Clarification from the agency

Recent Graduates who have completed within the previous two years a qualifying associate's, bachelors, masters, professional, doctorate, vocational or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution. Veterans precluded from applying within two years due to a military service obligation have up to 6 years from completing their degree to apply. Applicants who are expected to meet this requirement within 90 days of the closing date of this vacancy announcement may apply.

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This position provides audit services to all management levels within the areas serviced by the Regional Office through the conduct of audits which include examination of the operations of the Department, its grantees and contractors; and review of reports of audits conducted by non-HHS auditors. Incumbent receives independent work assignments, assignments as a project member on large and/ or highly complex audits.

As an Auditor GS-511-07, the applicant will:

• Work as an audit team member on specified audit assignments which facilitate the efforts of the team and provide experience toward independently planning and conducting complete audit assignments. The auditor applies conventional audit techniques to complete relatively uncomplicated evaluations.
• Verify reports against source accounts and records to determine the reliability of data and accuracy of computations, reconciling accounts and verifying the detail of recorded transactions, tracing item through ledger and accounts to original media from which they were recorded.
• Verify the appropriateness of charges such as labor and materials and the transactions were properly recorded and that products or services were actually provided.
• Compare the similarities and differences of accounting systems in categorizing and reporting particular types of transactions.
• Call supervisor's attention to unusual or questionable transactions or when problems encountered do not fit instructions or guidelines.
• Make recommendations concerning changes when current accounting or control procedures do not achieve the desired results or are no longer appropriate for situations encountered.

As an Auditor GS-511-09, the applicant will:

• Study the overall scope, technical approach and objectives of the audit and the specifics that apply to the auditor's assigned segment of the work.
• Perform pre-audit research and organize background material pertaining directly to the auditee, organization, program activity to be audited.
• Research applicable laws, directives, audit guides, and prior audit reports to prepare for both the main audit mission and documenting the work papers.
• Interview auditee representatives to carry the assigned audit missions, task and objectives.
• Locate, assemble, verify, analyze, and determine the adequacy and present detailed data information related to financial management.
• Evaluate assigned auditee financial operations and costs through operational or work site testing of program directives, invoices, accounts, obligation documents, and inventory.
• Prepare a segment of audit reports and financial statements which present findings, cite applicable regulations, identify causative situations and recommend corrective action.

Conditions of employment

• U.S Citizenship is required.
• Registration with the Selective Service (if applicable).
• Suitability for Federal employment determined by background investigation.
• The duration of the Recent Graduate appointment is a trial period.
• Must complete a Pathways Participant Agreement.

Qualifications

Candidates who are expected to complete education requirements within 90 days of the closing date of this vacancy announcement may apply however you must meet all eligibility requirements before the appointment date.

Positive Education Requirement: This position has a position education requirement, as indicated below. A complete transcript showing relevant coursework and degrees must be submitted with your application package. A list of completed courses or incomplete transcripts will not be accepted. Additional transcripts may be required if substituting education for specialized experience.

Basic Requirements:

1. Degree: accounting, auditing; or a degree including auditing courses 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. 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:

• Twenty-four (24) semester hours in accounting or auditing courses of appropriate type and quality. This can include up to 6 hours of business law;
• A certificate as Certified Public Accountant or a Certified Internal Auditor, obtained through written examination; or
• 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, 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 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.

Minimum Qualifications
In addition to the basic requirements above applicants must have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level in the Federal service which provided the applicant with the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position. Graduate level education may be substituted for specialized experience as described below.

GS-7 Specialized Experience: For the GS-07 applicants must have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 grade level in the Federal service which provided the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position. Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate experience: (1) comparing similarities and differences of accounting systems; (2) making recommendations concerning changes to accounting procedures; (3) preparing charts, tables, graphs, and other exhibits to aid in audit findings; and (4) communicating with team members concerning audit assignments;
OR
One (1) full year of graduate level education or superior academic achievement. One year of graduate experience is 18 semester hours. You must submit a copy of your unofficial transcripts to support your claim. (Superior academic achievement must have been gained in curriculum that is qualifying for this position. To be eligible you must meet one of the following: received a grade point average of 3.0 or higher (on a 4.0 scale) for all undergraduate coursework or courses completed in the last two years of undergraduate study; received a grade point average of 3.5 or higher (on a 4.0 scale) for all courses in your major field of study, or those courses in your major completed in the last two years of undergraduate study; have a class standing in the upper one-third of your graduating class, college, university, or major subdivision; or have membership in a national honor society (other than freshman honor societies) recognized by the Association of College Honor Societies);
OR
A combination of graduate education and specialized experience as described above. To combine education and experience, determine your total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required for the grade level. Then determine your education as a percentage of the education required for the grade level. Finally, add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. You must submit your unofficial transcript to support your claim.

GS-9 Specialized Experience: For the GS-09 applicants must have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service which provided the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position. Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate experience: (1) performing pre-audit research and organizing background material pertaining directly to the auditee, organization, program activity to be audited; (2) preparing charts, tables, graphs, and other exhibits to aid in audit findings; and (3) serving as a team member, attending and participating in entrance and exit conferences with auditee, auditee staff, and program staff;
OR
Two (2) full years of graduate level education leading to a master's or equivalent graduate degree that provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities to do the work of this position. (One year of graduate education is generally 18 semester hours). NOTE: Applicants must submit supporting transcripts if qualifying based on education;
OR
A combination of graduate level education and specialized experience as described above which can be combined to equal one year. To compute this, first determine your total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required above. (For example, 6 months of professional experience equals 50% of the experience requirement.) Then, determine your graduate education as a percentage of the education required above. (For example, 9 semester hours of creditable graduate work equals 50% of the education required.) Add the two percentages together. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. The first 18 semester hours may not be credited towards specialized experience for the GS-9 grade level. NOTE: Applicants must submit supporting transcripts if any part of qualifications is based on education.

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. Your resume should include the dates of all qualifying experience (from month/year to month/year) and the number of hours worked/volunteered per week. Federal experience is not required. The experience may have been gained in the public sector, private sector or Volunteer Service. One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-timework is considered on a prorated basis. To ensure full credit for your work experience, please indicate dates of employment by month/year, and indicate number of hours worked per week, on your resume.

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
• Attention to Detail
• Audit Reporting

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 preview the application questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13014202

Additional selections may be made for similar positions across the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) within the local commuting area(s) of the location identified in this announcement. By applying, you agree to have your application shared with interested selecting official(s) at HHS.