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Accountant

Department of Agriculture
Office of the Inspector General
FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT DIVISION

Summary

This position is located in the Financial Management Division (FMD), which supports the Office of Inspector General (OIG) by managing all stages of financial planning and execution.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
03/27/2026 to 04/02/2026
Salary
$121,785 to - $158,322 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 13
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Washington, DC
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
None
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Confidential
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Noncritical-Sensitive (NCS)/Moderate Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
Yes
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
USDA-OIG-ST-12882474-26-JS
Control number
862698000

Duties

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  • Prepares and verifies financial statements and reports, including the Balance Sheet, Statements of Changes in Net Position, Budgetary Resources, and Net Cost.
  • Researches and resolves complex transaction issues and identifies discrepancies requiring technical analysis.
  • Provides subject matter expert advice and guidance on accounting processes, methods, and the resolution of significant issues related to the recording and control of accounting data.
  • Performs quality assurance reviews of accounting processes to ensure financial integrity and conformance to Federal laws and USDA Office of Inspector General regulations.
  • Supports the preparation of briefings for the agency by providing technical accounting insights related to ongoing financial activities.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a US Citizen or US National.
  • Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.
  • Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
  • Successful completion of one year probationary period, unless previously served. Refer to Next Steps section for more information.
  • Direct Deposit: Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
  • Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit https://www.e-verify.gov/.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including time-in-grade restrictions, specialized experience and/or education, as defined below.

Basic Requirement for Staff Accountant GS-0510-13:
Education cannot be substituted for experience for this position and grade level.
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 one of 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.
In addition to meeting the basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below:

For the GS-13: You must have one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience that is at least equivalent in difficulty and complexity to work performed at the GS-12 grade level in the federal government. You must include evidence of this specialized experience in your resume, including dates of experience (month/year) and hours worked/work schedule, to be considered qualified for this position. Specialized experience for this position must have included ALL of the following:
  • Experience serving as a subject matter expert on financial accounting systems and financial reporting requirements;
  • Experience resolving abnormal balances and discrepancies;
  • Experience and knowledge of accounting procedures, theories, practices, and concepts;
  • Experience analyzing financial data including aging balances, cash forecasts, accounts receivable/accounts payable.
Merit promotion applicants must meet the time-in-grade requirement as defined in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F. One year at the GS-12 level is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS13 level.

Documenting experience: In describing your experience, please be clear and specific. We will not make assumptions regarding your experience. Qualifications are based on breadth/level of experience. In addition to describing duties performed, applicants must provide the exact dates of each period of employment (from MM/YY to MM/YY) and the number of hours worked per week if part time. As qualification determinations cannot be made when resumes do not include the required information, failure to provide this information may result in disqualification. Applicants are encouraged to use the USAJOBS Resume Builder to develop their federal resume.

NOTE: To be considered for this position, you must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements for the GS-0510 series set forth in the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards by the closing date of the announcement. A copy is available at: Accounting Series 0510

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.

Education

This position has a basic education requirement listed under the Qualifications section of this announcement.

Additional information

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): Visit the OPM website for information on how to apply as a CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP candidates must be rated and determined to be well qualified (or above) based on an evaluation of the competencies listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section. When assessed through a score-based category rating method, CTAP/ICTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 75 out of a possible 100.

Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA): To be eligible for a VEOA appointment under Merit Promotion procedures, the veteran must be a preference eligible or a veteran separated after 3 years or more of continuous active service performed under honorable conditions.

Noncompetitive Appointment Authorities: For more information on noncompetitive appointment authority eligibility requirements visit the following websites:

Farm Service Agency (FSA) County Employees: Permanent County employees without prior Federal tenure who are selected for a Civil Service position under Public Law 105-277 will be given a career-conditional appointment and must serve a 1-year probationary period.

Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA) provides current or former temporary or term employees of federal land management agencies opportunity to compete for permanent competitive service positions. Individuals must have more than 24 months of service without a break between appointments of two or more years. Service must be in the competitive service and have been at a successful level of performance or better. Refer to PUBLIC LAW 114-47-AUG. 7, 2015 for more information.

If selected, you will be required to submit Form OGE-450 within 30 days of your initial appointment date, and annually thereafter. Selectee is subject to financial Disclosure Requirements in accordance with 5 CFR, Part 2635, Sub part E regarding business or personal transactions with applicants, borrowers, or business contacts who have or who are seeking business with this Agency. Selectee must be able to obtain and maintain a security clearance. If selected you will be subject to a National Agency Check and Inquiry (NACI) and a credit report.

This is a Testing Designated Position (TDP). Selectee must submit to a urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment and random testing thereafter. Final appointment and continued employment is conditional on negative results for illegal drug use.

This position may also be eligible for telework as determined by agency policy.

Relocation expenses will not be paid.

Locality rate will be determined at the time of selection. To see a complete list of locality rates, please visit Salaries & Wages (opm.gov)

This is not a bargaining unit designated position.

Candidates will not be hired based on their race, sex, color, religion, or national origin.

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.

You will be evaluated based on the following:

Your responses to questionnaire items focused on the basic education requirement and minimum qualifications (specialized experience).

Application Assessment: Applicants must complete a questionnaire as part of the application process. The assessment questionnaire includes a cut score based on the minimum level of proficiency required for this position. Your score must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered and to move on to the next steps. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment.

Transcripts Review: We will review the transcripts you submit to determine if you meet the basic requirement for this position based on the required education. Applicants identified as meeting the basic education requirement will move on to the next phase of the assessment process.

Resume Review: Your application will be reviewed to determine if you meet the minimum qualification requirements listed in the qualifications section.If it is determined that you meet or exceed the assessment cut score and meet the basic education and minimum qualification (specialized experience) requirements, you will be referred to the selecting officials.

USA Jobs restricts resume uploads to a maximum of 2 pages. Resumes attached in other sections (such as "Documents" or "Other") will not be considered if longer than two pages. Do not submit multiple resumes. Failure to follow these formatting guidelines may result in disqualification from further consideration.

If you are referred for consideration, you may be subject to additional assessments by the selecting official.

To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process, including the application, questionnaire, and resume and transcripts submission. Overstating your education or experience in your application materials may result in your removal from consideration

Clicking the link below will present a preview of the application form; i.e. the online questionnaire. The application form link below will only provide a preview and does not initiate the application process. To initiate the online application process, click the "Apply" button to the right.

To view the application form, visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12882474

Office of the Inspector General

USDA provides leadership on food, agriculture, natural resources, rural development, nutrition, and related issues based on sound public policy, the best available science, and efficient management. Our vision is to expand economic opportunity through innovation, helping rural America to thrive; to promote agriculture production sustainability that better nourishes Americans while also helping feed others throughout the world; and to preserve and conserve our Nations natural resources through restored forests, improved watersheds, and healthy private working lands.

The Office of Inspector General (OIG) is an independent office within the Department of Agriculture whose mission is to ensure economy, efficiency, and integrity in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs and operations through the successful execution of audits, investigations, and reviews. The OIG conducts investigations, audits, and reviews to prevent and detect waste, fraud, and mismanagement of USDA programs and operations.

OIG consists of the following components:

  • Immediate Office of Inspector General (IG)
  • Office of Counsel (OC)
  • Office of Management (OM)
  • Office of Investigations (INV)
  • Office of Audit (AUD)
  • Office of Compliance and Integrity (OCI)
  • Office of Analytics and Innovation (OAI)

Agency contact information

Jerren Sutton
Email
jerren.sutton@oig.usda.gov
Address
Office of the Inspector General
1400 Independence Ave SW
Washington, DC 20250
US

Visit our careers page

Learn more about what it's like to work at Office of the Inspector General, what the agency does, and about the types of careers this agency offers.

https://usdaoig.oversight.gov/

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