Skip to main content
U.S. flag
Back to results
 

Accounting Officer

Department of Energy
Department of Energy - Agency Wide
Southeastern Power Administration, Finance and Marketing (4700)

Summary

This position is part of the Southeastern Power Administration. As an Accounting Officer, you will be responsible for the planning and direction of the Southeastern Financial Team and participate in the overarching work performed by the Division.

*This is not a remote position. The selectee will be required to report to the Elberton, GA duty location.*

Overview

Help
Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
04/09/2026 to 04/23/2026
Salary
$94,654 - $146,325 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 12 - 13
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Elberton, GA
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—Situational, as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Occasional travel of up to 10% annually is required; with overnight travel possible during all or part of that time.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
13
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
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
26-SE-00463-12931247-MP
Control number
864550900

This job is open to

Help

Clarification from the agency

Current Federal employees with competitive status or other eligibility; Former Federal employees with reinstatement eligibility; CTAP/ICTAP eligibles; Veterans with VOW, VEOA, or 30% disability; Military Spouses; Individuals with Disabilities Schedule A; Peace Corps, Vista (AmeriCorps) eligibles; Those eligible under an OPM interchange agreement or other special appointing authority.

Duties

Help

As an Accounting Officer at the full performance level, you will:

  • Be responsible for the full range of accounting activities of the Administration's electric utility and governmental accounting; namely, repayment accounting, fiscal accounting, cost and property accounting, allotment accounting, budget controls, collection and disposition of funds from the sale of electric power from the projects in the Southeastern marketing area.
  • Plan, prepare and execute various budget schedules for each fiscal year's budget.
  • Assess indicators of operational area performance weaknesses to protect against fraud, waste, and abuse.
  • Interpret and provide guidance on accounting principles and standards promulgated by various standards boards. Analyze a wide variety of accounting and financial management records and reports; and recommend solutions to difficult and complex accounting problems.
  • Deliver expert technical guidance on work processes and program functions. Support the supervisor in performance plans, and evaluations. Ensure team goals, work plans, and deliverables are aligned with the organization's strategic plan, mission, vision, and core values.
  • Collaborate with cross functional departments across Southeastern to align efforts, optimize operations, and drive organizational success. Responsible for the full range of accounting activities of the Administration's electric utility and governmental accounting; namely, repayment accounting, fiscal accounting, cost and property accounting, allotment accounting, budget controls, collection and disposition of funds from the sale of electric power from the projects in the Southeastern marketing area.

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
  • This employer participates in the e-Verify program.
  • Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for Selective Service.
  • Suitable for Federal employment, as determined by a background investigation.
  • May be required to successfully complete a probationary/trial period. Employees serving on a probationary or trial period may be terminated at any time during the probationary or trial period for performance, conduct, or business-related reasons in the interest of Federal service.
  • Limit your resume to no more than two (2) pages. If more than two pages are submitted, only the first two pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility and qualifications.
  • In accordance with Executive Order 14170, applicants are encouraged to respond to the four short, free-response, essay questions in the questionnaire. Answers to these questions are not scored or rated. Your answers will be reviewed by the hiring manager and agency leadership if you are referred for selection consideration.
  • The incumbent is required to submit a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 450), upon entering the position and annually.
  • Security clearance and associated requirements - moderate risk.

Qualifications

Applicants must demonstrate that they meet the Basic Requirement AND Specialized Experience/Education requirements as noted below.

Basic Requirement:

A. Degree: Bachelor's or higher degree in 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 of business law. (The term "accounting" means accounting and/or auditing for this occupational series. Similarly, "accountant" should be interpreted, generally, as "accountant and/or auditor".)

OR

B. Combination of Education and Experience: At least four years of experience in accounting, or an equivalent combination of accounting experience, college-level education, and training that provided professional accounting knowledge with a background that also includes 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 in business law;
  2. Certificate as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) or Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), 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 above, provided that (a) the applicant has successfully worked at the full performance level in accounting, auditing, or a related field, e.g., valuation engineering of 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 above; 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, applicants must also meet the appropriate Minimum Qualifications requirement below for the grade level(s) to which they are applying.

Minimum Qualifications:

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS:

To qualify for the Accounting Officer, GS-0510-12 position:
Applicants must have one year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level or equivalent pay band. This experience includes the following:

  • Using funds control techniques to analyze and reconcile financial transactions through the application of professional accounting principles and the authoritative interpretation of data.
  • Utilizing financial systems to directly support management and accounting activities to implement Enterprise Risk Management concepts and accompanying Internal Controls.
  • Providing financial reports and schedules to management and other personnel reflecting financial results of a major program or for submission to government offices such as Office of Management and Budget (OMB), General Accounting Office (GAO), Treasury Department, etc.

To qualify for the Accounting Officer, GS-0510-13 position:
Applicants must have one year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level or equivalent pay band. This experience includes the following:
  • Assisting management, team members and organizational points of contact in using and understanding accounting data to effectively manage and control program functions.
  • Providing comprehensive oversight and assessment of ongoing and completed financial work, making timely adjustments to plans, assignments, and methodologies to ensure efficient and effective task execution.
  • Preparing budget and financial reports and accompanying schedules and financial statements.
  • Implementing internal controls to ensure compliance with applicable financial regulations, optimize resource utilization or maintain control over workflows and outputs.

Time-in-Grade: Current career or career-conditional GS employees of the Federal government, or former career or career-conditional GS employees, who have a break in service of less than one year, are required to meet the time-in-grade restriction of one year of Federal experience at the next lower grade, with few exceptions outlined in 5 CFR 300.603(b). Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to current career or career-conditional federal employees applying for a Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.

Limit your resume to no more than two (2) pages.

OPM Qualification General Policies Website www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-policies/#url=app

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.

Education

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Foreign education must be reviewed by an organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For special instructions pertaining to foreign education and a list of organizations that can evaluate foreign education, see the Department of Education website. DO NOT email or mail in any of your application documents. Documents will not be accepted outside of the online application system.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

Additional information

  • This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional similar vacancies across DOE.
  • For general information on government-wide Telework polices visit: www.telework.gov.
  • Applicants may request Reasonable Accommodation (RA) when applying or competing for a job due to a medical condition or to exercise religious beliefs. If you need reasonable accommodation in the application or selection process, please contact the Agency Contact listed on this vacancy announcement.
  • If selection is made at a lower grade, promotion up to the full performance level may be made without further competition. However, promotion(s) will depend on the performance of the incumbent and are not guaranteed.
  • Permanent Change of Station (PCS) costs are not authorized.
  • This position may be eligible for creditable service towards annual leave. Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. DOE may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.
  • Salary: General Schedule locality pay tables may be found under Salaries & Wages.

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.

Once the application process is complete, the first two pages of your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications.

Structured Resume Review: Subject matter experts (SMEs) will review your resume to determine your technical qualifications for this position based on the required competencies. SMEs will review ONLY the first two (2) pages of your resume. SMEs will not review additional information beyond your resume (e.g., cover letter, links embedded in your resume).

The Department of Energy uses an application tracking system to evaluate the scores provided from the SME resume review to place you into an initial quality category. These categories are "Best Qualified", "Well Qualified", and "Qualified."

Minimum Qualifications: Once the application process is complete, the Human Resources Office will review the first two pages of your resume and supporting documentation to determine whether you meet the minimum job qualifications.

If your resume is incomplete or does not support the responses you provided in your online questionnaire, or if you fail to submit all required documentation before the vacancy closes, you may be rated 'ineligible', 'not qualified', or your score may be adjusted accordingly.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):

  • Accounting Operations
  • Auditing
  • Control of Funds
  • Financial Analysis
  • Financial Systems
  • Internal Controls
  • Teaching Others
  • Technical Competence



All qualified Non-competitive applicants and the best qualified Merit Promotion and VEOA applicants will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration.

Career Transition Assistance Programs: To receive selection priority for this position, you must: 1) meet the eligibility criteria; and 2) be rated "well-qualified".

You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date (04/23/2026) of this announcement.

To preview the Assessment Questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12931247.

Department of Energy - Agency Wide

The mission of the U.S. Department of Energy's Southeastern Power Administration is to market and deliver Federal hydroelectric power at the lowest possible cost to public bodies and cooperatives in the southeastern United States in a professional, innovative, customer-oriented manner, while continuing to meet the challenges of an ever-changing electric utility environment through continuous improvements.

Agency contact information

PMA Careers
Email
PMACareers@wapa.gov
Address
Southeastern Power Administration
1166 Athens Tech Road
Elberton, GA 30635
US

Your session is about to expire!

Your USAJOBS session will expire due to inactivity in 8 minutes. Any unsaved data will be lost if you allow the session to expire. Click the button below to continue your session.