Clarification from the agency

Current U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General career and Student Cooperative employees will be considered or selected from this vacancy announcement. All others are ineligible on this announcement.

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About the Technology Operations Directorate:
The Technology Operations team conducts various types of audits and evaluations of the Postal Service's cybersecurity and technology processes, tools, and operations. Our directorate helps to reduce the risk of fraud, inappropriate disclosure of sensitive data, and disruption of critical postal operations and services by assessing whether USPS information resources provide the highest level of security, reliability, and value expected by USPS customers.

About the Position:
The Auditor (Information Systems) serves as a member of an audit team conducting systematic reviews and audits of Postal Service information systems and technology including assessments of security and vulnerability, adequacy of internal controls; compliance with laws, regulations, policies, and/or contracts; and detection of fraud, waste, and abuse. The employee performs assignments requiring the application of fundamental principles, concepts, techniques, and guidelines in the area of information systems auditing.

The GS-07 equivalent is the trainee level in the area of auditing. The employee serves as a junior member of an audit team assisting with systematic performance, financial, or attestation reviews and audits of Postal Service programs and operations. Work assignments are selected to provide training in the analytical evaluative aspects of the work and in the appropriate use of qualitative and quantitative analysis methods and techniques. The training is directed toward the recognition of incipient needs or problems and the identification, analysis, and solution of problems. Assignments are selected to combine performance of productive work with supervised on-the-job training in both the judgmental and methodological aspects of the work.

The GS-09 equivalent serves as a member of an audit team conducting systematic performance, financial, or attestation reviews and audits of Postal Service programs and operations, including assessments of efficiency, adequacy of internal controls; compliance with laws, regulations, policies, and/or contracts; and detection of fraud, waste, and abuse. The employee performs assignments requiring the application of fundamental principles, concepts, techniques, and guidelines in the area of auditing.

A successful candidate will be responsible for:

• Performing assigned audit functions, individually and as a member of an audit team in accordance with OIG policies and procedures, and Generally Accepted Government Auditing Standards. Assessing such matters as general, application, and security controls; data integrity; systems life cycles; acquisitions; and information technology management.
• Assisting team with planning audits when there is ample precedent for the work covered by the audit assignment.
• Executing data collection efforts, ensuring that evidence collected is reliable, sufficient, relevant, and properly documented in the project work papers. Ensuring compliance with applicable professional standards and OIG policy.
• Reviewing and interpreting systems data and reports; policies; standard operating procedures; and contracts to determine validity and compliance with procedures, internal directives and regulatory requirements.
• Assisting with tests and evaluations, obtaining samples, and retrieving and analyzing computer-processed information.
• Utilizing appropriate information systems software, tools and testing methods to collect, arrange, process, analyze, and present data.
• Using critical thinking, data analytics, and applied logic to discern meaning of and interpret data, and identify risks.
• Producing audit documentation such as internal review reports, management agreements, follow-up assessment reports, findings, corrective and preventive action plans, internal review scopes of work, process flow charts, and work instructions, to effectively communicate to internal and external stakeholders.
• Drafting audit reports and other documents that are clear, convincing, accurate, technically thorough, and appropriately targeted to the OIG's customers' needs.

The duties and responsibilities associated with this position may vary based upon the agency's needs at the time of hire. The preceding description of major duties and responsibilities is only intended to give applicants a general overview of the expectations.

Compensation: The USPS OIG uses a Pay Banding system, which is equivalent to the Federal GS scale. Grade and salary determinations will be made based upon a candidate's education and professional experience.

This position is being advertised at the Journey Band level, equivalent to a GS-07 to GS-09. The salary range for this position is $52,171.00-$82,958.00. The salary figures include locality pay. For locality table specifics, visit: OPM's General Schedule (GS).

Conditions of employment

• Must be a U.S. citizen.
• Must be able to pass a drug screening.
• Must be able to pass a background investigation.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top-Secret (Tier 5).
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a government-issued credit card.
• May be required to successfully complete a 12-month probationary period.

Qualifications

Position Minimum Qualification Requirements
You must meet all minimum qualifications listed below.

To be considered for the GS-07 equivalent, you must have a:

• Degree in auditing or in a related field (please see below list for related field degree list) such as business administration, finance, public administration, or accounting (must submit transcripts from an accredited college or university.)

OR

• A combination of education and experience - at least four (4) years of experience in Performance Auditing, or an equivalent combination of performance auditing experience, college-level education, and training that provided professional auditing knowledge. The applicant's background must also include one of the following:
  • Certificate as a Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) or a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), obtained through written examination;

OR

• • Completion of the requirements for a degree that included substantial course work in auditing or accounting, e.g., 15 semester hours (must submit transcripts from an accredited college or university.)

To be considered for the GS-09 equivalent, you must have a:

• Master's degree from an accredited college or university (must submit transcripts from an accredited college or university).

OR

• One (1) or more years of professional experience conducting financial, program and/or performance audits. (Your resume must reflect where, when, and how you gained this experience.)

Auditor (0511) Related and Accepted Degrees:

• Business Related, including but not limited to:
  • Auditing, Accounting, Business Administration, Economics, Finance, International Business, Management, Marketing, Organizational Behavior/Psychology, etc.
• Government Related, including but not limited to:
  • Criminal Justice, Political Science, Public Administration, Public Policy, Law, Public Relations/Communications, etc.
• Technically Related, including but not limited to:
  • Engineering, Cybersecurity, Human Resources, Information Technology, Journalism/Investigative Reporting, Logistics, Supply Chain Management, etc.

Desirable Qualifications

• Advanced degree.
• Experience with using techniques from a range of disciplines, including computer programming, mathematics, and statistics, to draw conclusions from data to describe, predict, and improve performance. Use of software such as ACL, R, SAS, SPSS, and Power BI is a plus.

Evaluation Factors | How you will be evaluated:

You must have the experience, knowledge, and skills as listed in each of the evaluation factors listed below. Include your major accomplishments relevant to the position requirements and factors in your resume. Failure to demonstrate that you meet all the evaluation factor requirements as listed below will result in a score of zero (0), an ineligible status, and you will not be referred for further consideration.

• Knowledge of information systems auditing concepts, principles, and methods sufficient to work independently using conventional procedures and practices that apply to most situations encountered.
• Basic, general knowledge of agency programs and their governing statutes, regulations, and practices sufficient to perform information systems audit assignments using generally accepted government auditing methods and techniques.
• Ability to evaluate computer security associated with various information technology environments, operating systems, hardware, software components, systems, and/or subsystems.
• Ability to apply advanced technology as required to conduct tests and evaluations, obtain samples, retrieve and analyze computer-processed information.
• Ability to work effectively (independently or within teams) across functional areas in a professional and collaborative environment.
• Ability to communicate verbally and in writing to convey information of a technical nature in a manner understandable to a non-technical audience.

How you will be evaluated

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

You will be assessed on how well you meet the qualifications and competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics) on this announcement.

The Human Resources Office will review your resume and supporting application documentation to ensure that you meet the eligibility required for this position. You will no longer be considered for this position if you:

• Fail to attach all required documentation;
• Submit application materials that indicate that you are not minimally qualified for this position;
• Receive a zero (0) rating on any Evaluation Factor; or
• Fail to qualify during the interview.

Only the top-rated candidates will be referred to a review official or the selecting official for further consideration. Top-rated applicants may be required to participate in an interview. Your rating may be further adjusted or rated as ineligible by the review official or the selecting official based on your interview performance. Once all applicant scores are finalized, the selecting official will make a final decision.

Applicants for this position may be interviewed one or more times as part of the hiring process. During interviews, applicants may not use any AI tool or virtual assistant (such as ChatGPT) to help them answer questions, except for accessibility tools used as part of a reasonable accommodation. Applicants who fail to follow these rules will be disqualified from the hiring process.