Clarification from the agency

IRS Employees with Career or Career Conditional Appointments Treasury CTAP Eligible within the Commuting Area

WHAT DOES AN INTERNAL REVENUE AGENT, SENIOR PROGRAM SPECIALIST DO? The Senior Program Specialist serves as an expert technical program specialist demonstrating a comprehensive knowledge of and experience in applying laws, policies, regulations, and precedents applicable to the segments of the Service's program affected by the assigned project or study. A Revenue Agent, Senior Program Specialist uses their knowledge of diversified professional accounting or auditing work to interpret and apply Federal tax law for individuals, business and/or exempt organizations, partnerships, and corporations.  You will be expected to apply knowledge of management principles and processes to perform project management duties and to effectively coordinate and integrate project objectives and recommendations with key line and/or staff functions of the Service. You will communicate both orally and in writing with various levels of audiences including executives.

As an Internal Revenue Agent, Senior Program Specialist you will: 

• Plan, coordinate, and conduct analysis of examination programs and tax law issues involving large and complex businesses, i.e. with $10 million or more in assets, with extensive subsidiaries, diversified activities, multiple partners, and national or international scope and operations. Analyze business trends and practices to recommend and implement tax administration and auditing strategies affecting a major industry and/or international business segment.
• Monitor, review, analyze and evaluate the full range of Large Business and International (LB&I) projects, strategies, and operations to determine their effectiveness and impact on corporate and international taxpayers and employees, LB&I pre-filing and post-filing strategies, customer satisfaction, and the efficient use of IRS resources.
• Identify problems, best practices, and emerging tax compliance issues; develop, recommend, and facilitate process improvements and planning options; and report results to affected LB&I and other IRS management officials.
• Examine corporate accounting systems and practices to determine that recommended programs, polices, and management applications recommended are fully compatible with the technical and administrative provisions of the Internal Revenue Code, IRS regulations and rulings, as well as IRS’ balanced measures.
• Review content and assess the impact of new and/or proposed tax or related legislation on IRS operations and/or systems. Prepare guidelines, instructions, and other documents to introduce new initiatives and to recommend effective operations consistent with policies and objectives pertaining to assigned program area. Develop new approaches for analysis of issues.
• May lead or participate in formal or informal studies, either on own initiative or as directed by supervisor or the manager, formulate project proposals and make recommendations on priorities, scope, timing, and techniques for consideration and decision by LB&I management. Studies usually involve the accounting practices, records and controls systems, operations, and economic environment of entire industries or international segments and potential tax issues.
• Exercise complete responsibility and authority to interpret policy, plan and execute program objectives, and develop program operating procedures and methods. Make decisions which are complicated by complex, e.g. industry wide, multiple corporations, etc., and unique technical programs and procedures, e.g. engineering, economics, financial products, computer audits, appraising, etc.
• Actively seek and identify opportunities to improve professional, technical and management skills and abilities.

WHERE CAN I FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OTHER IRS CAREERS? If you want to find out more about IRS careers, visit us on the web at www.jobs.irs.gov

Conditions of employment

• Refer to "Other Information"
• Click "Print Preview" to review the entire announcement before applying.
• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National
• IRS Employees with Career or Career Conditional Appointments

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Qualifications

BASIC REQUIREMENTS:

A Bachelor's or higher degree in accounting from an accredited college or university that included at least 30 semester hours (45 quarter hours) in accounting or 24 semester hours in accounting and an additional 6 semester hours in related subjects such as business law, economics, statistical/quantitative methods, computerized accounting or financial systems, financial management or finance.
OR
A combination of experience and education at an accredited college or university equivalent to a four-year degree that included courses equivalent to a major in accounting, i.e. at least 30 semester hours in accounting or 24 semester hours in accounting and 6 semester hours in related subjects as described above.
OR
A Certificate as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) obtained through written examination in a State, territory or the District of Columbia.
OR
Are currently serving as an Internal Revenue Agent GS-0512 and have been in this position for at least one year or was previously an Internal Revenue Agent GS-0512 and held the position for at least one year.

In addition to the above qualifications, you must possess the following professional accounting knowledges: Principles of Accounting, Intermediate Accounting, Cost Accounting, Advanced Accounting and Auditing. For more information on the required accounting knowledges please refer to Internal Revenue Agent Basic Requirements.

This knowledge is typically acquired by completion of an accounting degree from a four-year college or university. If not from an academic environment, the knowledge can also be obtained from certain work experience

In addition to the above, you must meet the requirements described below:

GS-14 LEVEL: You must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-13 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position includes: progressively responsible and diversified professional accounting or auditing work that required: knowledge of and skill in applying professional accounting principles, theory, and practices to analyze and interpret accounting books, records, or systems specifically to determine their effect on Federal tax liabilities and their adequacy for recording transactions affecting tax liabilities; skill in interpreting and applying Federal tax law for individuals, business and/or exempt organizations, partnerships, and corporations; knowledge of business and trade practices to develop tax issues based on analysis and evaluation of overall business operations and financial condition; knowledge of corporate financial transactions and financial management principles and practices; and, skill in interacting effectively with a broad range of individuals and negotiating with specialists in accounting, legal, tax, and other similar business related professions. To be qualifying, your experience must be sufficient to demonstrate an expert knowledge, accomplishment, and the ability to lead major project assignments that required a wide range of analytical and evaluative methods and techniques, both qualitative and quantitative, sufficient to accomplish complex projects or studies broad in scope and magnitude. You must also demonstrate a comprehensive knowledge of, through experience and application, of a range of laws, policies, regulations, and precedents applicable to the segment(s) of the Service's program affected by the assigned project or study; knowledge of management principles and processes to perform project management duties to effectively coordinate and integrate project objectives and recommendations with key line and/or staff functions of the Service; and the ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.

-The experience may have been gained in the public sector, private sector or Volunteer Service. One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-time work is considered on a prorated basis.
-To ensure full credit for your work experience, please indicate dates of employment by month/year, and indicate number of hours worked per week, on your resume.

In addition to the above requirements, you must meet the following, if applicable:
You must have been at the GS-13 level for 52 weeks (time-in-grade requirement).

How you will be evaluated

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

Your application includes your resume, responses to the online questions, and required supporting documents. Please be sure that your resume includes detailed information to support your qualifications for this position; failure to provide sufficient evidence in your resume may result in a “not qualified” determination.

Rating: Your application will be evaluated on the competencies of the position to be filled per the IRS Merit Promotion Plan in the following areas: Program/Project Management, Oral and Written Communication, Research Methods, and Business Improvement Strategy.

Your application will also be rated and ranked among others, based on your responses to the online questions, regarding your experience, education, training, performance appraisals and awards relevant to the duties of this position. IRS employees may obtain most recent awards listing at https://persinfo.web.irs.gov/
Your rating may be lowered, if your responses to the online questions are not supported by the education and/or experience described in your application.

Referral: You will be assigned to one of three quality groups. Each group represents a quality level (i.e., Superior/Best Qualified, Highly Qualified, Qualified). Candidates will be considered in quality group order.
If you are among the top qualified candidates, your application may be referred to a selecting official for consideration. You may be required to participate in a selection interview (telephonic and/or in person at the discretion of the Selecting Official in accordance with hiring polices). We will not reimburse costs related to the interview such as travel to and from the interview site.

If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee eligible for Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), you must receive a score of category HIGHLY QUALIFIED or better to be rated as “well qualified" to receive special selection priority.