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Civilian Pay Technician

Department of Defense
Defense Finance and Accounting Service
DFAS Civilian Pay Operations

Summary

This announcement is open to all US Citizens and Nationals. Current students may apply up to three (3) months prior to completing their academic degree.

This is NOT a remote work opportunity. Positions may be located in Cleveland, OH, or Indianapolis, IN.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
01/26/2026 to 04/27/2026
Salary
$41,115 to - $61,638 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 5 - 6
Locations
Many vacancies in the following locations:
Indianapolis, IN
Cleveland, OH
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
6
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Noncritical-Sensitive (NCS)/Moderate Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
Yes
Announcement number
ML-12868609-26
Control number
855402700

This job is open to

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All US Citizens.

Duties

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  • Duties described below reflect the full performance level GS-06. Duties assigned to an entry grade of GS-05 will be developmental in nature.
  • Processes a variety of actions that establish, adjust, and close civilian payroll accounts of serviced Federal Government employees that involve a variety of pay plans and employment situations.
  • Researches employee leave/pay issues based on inquiries that include special pay requests, validating and requesting changes to service computation dates, advising supervisors on overtime requests, and resolving issues regarding debt letters.
  • Manually processes Defense Civilian Payroll System rejects that occur when data does not flow from one system to another.
  • Determines eligibility for pay and benefits based on appointment type and pay plan, tour of duty, and location of employment.
  • Performs clerical and technical work resulting in the bi-weekly or monthly determinations of pay for civilian employees.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Must be a U.S Citizen
  • Registered for Selective Service (males born after 12-31-1959)
  • Suitable for federal employment
  • Obtain/Maintain Financial Management Certification
  • This national security position, which may require access to classified information, requires a favorable suitability review and security clearance as a condition of employment. Failure to maintain security eligibility may result in termination.
  • Background or Security Investigation: This is a Non-Critical Sensitive position. Employment in this position requires a background investigation which may delay your starting date.
  • New employees to the Defense Finance and Accounting Service will be required to successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit e-verify.gov.

Qualifications

This position is being filled under the Direct Hire Authority for Certain Personnel of the Department of Defense via delegated authority by the Office of the Secretary of Defense. We reserve the right to close this announcement early or to extend, as appropriate, based upon the needs of the Agency. Qualified application packages may be referred to management at various points in the selection process depending on the number and timing of applications received. Selections may be made at any point during the announcement open period.

Applicants MUST have related financial experience AND/OR a related financial degree (examples include: Finance, Accounting, Management, Actuarial Science, Business Administration, or related), in addition to meeting Office of Personnel Management (OPM) minimum qualification requirements. Substitution of combination of education and experience must still, in conjunction, minimally satisfy the DHA qualification requirement.

One year of specialized experience equivalent in level of difficulty and responsibility to that of the next lower grade (GS-04 for GS-05 and GS-05 for GS-06) in the Federal service, which demonstrates the ability to perform the duties of the position.

GS-05: Specialized experience is defined as: Performing duties that support the processing of financial/accounting transactions using standardized procedures that may include reviewing financial/accounting systems information/documents for accuracy/completeness, inputting financial/accounting information into automated systems, or correcting invalid financial/accounting transactions.

GS-06: Specialized experience is defined as: Processing a variety of non-routine payroll actions, such as establishing, adjusting and closing payroll accounts; and preparing and balancing a variety of payroll reports.

Volunteer Experience: 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 to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Applications will be accepted for the open period as stated above. A first cut-off or multiple cut-offs may be utilized for this opportunity. To ensure consideration, submit your application early. The agency reserves the right to close or extend the announcement based on mission need and/or volume of applications received.

This vacancy announcement will be used to fill current vacancies and anticipated future vacancies. Onboarding is dependent upon favorable security/suitability determination and availability of work and vacancies. In some instances, individuals may not be employed for six months or more from the time they are approved by security.

Education

This position is being filled under the Direct Hire Authority (DHA) for Certain Personnel of the Department of Defense via delegated authority by the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

Applicants MUST have related financial experience AND/OR a related financial degree (examples include: Finance, Accounting, Management, Actuarial Science, Business Administration, or related), in addition to meeting Office of Personnel Management (OPM) minimum qualification requirements. Substitution of combination of education and experience must still, in conjunction, minimally satisfy the DHA qualification requirement.

You may apply if you are within three (3) months of completing the education requirements but official transcripts matching the education qualification standards will be needed before a firm job offer can be sent.

Related degree fields include Finance, Accounting, Management, Actuarial Science, Business Administration, or other related degree(s) to the position being filled.

Qualifying education must be conferred or awarded within three (3) months of the closing date of this announcement.

GS-05 SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION FOR SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Four years of successfully completed education above the high school level may be substituted to meet the specialized experience required when it is directly related to the work of the position being filled for which high school graduation, or the equivalent, is a prerequisite. Equivalent combinations of successfully completed education and experience may be used to meet total experience requirements. A percentage of the education (which is directly related to the work of the position being filled) and experience which when combined totals 100% of the necessary education and experience to qualify for this position. (Only education that directly relates to the work being filled beyond the first 60 semester hours will count toward the percentage).

GS-06 Substitution of Education for Experience: Six months of graduate education may be substituted to meet the specialized experience required when it is directly related to the work of the position being filled.

If you are using education to substitute for the specialized experience, you must submit transcripts at the time you apply. To be creditable, education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (http://www2.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html).

Additional information

  • Moving expenses WILL NOT be paid.
  • Qualifying education must be conferred or awarded within three (3) months of the closing date of this announcement.
  • Telework availability is limited and will only be provided on a rare case-by-case basis during situations where Agency Leadership has determined that telework serves a compelling DoD need.
  • As a condition of employment, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period.
  • We may use this announcement to fill additional vacancies within 90 days of the closing date.
  • Travel requirement is SELDOM.
  • This position IS covered by a bargaining unit.
  • Veteran's Preference: Veteran's preference does not apply under this Direct Hire Authority (DHA).
  • This position is Non-Exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act.
  • DFAS recognizes the value of competencies gained through formal education and professional certifications. To ensure that consistent credit is given for these credentials in the selection process DFAS has developed standard selection criteria to be used when filling positions in professional and administrative series. Selections for professional and administrative positions will be based on four categories of selection criteria: Experience, Other, Education, and Certifications.
  • Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or be exempt from Selective Service (see http://www.sss.gov).
  • Retired Civil Service Employee: Employment of retired Federal employees receiving an annuity is subject to the requirements of the Department of Defense (DoD) policy guidance. (See DoD Instruction 1400.25, Volume 300, here).
  • The Security Designation will vary and dependent upon position and may require a secret clearance or higher. Employment in this position requires a background investigation which may delay starting date. If you are selected and cannot obtain a favorable security determination within a reasonable period of time due to disclosed/undisclosed background issues, the employment offer may be withdrawn. Individuals selected are required to obtain/maintain a favorable security determination to occupy a sensitive position within the agency as a condition of employment. Failure to maintain eligibility to occupy a sensitive position may result in termination. For more information see the security section of Understanding Vacancy Announcements.
  • Criminal History Inquiries- For some positions, criminal history inquiries may not take place before you receive a conditional job offer. Please see Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act of 2019 (dfas.mil) for more information on The Fair Chance to Compete Act, exceptions, and DFAS contact information.
  • All applicants are encouraged to apply electronically. If you are unable to apply on-line, you may contact 317-212-0454 for assistance.
  • This position requires you to obtain and maintain a Level 1 Certification under the DoD Financial Management (FM) Certification Program as a condition of employment. If you are selected, you will have to obtain this certification within two (2) years of your entry on duty in the position unless you are already in a position that requires a Level 1 Certification in which case you must complete the certification within the original 2-year period. Failure to become certified within the required time-frame may be grounds for removal from the position and/or from Federal service. Information about the DoD FM Certification Program is available at FM Certification

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

How you will be evaluated

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

IMPORTANT NOTE - YOU MUST FOLLOW ALL APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY. ERRORS OR OMISSIONS MAY AFFECT YOUR RATING.

All information included in the resume, required documents and Occupational Questionnaire is subject to review and verification. HR will review your resume and supporting documentation to ensure you meet the minimum qualification requirements. Applicants meeting the minimum requirements will be referred to management for consideration.

You can preview the Assessment Questionnaire here:

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