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Auditor

Department of Agriculture
Office of the Inspector General
Various Work Units within the office of Audit.

Summary

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.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
05/14/2026 to 05/21/2026
Salary
$89,508 - $138,370 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 12 - 13
Locations
1 vacancy in the following locations:
Oakland, CA
Atlanta, GA
Chicago, IL
Kansas City, MO
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
13
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Secret
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-MP-12961573-BTG
Control number
869234100

Duties

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  • Reviews the work of others and provides feedback to improve the work and ensure compliance with engagement requirements and standards, as applicable.
  • Works collaboratively with audit and inspection teams providing feedback and support to ensure quality management expectations are addressed throughout engagement lifecycles.
  • Prepares clear, concise and accurate written materials including summaries of review results, quality management documentation, and correspondence with internal and external stakeholders.
  • Evaluates and assesses the appropriateness of policies, procedures, guidance materials, and job aids in compliance with SQM standards
  • Requires the ability to apply quality review protocols, work products, and supporting documentation consistently across both audit and inspection engagements.

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.
  • 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/.
  • As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
  • As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period depending on your appointment type, unless previous federal service is creditable. During this time your employment will be evaluated, and we may consider: your performance and conduct, the needs and interests of the agency, whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government, and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary or trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

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.

Individual Occupational Requirement:

  1. Degree: auditing; or a degree in a related field such as business administration, finance, public administration or accounting.

    or

  2. Combination of education and experience: at least 4 years of experience in Performance/Financial Auditing, or an equivalent combination of performance/financial auditing experience, college-level education, and training that provided professional auditing knowledge. The applicant's background must also include one of the following:

    1. A certificate as a Certified Internal Auditor or a Certified Public Accountant, obtained through written examination; or
    2. Completion of the requirements for a degree that included substantial course work in auditing or accounting, e.g., 15 semester hours.
In Addition to the IOR above you must meet the Specialized Experience below for the respective grade:

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE GS-12: Applicants must have at least one (1) year of specialized experience at the next lower grade GS-11 one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service or the equivalent in the private sector which includes: (1) performing audit steps and tasks such as conducting evaluations, examinations, or other fact-finding studies; (2) developing and executing methodologies to collect and analyze information and interpret complex policies and regulations; (3) preparing draft audit reports using a practical application of auditing standards, procedures, and technology, ensuring all information is supported by appropriate and sufficient evidence; and (4) communicating findings to the team.


SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE GS-13: Applicants must have at least one (1) year of specialized experience at the next lower grade GS-12. Specialized experience is described as mastery of a professional knowledge of the theory, concepts, principles, and practices of accounting and, as required, auditing, and financial management sufficient to conduct difficult assignments involving interfaces and inter-relationships between and among programs, systems, functions, policies, and various issues used in federal oversight work, including Government Auditing Standards (GAGAS), Quality Standards for Inspection and Evaluation (Blue Book), and internal quality management policies and procedures.

FEDERAL TIME-IN-GRADE (TIG) REQUIREMENT FOR GENERAL SCHEDULE (GS) POSITIONS (GS-12): Merit promotion applicants must meet applicable time-in-grade requirements to be considered eligible. One year at the GS-11 level is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-12 level. TIG applies if you are in a current GS position or held a GS position within the previous 52 weeks.

FEDERAL TIME-IN-GRADE (TIG) REQUIREMENT FOR GENERAL SCHEDULE (GS) POSITIONS (GS-13): Merit promotion applicants must meet applicable time-in-grade requirements to be considered eligible. One year at the GS-12 level is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-13 level. TIG applies if you are in a current GS position or held a GS position within the previous 52 weeks.

NOTE: Applicants applying as VEOA candidates who are current GS civil service employees or are prior GS civil service employees within the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements.

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 and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

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 here.

Education

If education is required or being used to qualify, you must submit a copy of your college transcripts. An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application if it includes your name and the necessary course information; however, if you are selected, official transcripts will be required prior to entering on duty. Education must have been successfully obtained from an accredited school, college or university. If any education was completed at a foreign institute, you must submit with your application evidence that the institute was appropriately accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as equivalent to U.S. education standards. There are private organizations that specialize in this evaluation and a fee is normally associated with this service. For a list of private organizations that evaluate education, visit the NACES website. All transcripts must be in English or include an English translation.

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 85 out of a possible 100.

Veterans who are preference eligible or who have been separated from the armed forces under honorable conditions after three years or more of continuous active service are eligible for consideration under the Veteran's Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA).

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.

For more information on applying under special hiring authorities such as the Veteran's Recruitment Act (VRA), 30 percent disabled veterans, certain military spouses, Schedule A Disabled, etc., explore the different Hiring Paths on the USAJOBS website.

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.

If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you will be placed under a career development plan, and may be non-competitively promoted if you successfully complete the requirements and if recommended by management. However, promotion is neither implied nor guaranteed

This position may also be eligible for flexible work arrangements as determined by agency policy and any applicable collective bargaining agreements.

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 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 questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position.

You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

  • Auditing
  • Communication
  • Problem Solving
  • Written Communication

The USA Hire Assessments 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.

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

To view the application form, visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12961573

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)
  • Equal Opportunity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI)
  • Office of Analytics and Innovation (OAI)

Agency contact information

Brandon Griggs
Phone
(210) 439-5450
Email
brandon.griggs@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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