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Lead Accountant

Department of Transportation
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is located in the CFOs Office and Office of Financial Management. The incumbent serves as a lead accountant reporting to the Director of Office of Financial Management. Provides leadership while directing a team to accomplish assigned tasks through assignment of work. Directs a team through administration and use of accounting and financial policies, standards and provide advice on the effects of newly promulgated laws, as well as advising on the accuracy of disclosure documents.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
09/24/2024 to 10/04/2024
Salary
$139,395 to - $181,216 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 14
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Washington, DC
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—This position may be eligible for occasional and/or regularly scheduled telework. The number of telework days approved will be determined by your immediate supervisor or manager following the agency’s telework policy and guidance. If participating in the telework program, you will be required to sign a telework agreement detailing agency telework policy requirements, working conditions, and expectations for the position.
Travel Required
25% or less - Travel is required.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time - Full Time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
14
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
Yes - The Ethics in Government Act of 1978 requires the applicant selected for this position to submit a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 450) within 30 days of appointment and annually thereafter.
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
NHTSA.NFO-2024-0007
Control number
811119800

Duties

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The Lead Accountant:

  • Directs and coaches the team in the selection and application of appropriate problem-solving methods and the activities of the Finance Group which includes cash management, financial reporting, budget execution, Grants management, travel, payroll, maintenance, and development of the current accounting system (DELPHI).
  • Ensures that the Finance Group strategic plan, mission, vision, and values are communicated to the team and integrated into the team's strategies, goals, objectives, work plans and work products and services.
  • Responsible for the preparation of Centralized agency reports which are submitted to OMB, Treasury, OST, and ESC. This includes the SF-132 (Apportionment Schedules), TFS-2108 (Year Certification), Prompt Payment Reporting, Treasury Report on Receivables (TROR), Federal Agencies Centralized Trial Balance System (CARS), and
  • Governmentwide Treasury Accounting Symbol (GTAS) to provide proprietary financial reporting information and information about budget execution.
  • Reviews and approves the quarterly/annual Financial Statements for NHTSA in compliance with the Chief Financial Officers (CFO) Act prior to submitting to OST for consolidation.

The Ideal Candidate Statement:  NHTSA is looking for an Accountant who has excellent communication skills; a strong understanding of accounting relationships and the USSGL; preferably as it relates to federal accrual accounting coupled with the ability to lead and provide oversight on the implementation of federal appropriations entered in the financial source system or feeder system. Overall knowledge of program administration, funds controls/management, and evaluation are a plus

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. citizen & meet specialized experience to qualify
  • Submit application and resume online by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date
  • Required documents must be submitted by the closing date.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

  • SELECTIVE SERVICE: Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for the Selective Service.
  • GOVERNMENT TRAVEL CARD: This position involves travel.  A government contractor-issued travel card will be issued and must be retained for official business only.
  • PROBATIONARY PERIOD: Applicants may be required to successfully complete a one-year probationary period (unless already completed).
  • TIME-IN-GRADE: Federal applicants must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade in the competitive or excepted service in the executive branch to satisfy time-in-grade restrictions contained in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F.
  • DEU REQUIREMENTS: Applicants selected under delegated examining procedures may be required to successfully complete a one-year probationary period (unless already completed).

Qualifications

To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, you must (1) meet the Education Requirement for the series, (2) provide a copy of transcripts for verification, AND (3) meet either the education or experience qualifications .

To qualify for the GS-14, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-13, it must include:

  • Experience reviewing and interpreting federal legislation, rules, accounting standards, and regulations pertaining to accounting and financial management.
  • Experience analyzing and evaluating accounting operations, policies, and procedures for compliance with standards and internal controls.
  • Experience implementing and assessing system requirements pertaining to accounting and financial management activities.
  • Experience preparing, analyzing, interpreting, reviewing, and presenting accounting data, reports, and financial statements and providing high-level technical support to the financial statement audit.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas:

  1. Skill applying accounting theory, concepts, principles, practices, and standards to independently resolve complex accounting problems.
  2. Knowledge of the relationship between the budgetary and proprietary accounts in the financial statements; the four basic financial statements, related note disclosures and knowledge of compiling federal agency financial reports.
  3. Skill working with treasury reporting requirements, including a working knowledge of the Standard General Ledger, monthly reports at the transaction level and the application of and general knowledge of the working capital fund.
  4. Skill presenting findings and recommendations related to accounting systems requirements and deficiencies both orally and in writing.

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.

For additional information about applying to Federal positions, please click on the following link:  https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-policies/#url=e4

All applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Education

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.

TRANSCRIPTS - Transcripts are REQUIRED. The transcripts need not be official, but must show that you meet the stated education requirements, including specific major or class requirements. 

FOREIGN EDUCATION: must be reviewed by an organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. You must show proof the education credentials have been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education program. For special instructions pertaining to foreign education and a list of organizations that can evaluate foreign education, see the Department of Education website.

Additional information

The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits the Department of Transportation and its Operating Administrations from requesting an applicant's criminal history record before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201 certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance to Compete Act. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint to the Department of Transportation by email at, FairChanceAct@dot.gov. To learn more, please visit our page at: The Fair Chance to Compete Act | US Department of Transportation 

This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if similar vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.

Qualified CTAP/ICTAP candidates receive priority and will be referred to the hiring manager.

How you will be evaluated

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

DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE: PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume/ application does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s). Your resume must contain sufficiently detailed information upon which to make a qualification determination. Please ensure that your resume contains specific information such as position titles, beginning and ending dates of employment for each position, average number of hours worked per week, and if the position is/was in the Federal government, you should provide the position series and grade level. 

To compete with U.S. Citizens:  If you meet the qualification requirements, your application will be placed in one of two categories: Qualified and Well Qualified which is based upon your responses to the vacancy questions. Within these categories, applicants eligible for veteran's preference that have provided supporting documents will receive selection priority over non-veterans. The top rated applications will be reviewed for the quality of your experience, education and training relevant to the position.

To compete with other competitive status government employees: If you meet the qualification requirements, your application will be scored based upon your responses to the vacancy questions. The top rated applications will be reviewed for the quality of your experience, education and training relevant to the position. If referred, all relevant documents including performance appraisals and awards submitted with your application package will be forwarded to the hiring official for review.

Eligible Federal employees also seeking consideration for noncompetitive reassignment for this position, must indicate interest in the assessment. In eligibility question 14: select Yes/Other/Former Incumbency of a Position brought into the Competitive Service. Noncompetitive federal candidates must have competitive status on a SF-50, meet minimum qualifications, have served at the same grade or higher, and held or exceeded the promotion potential of this position.

All applicants:  Your application will be rated on the extent and quality of your experience, education and training relevant to the position. The answers you select in the on-line process must be substantiated in your application package.  If upon review, it is determined that your described work history, competencies, and/or supporting documents do not support your answer choices, your application may be updated on your behalf or you may not be referred to the selecting official. Please ensure that your work history provides enough details to support your answers. The Automated Staffing Office is ultimately responsible for determining your final rating.


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