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Auditor

Department of Homeland Security
Customs and Border Protection
Office of Trade
This job announcement has closed

Summary

As our nation navigates the COVID-19 pandemic, CBP is committed to delivering our mission to safeguard America's borders and enable legitimate trade and travel. Staffing mission critical positions remains a high priority. Be reassured that CBP is still hiring, despite potential hiring process step delays due to restrictions to in-person activities.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
09/16/2021 to 09/22/2021
Salary
$43,683 to - $69,462 per year

Salary listed reflects the rest of U.S. scale and will be adjusted to meet the locality pay of the duty location upon selection.

Pay scale & grade
GS 7 - 9
Locations
Many vacancies in the following locations:
Long Beach, CA
San Francisco, CA
San Jose, CA
Miami, FL
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
25% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
12
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Announcement number
OT-DE-11216528-NMG
Control number
614159700

Duties

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Organizational Location: This position is with the Department of Homeland Security, within U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Office of Trade, Regulatory Audit and Agency Advisory Services (RAAAS), located in the following locations:

  • Boston, MA
  • Buffalo, NY
  • Dallas, TX
  • Long Beach, CA
  • Miami, FL
  • Seattle, WA
  • San Francisco, CA
  • Chicago, IL
  • San Jose, CA
  • New York, NY
  • Detroit, MI
  • Queens, NY
  • Ft. Mitchell, KY
Joining U.S. Customs & Border Protection will allow you to use your expertise by providing assistance as an audit team member. This position starts at a salary of $43,683.00 (GS-07, Step 1) to $69,462.00 (GS-09, Step 10) with promotion potential to $100,739(GS-12 Step 10).

Salary listed reflects the rest of U.S. scale and will be adjusted to meet the locality pay of the duty location upon selection.

Typical work assignments include:
  • Serving as a trainee and team member on audits or other assignments of external entities that are importing, exporting, or facilitating the international flow of merchandise into or out of the United States.
  • Examining records, books, ledgers, purchase vouchers, inventory receipts and other documents with oversight to determine if transactions are properly supported in accordance with DHS/CBP and/or other Partner Government Agencies (PGA) laws and regulations.
  • Documenting work performed, audit conclusions, findings, and recommendations in work papers/audit reports in a clear and concise manner and assisting in communicating findings and recommendations that may impact an auditee's decision to enhance its import/export operating procedures and/or result in penalty or other enforcement actions.
  • Ensuring audit program timelines and budgeted hours are met to ensure timeliness of audit completion.
  • Preparing audit documentation by recording the information, records, conditions and/or findings on a prescribed format or report; referring unusual or questionable transactions or when problems encountered that do not fit instructions or guidelines to a supervisor or higher-level auditor.
Probationary Period: All employees new to the federal government must serve a one year probationary period during the first year of his/her initial permanent federal appointment to determine fitness for continued employment. Current and former federal employees may be required to serve or complete a probationary period.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this position
  • Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered with Selective Service
  • Primary U.S. residency for at least three of the last five years (additional details below)
  • You may be required to pass a background investigation
  • CBP follows the DHS Drug-Free Workplace Plan for drug testing procedures
  • As an employee of CBP, you will be joining a workforce that is dedicated to accomplishing our mission while maintaining the trust of our Nation by strictly adhering to all government ethics standards. Your conduct will be subject to the ethics rules applicable to all Executive Branch employees, and to CBP employees specifically, as well as the criminal conflict of interest statutes. Once you enter on duty, these rules include obtaining approval for outside employment or business activity, to ensure such employment or business activity is not prohibited and does not interfere or conflict with performance of your official duties. Please review further details via the following link.

Qualifications

Basic Requirement: You must provide supporting documentation in your application to show you meet the basic requirement below:

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.
OR
B. A 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;
OR
2. A certificate as a 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 non-conformance to the requirement of 24 semester hours in accounting, the applicant's education, training, and experience fully meet the specified requirements.

You qualify for this position if you possess one year of specialized experience as described below and meet the basic requirement listed above.

Experience: You qualify for the GS-07 grade level if you possess 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, performing duties such as:
  • Working as a trainee auditor applying a practical application of accounting principles, audit standards, procedures and technology.
  • Verifying that accounting systems are set up and maintained according to accepted accounting principles.
  • Examining program documents as well as previous audit report to determine compliance with governing regulations.
Experience: You qualify for the GS-09 grade level if you possess 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, performing duties such as:
  • Examining records, books, ledgers, purchase vouchers, inventory receipts and other documents.
  • Determining if transactions are properly supported in accordance with laws and regulations; preparing audit documentation.
  • Preparing charts, tables, graphs and other exhibits to aid in the presentation of audit findings; studying functional and program manuals; preparing briefing materials, etc.
NOTE: Your resume must explicitly indicate how you meet this requirement, otherwise you will be found ineligible. Please see the "Required Documents" section below for additional resume requirements.

Education Substitution:
GS-07:
Successful completion of one year of full-time graduate education from an accredited college or university may substitute for the experience required at this level. This education must demonstrate the skills necessary to do the work. Check with your school to determine how many credit hours comprise a year of graduate education. If that information is not available, use 18 semester or 27 quarter hours.
OR
Superior Academic Achievement (SAA) may also substitute for the experience required at this level. SAA is defined as a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with a grade point average of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale, having a class standing in the upper third of a graduating class or major subdivision, or membership in a national scholastic honor society. Please see www.cbp.gov for additional information from an accredited college or university may substitute for experience required at this level. This education must demonstrate the skills necessary to do the work. Check with your school to determine how many credit hours comprise two years of graduate education. If that information is not available, use 36 semester or 54 quarter hours.

GS-09: A Master's degree, two full years of graduate education, a J.D. or an LL.B. degree from an accredited college or university may substitute for experience required at this level. This education must demonstrate the skills necessary to do the work. Check with your school to determine how many credit hours comprise two years of graduate education. If that information is not available, use 36 semester or 54 quarter hours.

Combining Experience and Education: To combine your education and experience, convert each to a percentage and then add the percentages. If your education is currently described in quarter hours, multiply by the fraction 2/3 to convert into semester hours then divide the semester hours by 18. To determine your percentage of qualifying experience, divide your total months of experience by the required number of months of experience. Add your percentages together. The total must equal at least 100% in order to qualify.

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.

You must meet all qualification requirements, including education if applicable to this position, subject to verification at any stage of the application process by 09/22/2021.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.

Background Investigation: U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is a federal law enforcement agency that requires all applicants to undergo a thorough background investigation prior to employment in order to promote the agency's core values of vigilance, service to country, and integrity. During the screening and/or background investigation process, you will be asked questions regarding any felony criminal convictions or current felony charges, the use of illegal drugs (e.g., marijuana, cocaine, heroin, LSD, methamphetamines, ecstasy), and the use of non-prescribed controlled substances including any experimentation, possession, sale, receipt, manufacture, cultivation, production, transfer, shipping, trafficking, or distribution of controlled substances. For more information visit this link.

Education

Please see the Qualifications and Required Documents sections for more information if education is applicable to this position.

Additional information

This position is covered under the bargaining unit.

Required Training if Selected for this Position: Acceptance of this position will require that the selected individual spend up to eight (8) weeks in formalized courses of required basic auditor training at an off-site location, to conclude with written examinations, which must be successfully completed (passing score of 70% or higher) according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Office of Trade policy. Failure to successfully complete required courses of basic auditor training and the written examinations in accordance with the policies of CBP will be grounds for either demotion or reassignment to another position, placement into a lower graded position, or separation from CBP in accordance with appropriate procedures. If you are a current CBP employee moving into the Auditor occupational series, you are also required to attend and successfully complete this training.

Must have and maintain a valid state driver's license.

Positions with known promotion potential do not guarantee promotion, nor is the promise of promotion implied.

Telework may be available on a regular recurring or situational basis.

Residency: There is a residency requirement for all applicants not currently employed by CBP. Individuals are required to have physically resided in the United States or its protectorates (as declared under international law) for at least three of the last five years. If you do not meet the residency requirement and you have been physically located in a foreign location for more than two of the last five years, you may request an exception to determine if you are eligible for a residency waiver by meeting one or more of the following conditions:

  • Working for the U.S. Government as a federal civilian or as a member of the military
  • A dependent who was authorized to accompany a federal civilian or member of the military who was working for the U.S. government
  • Participation in a study abroad program sponsored by a U.S. affiliated college or university
  • Working as a contractor, intern, consultant or volunteer supporting the U.S. government
DHS uses E-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify including your rights and responsibilities.

Follow U.S. Customs and Border Protection on Twitter @CustomsBorder

The Department of Homeland Security encourages persons with disabilities to apply, to include persons with intellectual, severe physical or psychiatric disabilities, as defined by 5 CFR § 213.3102(u), and/or Disabled Veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30 percent or more as defined by 5 CFR § 315.707. Veterans, Peace Corps/VISTA volunteers, and persons with disabilities possess a wealth of unique talents, experiences, and competencies that can be invaluable to the DHS mission. If you are a member of one of these groups, you may not have to compete with the public for federal jobs. To determine your eligibility for non-competitive appointment and to understand the required documentation, click on the links above or contact the Servicing Human Resources Office listed at the bottom of this announcement.

How you will be evaluated

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

We will review your resume and supporting documentation to ensure you meet the minimum qualification requirements. If you meet the minimum qualifications, we will use an assessment questionnaire to place you in one of three categories based on your experience, education, and training.

If you meet the minimum qualifications, you will be placed in one of the following categories:

  1. Best Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrate high proficiency in all of the critical competencies, including all Selective Placement Factors (SPF), and appropriate Quality Ranking Factors (QRF) as determined by the job analysis.
  2. Well-Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrates acceptable proficiency in all of the critical competencies, including all SPF's and appropriate QRFs as determined by the job analysis.
  3. Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrate basic proficiency in most of the critical competencies, including all SPFs and appropriate QRFs as determined by the job analysis.
The competencies or knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform this job are:
  • Ability to interpret and apply Generally Accepted Government Auditing Standards (GAGAS), concepts and practices and a good knowledge of DHS/ CBP regulations, requirements, and practices sufficient to perform auditing assignments engaged in importing and exporting activities.
  • Ability to interpret CBP laws and regulations to assess the business organization level of compliance.
  • Ability to prepare and fully document in a clear, concise and cogent manner assigned sections of audit reports.
  • Ability to use a variety of audit procedures, statistical techniques, and data analyses to assemble information and develop findings.
  • Ability to be proficient in professional software applications including spreadsheet and database applications.
If you are best qualified, you may be referred to the hiring manager for consideration and may be called for an interview. Preview the job questionnaire https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11216528

Veterans: Qualified veterans who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10% are listed in the best-qualified category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level, or higher. This position is considered scientific/professional. Other 10 point preference eligibles and veterans with 5 point preference who meet the eligibility and qualification requirements are placed above non-preference eligibles within the category in which they qualify. View information on veterans' preference.

Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) Eligibles:
If you have never worked for the federal government, you are not CTAP/ICTAP eligible. View information about CTAP/ICTAP eligibilityon OPM's Career Transition Resources website. To be considered eligible under CTAP/ICTAP, you must be placed in the Well-Qualified category for this position, as described above. In addition, you must submit the supporting documents listed under the Required Documents section of this job announcement.

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