This announcement will produce certificates of qualified applicants who will be referred for employment consideration based on the hiring needs of agencies across the Federal government. Individual agencies may have additional requirements prior to the selectee being brought onboard and/or as conditions of employment after the selectee is brought onboard (e.g., financial management certification).
Summary
This announcement will produce certificates of qualified applicants who will be referred for employment consideration based on the hiring needs of agencies across the Federal government. Individual agencies may have additional requirements prior to the selectee being brought onboard and/or as conditions of employment after the selectee is brought onboard (e.g., financial management certification).
As an Accountant, your typical work assignments might include:
Serving as a professional accountant applying established accounting principles, theories, concepts, and practices to a variety of complex accounting operations;
Providing technical advice and assistance on accounting, reporting, and decision-making actions;
Utilizing professional accounting knowledge to provide recommendations in the solution of accounting and operational problems and implementation of new or changed regulations, procedures, and analyses of automated systems;
Performing aspects of the accounting function, including review, research, and reconciliation;
Providing oversight for the Agency's financial reporting by developing and issuing accounting guidance and instructions;
Analyzing and communicating internally and externally new guidance impacting the organization; and/or
Preparing, reviewing, and analyzing internal and external financial statements and reports.
Complete the initial online assessment and USA Hire assessment.
Travel and security clearance requirements will vary depending on the position being filled.
Some positions may require a pre-employment drug test and/or random drug testing during the period of employment.
A Public Trust--Background Investigation is required.
This announcement will be used for vacancies at various Federal agencies. If agency-specific requirements apply, you will be notified by the individual agency after you are referred for consideration.
Qualifications
Basic Requirement:
A. Degree: 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 of 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 four years of experience in accounting, or an equivalent combination of accounting experience, college-level education, and training that provided professional accounting knowledge with a background that also includes 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 in business law;
Certificate as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) or Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), 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 above, provided that (a) the applicant has successfully worked at the full performance level in accounting, auditing, or a related field, e.g., valuation engineering of 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 above; 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.
In addition to meeting the Basic Requirement above, applicants must also meet the appropriate Minimum Qualifications requirement below for the grade level(s) in which they are applying.
Minimum Qualifications:
To qualify for the GS-12 level, applicants must possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level in the Federal service, or comparable experience not gained through Federal service, including the following:
Providing advice on the operation, maintenance, and effectiveness of assigned accounting systems;
Recommending improvements to financial management and accounting procedures for an organization; and
Providing advice to management in feasibility studies of accounting system operations and controls.
To qualify for the GS-13 level, applicants must possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level in the Federal service, or comparable experience not gained through Federal service, including the following:
Conducting risk management and cost-benefit analyses for financial operations and program offices;
Evaluating the effectiveness of internal controls for accounting and financial management processes and systems; and
Conducting feasibility studies of accounting system operations and controls to determine requirements.
IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s).
Education
Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html
Additional information
The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified, you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be rated well-qualified by scoring 90 or better on the assessment. Additional information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website.
Reasonable Accommodation Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended and Americans with Disabilities Act 1990 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a reasonable accommodation in your online application. Requests for Reasonable Accommodations for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for Reasonable Accommodation must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for Reasonable Accommodations 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. 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 Reasonable Accommodation, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire
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.
You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (i.e., resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the online assessments required for this position.
All qualified candidates will be assigned to a quality category. The quality categories are Best Qualified, Well Qualified, and Qualified. Names of all candidates in the Best Qualified category will be sent to the hiring official for employment consideration (unless a sufficient number of qualified veterans are found - in which case, only those names will be initially certified).
You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):
Accountability
Arithmetic
Attention to Detail
Customer Service
Decision Making
Flexibility
Integrity/Honesty
Interpersonal Skills
Learning
Mathematical Reasoning
Reasoning
Self-Management
Stress Tolerance
Teamwork
In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. 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 assessment.
Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.
The category rating process does not add veterans' preference points or apply the "rule of three" but applies veterans' preference in a different way, specified by statute, by placing preference eligibles ahead of non-preference eligibles within each quality category. An appointing official may not pass over a preference eligible in the same quality category without following the pass-over procedures set out in the applicable statute.
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.
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 under each position held.
2. Other supporting documents:
Copies of your transcripts or an appropriate course listing that shows how you meet the Basic Requirement of the position. The transcripts may be unofficial or photocopy at time of application, but you will be required to provide official transcripts if selected.
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.
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 the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:
1. To begin the application process, click the Apply button.
2. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
3. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
4. After submitting an online application, you will be notified whether or not you are required to take additional online assessments through the USA Hire Competency Based Assessment system. This message will be delivered to you both on screen and via email notification.
5. If you are asked to take the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be presented with a unique URL to access the USA Hire system. Access to USA Hire is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Be sure to review all instructions prior to beginning your USA Hire Assessments. Click here for Computer System Requirements (https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=USA_Hire_System_Requirements)
6. Note, set aside at least 3 hours to take these assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue at a later time, you can re-use the URL sent to you via email and also found on the Additional Application Information page that can be located in the application record in your USAJOBS account.
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/.
Multiple Executive Branch Agencies
Government Wide
Washington DC, DC 20000
US
Next steps
Locations listed in the announcement are all cities or counties that fall within the locality pay area under the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay table. There may not be a selection made for every county listed in the announcement, and applicants may be considered for a position that falls outside of the county they selected to be considered under. However, all positions are to be filled within the larger Washington, DC-Baltimore, MD-Arlington, VA metropolitan area captured under the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay table.
Based on your application and your responses to the application questionnaire, you may be presented with instructions on how to access the USA Hire system to complete the online assessments. The online assessments must be completed within 48 hours following the close of this announcement. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation for the assessment should you have a disability covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Your assessment results will be kept on record for one year and used toward future positions for which you might apply that require the same assessments.
To be considered for the position, you must meet all qualifications, including meeting or exceeding the cut score on the required assessments.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
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 under each position held.
2. Other supporting documents:
Copies of your transcripts or an appropriate course listing that shows how you meet the Basic Requirement of the position. The transcripts may be unofficial or photocopy at time of application, but you will be required to provide official transcripts if selected.
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.
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 the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:
1. To begin the application process, click the Apply button.
2. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
3. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
4. After submitting an online application, you will be notified whether or not you are required to take additional online assessments through the USA Hire Competency Based Assessment system. This message will be delivered to you both on screen and via email notification.
5. If you are asked to take the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be presented with a unique URL to access the USA Hire system. Access to USA Hire is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Be sure to review all instructions prior to beginning your USA Hire Assessments. Click here for Computer System Requirements (https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=USA_Hire_System_Requirements)
6. Note, set aside at least 3 hours to take these assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue at a later time, you can re-use the URL sent to you via email and also found on the Additional Application Information page that can be located in the application record in your USAJOBS account.
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/.
Multiple Executive Branch Agencies
Government Wide
Washington DC, DC 20000
US
Next steps
Locations listed in the announcement are all cities or counties that fall within the locality pay area under the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay table. There may not be a selection made for every county listed in the announcement, and applicants may be considered for a position that falls outside of the county they selected to be considered under. However, all positions are to be filled within the larger Washington, DC-Baltimore, MD-Arlington, VA metropolitan area captured under the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay table.
Based on your application and your responses to the application questionnaire, you may be presented with instructions on how to access the USA Hire system to complete the online assessments. The online assessments must be completed within 48 hours following the close of this announcement. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation for the assessment should you have a disability covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Your assessment results will be kept on record for one year and used toward future positions for which you might apply that require the same assessments.
To be considered for the position, you must meet all qualifications, including meeting or exceeding the cut score on the required assessments.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
