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ACCOUNTANT

Department of Defense
Defense Finance and Accounting Service
DFAS - EXPEDITIONARY SUPPORT ORGANIZATION

Summary

This job announcement uses the USA Hire Assessment to evaluate applicants. For more information, visit USA Hire Assessment.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
03/03/2026 to 03/16/2026
Salary
$93,461 to - $121,502 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 12
Locations
1 vacancy in the following locations:
Germany
Kuwait
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
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
None
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Secret
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-12899978-26
Control number
859554600

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to Current, permanent DFAS employees in the competitive service and current DFAS VRA employees.

Duties

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  • Provides professional accounting services in the interpretation and application of accounting principles, policies, and procedures.
  • Interprets, reviews, evaluates, tests, adapts, and/or implements policies, procedures, guidance and systems.
  • Conducts in-depth studies of situations/conditions/problems typically involving complex, highly integrated accounting systems, costing, and financial management execution activities.
  • Ensures deployed financial managers review and evaluate the adequacy of their internal control systems.
  • This position is located in the Tactical Support and Planning Division at the Expeditionary Support Organization (ESO), in the support of all Department of Defense (DoD), specifically DFAS and Military finance elements currently deployed in theater.
  • You will be designated as Emergency-Essential (E-E) throughout the duration of your deployment.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Must be a U.S Citizen or National
  • 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.
  • Registered for Selective Service (males born after 12-31-1959)
  • Suitable for Federal employment
  • Time after Competitive Appointment: Candidates must have served 3 months after latest competitive appointment in the Federal service.
  • Time in Grade Requirement - see the Qualifications field below for more details.
  • Obtain/Maintain Financial Management Certification
  • 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 has a positive education requirement. To qualify for this position you must meet one of the basic requirements described below:
(1) Completion of all requirements for a bachelor's degree in accounting from an accredited college or university; 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.

OR

(2) Candidates may also qualify through a combination of education and experience: at least 4 years of accounting experience or an equivalent combination of accounting experience, college-level education, and training that provided professional accounting knowledge AND 24 semester hours in accounting/auditing courses, which may include up to 6 hours of business law, OR a certificate as a Certified Public Accountant or Certified Internal Auditor. You may need to send proof of education or of certification to be considered for this position. Click here for more information on who must submit documentation at the time of application and what documentation is acceptable: Transcripts and Certifications.

In addition to meeting the basic requirement, qualified applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade (GS-11) in the Federal service, which demonstrates the ability to perform the duties of the position.

Specialized Experience is defined as: applying professional knowledge of accounting principles, policies, and procedures in the development, design, revision, and evaluation of automated accounting systems and subsystems to support an assigned area.

Time-in-Grade: Current or former federal employees who have held a GS position in the preceding 52 weeks, must meet the time in grade requirement. Applicant must have served 52 weeks as a GS-11 or higher grade in Federal Service.

You may qualify for consideration if meeting time-in grade, specialized experience, education requirement, 90 days after competitive appointment requirement, and all other qualification requirements within 30 calendar days after the closing date of the announcement, unless otherwise indicated on the announcement
** The effective date of your SF-50 must reflect that you will meet the 52-week time in grade requirement within 30 days of the announcement closing. **

Education

Education is not substitutable for specialized experience at this grade level.

You will serve as an Accountant with the Department of Defense Expeditionary Civilian (DoD-EC) Workforce. Volunteering to deploy with the (DoD-EC) gives civilians an extraordinary opportunity to use their capabilities, experience, and knowledge while directly supporting operations of national interest. Individuals interested in applying their skills and experience in a unique environment can volunteer to fill critical functions supporting the U.S. Military in foreign locations, to include Kuwait and Qatar. As a deployee, you will live and serve in a variety of American bases and compounds with your military and government colleagues. Some of the locations will be quite austere and remote, and unlike any community back in the United States, contributing to the overall experience. You will receive training to help you prepare for living in theater.

This is a Temporary Duty (TDY) assignment away from your parent command for typically a minimum of 6 months upward with the right to return to your position of record or equivalent position in the same commuting area following your deployment. While deployed you may be asked to relocate.

Due to the demanding nature of assignments as an Expeditionary Civilian, prospective applicants should carefully assess suitability with respect to medical requirements and other personal/legal issues, including eligibility for a security clearance, job history and experience commensurate with the position description, and ability to handle a job environment with high stress and long (60-70) hours per week.

DoD requires that you have the physical & mental capacity, with or without a medical accommodation, to perform the essential functions of a position for a full tour of duty without unreasonable disruption because of health problems. Before you can be deployed, you will be medically screened to determine if you have health conditions that will prevent you from performing assigned duties in theater or that will require a medical waiver to deploy. In most cases medical facilities where DoD-EC employees are stationed will not be able to accommodate people with serious health problems, psychiatric conditions, or major physical limitations. The physical requirements of the jobs in these operational areas require applicants to be healthy and fit (e.g., able to carry equipment weighing 50 lbs. or more without issue or assistance, etc.). During your medical evaluation, attending medical personnel will take into account any and all mitigating factors that can influence a decision regarding your deployability. If you are disqualified because of medical or dental issues, you may request a medical waiver.

Your qualification for deployment will be based on your medical & dental status at the time of evaluation. If, after your qualification for deployment, you become ill, undergo surgery, add or change medications, undergo therapy/treatment, or develop any condition for which you seek medical assistance, you should notify ESO immediately. You should understand that any significant deterioration in the status of your health may result in your being disqualified from deployment or sent home after you have deployed. Failure to disclose such information may seriously affect your health overseas, as well as undermine the ability of your gaining organization to perform its assigned mission.

If you are currently dealing with medical conditions, you may require a waiver after medical evaluation. If you choose to pursue a waiver, you will be required to either 1) demonstrate clearly that you are able to perform the functions of the job to which you are assigned without placing an undue burden on the gaining organization or 2) show that you have been symptom-free for the required amount of time (where appropriate). Waivers are not automatic and may be quite difficult to obtain. Further information may be obtained from MOD 17 to USCENTCOM Individual Protection and Individual/Unit Deployment Policy and PPG-TAB A that accompanies MOD 17,
https://www.centcom.mil/Portals/6/MEDICAL/MOD17_Tab_A.pdf.

The overseas locations for this temporary promotion or reassignment are dependent upon the needs of the DoD-EC program. The locations include but are not limited to Kuwait, Germany, and other possible locations within the various COCOM Areas of Responsibility (e.g. CENTCOM, EUCOM, etc.). See the benefits and other information sections for additional compensation entitlements and position requirements.

As a condition of employment, you may be required to serve a during which we'll evaluate whether your continued employment advances the public interest. The evaluation will consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment advances agency or governmental goals; and whether your continued employment advances the efficiency of the Federal service. At the end of the probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification that your continued employment advances the public interest.

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.



Additional information

  • Moving expenses will not be paid.
  • The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 makes certain reimbursements/payments taxable. For information on these changes and the Relocation Income Tax Allowance (RITA), for which some appointees are eligible, click here.
  • For positions where relocation is paid (see Location block of vacancy announcement), you can learn more about relocation allowances and entitlements.
  • 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.
  • We may use this announcement to make a temporary promotion. For some positions, the temporary promotion may be made permanent without further competition.
  • Selections are subject to restrictions resulting from the DoD Program for Stability of Civilian Employment.
  • We may use this announcement to fill additional vacancies within 120 days of the closing date.
  • This position is Exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act.
  • Travel requirement is seldom 1-24%.
  • This position is covered by a bargaining unit.
  • Priority Placement Program (PPP) Military Spouse Preference (MSP) eligible candidates will receive priority consideration at the highest grade level for which they have applied and been determined best qualified up to and including the full performance level.
  • PPP Application Based Preference Eligibles (Military Reserve and National Guard technicians, Military Reserve and National Guard technicians receiving disability retirement, and Retained Grade employees) will receive priority consideration at the full performance level only.
  • For grades below the full performance level, only MSP/PPP eligible candidates who currently occupy a formal training program position will be entitled to exercise their priority preference.
  • Pay for first time hires to the Federal Government will typically be set at step 1 salary range for their respective grade level.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • The USA Hire 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.

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.

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 (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

  • Accountability
  • Arithmetic/Mathematical Reasoning
  • Attention to Detail
  • Customer Service
  • Decision Making
  • Flexibility
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Learning
  • Reasoning
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork





Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA 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, based on your adjudication decision. 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 RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.

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