment surveys by making use of survey methodology and data collection knowledge.
- Communicate in person and in writing to explain economic data or topics or to resolve technical issues.
- Oversee a survey operation, including planning, directing, and reviewing work performed by survey staff.
Requirements
Conditions of employment
- Applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
- U.S. Citizen
- Suitable for Federal employment.
- Registered for Selective Service if applicable. (www.sss.gov)
- Time-in-grade/band requirements must be met by closing date.
- A supervisory probationary period may be required.
- This is a NON-BARGAINING unit position.
Qualifications
Minimum Education Requirement:
A. Degree: 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" in this standard. 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:
- Twenty-four semester hours in accounting or auditing courses of appropriate type and quality. This can include up to 6 hours of business law;
- A certificate as Certified Public Accountant or a Certified Internal Auditor, obtained through written examination; 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.
AND
Specialized Experience: For the Band IV (GS-13) To qualify for the Band IV (GS-13 level), you must meet the basic requirements listed above and have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade (GS-12 level) or Band III in the Federal service. Experience for this position includes analyzing and auditing survey reports containing complex accounting and related economic data; identifying data discrepancies and irregularities; and experience supervising or leading a team.
Education: Education cannot be substituted for experience at this grade level.
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.
Additional information
Applicants who apply under this Job Opportunity Announcement may opt-in (at their request) to allow the sharing of their resume, and other associated documents with other Federal Agencies who have vacancies within the same occupational series, grade and pay band (or its equivalent), and full performance level in the same duty location or commuting area of the duty location listed on the Job Opportunity Announcement.
Additionally, the following links provide information on various hiring authorities that may enable you to apply through merit assignment procedures or be eligible for a non-competitive appointment.
Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA 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, based on your adjudication decision. 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 RA, please review the
Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.
The Department of Commerce also provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the Human Resources Office. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be on a case-by-case basis. TTY users can contact the Human Resources Office via the Federal Relay Service, 1-800-877-8339.
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.
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.
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 (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position.
Structured Resume Review: Subject matter experts (SMEs) will review your resume to determine your technical qualifications for this position based on the required specialized experience. SMEs will review ONLY two (2) pages of your resume. SMEs will not review additional information beyond your resume (e.g., cover letter, links embedded in your resume). Applicants passing the structured resume review will be forwarded for consideration.
Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.
CTAP and ICTAP candidates: CTAP and ICTAP candidates will be eligible for selection priority if it is determined that the candidate's resume reflects knowledge, skills, and abilities that have exceeded the minimum qualifications for the position. Information about CTAP and ICTAP eligibility is on the Office of Personnel Management's Career Transition Resources website, The Employee's Guide to Career Transition.
You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):
Do NOT include the following types of information in your application if included on your resume you will not be considered for this position:
- Social Security Number (SSN)
- Date of Birth (DOB)
- Photos of yourself
- Personal information: such as age, gender, religious affiliation, etc.
We recommend that you preview the online questions for this announcement before you start the application process.
To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12970174.
Required Documents
A complete application consists of the following:
- Resume: Your resume must not exceed two (2) pages. If your resume exceeds the two-page limit, you will be deemed disqualified and removed from consideration. Your resume must include your educational and relevant work experience for the position for which you are applying to include the title and dates (mm/yy) of employment along with the number of hours worked per week. If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as incomplete, and you will not receive consideration for this position.
- SF-50, "Notification of Personnel Action," supporting your eligibility, with the exception of current Bureau of Economic Analysis employees. You must provide the most current Notification of Personnel Action (Form SF-50) that verifies career/career-conditional status, title, series and grade, such as within-grade increase/within-range increase, promotion, initial appointment, reassignment, realignment (Performance Award and General Adjustment SF-50s do not satisfy this requirement). Also provide the SF-50 that reflects the highest grade level held on a permanent basis or the full performance level of your current position, whichever is higher. Failure to do so will result in an ineligible rating.
- Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) documentation, if applicable:
- CTAP applicants MUST submit the following documents:
- A copy of your RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a directed geographic relocation outside of the local commuting area; a Certificate of Expected Separation (CES); or certification that you are in a surplus organization or occupation (this could be a position abolishment letter, a notice of eligibility for discontinued service retirement, or similar notice);
- A copy of your SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action", noting current position, grade/band level, and duty location;
- A copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating; and
- Any documentation from your bureau/operating unit that shows your current promotion potential.
- Education Documentation: This position requires proof of higher education, therefore, you must submit an unofficial transcript or a list of courses that includes the following information: name of accredited institution, grades earned, completion dates, quarter and semester hours earned. This also includes the Bureau of Economic Analysis employees. Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. Please refer to OPM's Qualification Policy for more information.
You are not required to submit official documents at this time; copies are sufficient.
Special Instructions for Foreign Education: Qualifying education from colleges and universities in foreign countries must be evaluated in terms of equivalency to that acquired in U.S. colleges and universities. Applicants educated in whole or in part in foreign countries must submit sufficient evidence, including transcript, to an accredited private organization for an equivalency evaluation of course work and degree. You must provide a copy of the letter containing the results of the equivalency evaluation with a course-by-course listing along with your application. Failure to provide such documentation when requested will result in lost consideration. For further information on the evaluation of foreign education, refer to the U.S. Department of Education's web site at Academic and Professional Mobility | International Affairs Office (ed.gov).
NOTE: You will not be considered if you fail to provide all required documents.
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 and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 06/09/2026 to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:
- 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 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
To view the announcement status or your application status: Visit USAJOBS Help Center - How to see your application and job status.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to apply online; however, if you are unable to apply online, please email Agency contact.
Next steps
You will be notified of your application status through USAJOBS at four points during the hiring process, as applicable. You can check the status of your application by accessing the USAJOBS website at http://usajobs.gov and clicking on "Applications." The status will be visible next to the corresponding positions. The four points of notification are:
- Application Received or Application Incomplete;
- Minimum Qualification Requirement Met or Minimum Qualification Requirement Not Met;
- Referred or Not Referred; and
- Selected or Not Selected.
By submitting your application, you are certifying the accuracy of the information contained in your application. If you make a false statement in any part of your application, you may not be hired; you may be terminated after you begin work; or, you may be fined or jailed. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation.
You will be required to submit official documentation prior to appointment. The agency will then verify the information provided on your application (i.e., degree, veterans' preference, disability, etc.).