Clarification from the agency

Current students enrolled or accepted for enrollment seeking a degree from a qualifying educational institution on a full or half-time basis, pursuing a degree in an audit-related field of study, such as Business Administration, finance, accounting, or public administration. Students must have at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA.

The incumbent will be an entry-level auditor and work with an audit team in a developmental capacity to conduct reviews of the efficiency and effectiveness of Department of Transportation programs. The incumbent makes key contributions to a variety of possible products, including audit reports, briefings to DOT leadership or congressional stakeholders, management advisories, and congressional testimonies.

The incumbent will be responsible for assisting with:

* preparing a comprehensive plan to guide the work, including the methodology for examining and testing (such as using statistical and/or judgmental sampling) of records and internal controls to determine the degree of efficiency and effectiveness of programs;

* researching pertinent laws, legislative history, regulations, contracts, and internal controls to ascertain the purpose, scope, and objectives of the assigned program or function; the manner in which the program or function is conducted; and the nature and extent of management authority and responsibility for the program or function;

* conducting site visits at field locations to gather evidence, based on the approved work plan;

* conducting interviews with program officials at Headquarters and/or in the field;

* analyzing quantitative and/or qualitative evidence gathered to identify potential findings;

* writing sections of the debriefs to senior OIG management and drafting written products summarizing the results of the review, including potential findings and recommendations for program improvements;

* preparing work papers that provide support for key findings and potential recommendations;

* conducting entrance and exit conferences with the audited agency and conducting follow-up inquiries to evaluate the adequacy of corrective actions taken on prior audit findings; and,

* supporting the team in issuing final written products that adhere to high quality standards and reflect internal OIG management review and comments received from the audited agency.

Conditions of employment

• U.S. Citizenship. This position is subject to a background investigation.
• Enrolled at least half time at a qualifying educational Institution.
• Must sign a Pathways Student Agreement.
• Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.
• Will not plan to graduate before Fall 2020 semester

You must be a current student in an accredited high school, college (including 4-year colleges/universities, community colleges, and junior colleges); professional, technical, vocational, and trade school; advanced degree programs; or other qualifying educational institution pursuing a qualifying degree or certificate.

Qualifications

Basic Requirements

1. 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

2. 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 oneof the following:

   1. Twenty-four semester hours in accounting or auditing courses of appropriate type and quality. This can include up to 6 hours of business law;
   2. A certificate as Certified Public Accountant or a Certified Internal Auditor, obtained through written examination; or
   3. 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.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS for GS-07:

Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-5 level in the federal service. Specialized experience includes assisting higher level staff with performing auditing, accounting, or finance-related work; preparing portions of work papers using automated software; conducting, or participating in interviews; attending meetings to observe and learn interviewing and presentation techniques; and, providing assistance to higher level staff with researching laws, regulations, guidelines, and procedures.

OR

Education: Completed one full academic year of graduate education in accounting or in a related field such as business administration, finance, or public administration.

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:

1. Twenty-four semester hours in accounting or auditing courses of appropriate type and quality. This can include up to 6 hours of business law;
2. A certificate as Certified Public Accountant or a Certified Internal Auditor, obtained through written examination; or
3. 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.

OR

Superior Academic Achievement: You possess a degree that is qualifying for this position that meets the criteria for eligibility under the Superior Academic Achievement provision through one of the following methods. No more than 10% of academic credit can be based on pass/fail or similar non-traditional grading systems.

* 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on the official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum

* 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum.

(Grade-point averages will be rounded to one decimal place. For example, 2.95 will round to 3.0 and 2.94 will round to 2.9)

* Upper 1/3 ranking in graduating class (you must submit proof with your application)

* National Scholastic Honor Society. Membership in a freshman honor society cannot be used to meet the requirements of this provision. (You must submit proof with your application)

NOTE: ALL APPLICANTS MUST SUBMIT A COMPLETE COPY OF THEIR TRANSCRIPTS. DEGREE AUDITS ARE NOT AN ACCEPTABLE SUBSTITUTE FOR OFFICIAL/UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS.  IF SELECTED, AN OFFICIAL/SEALED TRANSCRIPT WILL BE REQUIRED PRIOR TO AN APPOINTMENT DATE BEING ESTABLISHED.

IF YOU HAVE EARNED A DEGREE FROM A FOREIGN INSTITUTIION YOU MUST SUBMIT WITH YOUR APPLICATION EVIDENCE THAT ANY EDUCATION COMPLETED IN A FOREIGN INSTITUTION WAS APPROPRIATELY ACCREDITED BY AN ACCREDITING BODY RECOGNIZED BY THE SECRETARY OF THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AS EQUIVALENT TO U.S. STANDARDS. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, REFER TO THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION WEB SITE AT http;//www.ed.gov.

How you will be evaluated

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

Candidates will be assessed based on their eligibility requirements listed under qualifications, key requirements, and basic requirements. Candidates who do not meet the minimum qualification requirements will not be further evaluated.
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