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Civilian Pay Technician

Department of Defense
Defense Finance and Accounting Service
DFAS Civilian Pay Operations

Summary

Defense Finance and Accounting Services (DFAS) mission is to lead the Department of Defense (DoD) in finance and accounting by ensuring the delivery of efficient, exceptional quality pay and financial information.

This announcement is open to all US Citizens and Nationals. Current students may apply up to nine (9) months prior to completing their academic degree.

This is NOT a remote work opportunity. Positions may be located in Cleveland, OH, or Indianapolis, IN.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Location
Many vacancies in the following locations:
Work site options
Telework eligible
No
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$41,115 - $61,638 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 5 - 6
Promotion potential
6
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Appointment type
Permanent
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Represented by a union
No
Drug test
No
Security clearance
Other
Position sensitivity and risk
Noncritical-Sensitive (NCS)/Moderate Risk
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
Financial disclosure required
No
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
ML-13011880-26
Control number
878657400

This job is open to

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All U.S. Citizens and U.S. Nationals.

Duties

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  • Duties described below reflect the full performance level GS-06. Duties assigned to an entry grade of GS-05 will be developmental in nature.
  • Processes a variety of actions that establish, adjust, and close civilian payroll accounts of serviced Federal Government employees that involve a variety of pay plans and employment situations.
  • Researches employee leave/pay issues based on inquiries that include special pay requests, validating and requesting changes to service computation dates, advising supervisors on overtime requests, and resolving issues regarding debt letters.
  • Manually processes Defense Civilian Payroll System rejects that occur when data does not flow from one system to another.
  • Determines eligibility for pay and benefits based on appointment type and pay plan, tour of duty, and location of employment.
  • Performs clerical and technical work resulting in the bi-weekly or monthly determinations of pay for civilian employees.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen or U.S. National
  • Registered for Selective Service (males born after 12-31-1959)
  • Suitable for federal employment
  • Obtain/Maintain Financial Management Certification
  • 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.
  • Time after Competitive Appointment: Candidates must have served 3 months after latest competitive appointment in the Federal service.
  • Background or Security Investigation: This is a Non-Critical Sensitive position. Employment in this position requires a background investigation which may delay your starting date.
  • 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.
  • This position is not covered by a bargaining unit.
  • Veteran's Preference: Veteran's preference does not apply under this Direct Hire Authority (DHA).
  • This position is Non Exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act.
  • Qualifying education must be conferred or awarded within nine (9) months of the closing date of this announcement.

Qualifications

Human Resources will determine your qualifications for each entry grade level based on your interest and the additional following criteria. Resumes for federal government positions need more detailed work descriptions and accomplishments than a typical private sector resume. Please be sure to clearly describe the full scope of your work experiences in your resume. Combinations of education and experience may also be sufficient.

This position is being filled under the Direct Hire Authority for Certain Personnel of the Department of Defense via delegated authority by the Office of the Secretary of Defense. We reserve the right to close this announcement early or to extend, as appropriate, based upon the needs of the Agency. Qualified application packages may be referred to management at various points in the selection process depending on the number and timing of applications received. Selections may be made at any point during the announcement open period.

Applicants MUST have related financial experience AND/OR a related financial degree (examples include: Finance, Accounting, Management, Actuarial Science, Business Administration, or related), in addition to meeting Office of Personnel Management (OPM) minimum qualification requirements. Substitution of combination of education and experience must still, in conjunction, minimally satisfy the DHA qualification requirement.

One year of specialized experience equivalent in level of difficulty and responsibility to that of the next lower grade (GS-04 for GS-05 and GS-05 for GS-06) in the Federal service, which demonstrates the ability to perform the duties of the position.

GS-05: Specialized experience is defined as: Performing duties that support the processing of financial/accounting transactions using standardized procedures that may include reviewing financial/accounting systems information/documents for accuracy/completeness, inputting financial/accounting information into automated systems, or correcting invalid financial/accounting transactions.

GS-06: Specialized experience is defined as: Processing a variety of non-routine payroll actions, such as establishing, adjusting and closing payroll accounts; and preparing and balancing a variety of payroll reports.

This position is developmental and selections may be made at the GS-05 or GS-06 entry grade levels. Once eligibility and qualification requirements are met, selectees will be eligible for promotion at management discretion to the GS-05 and GS-06 grade levels without further competition.

Volunteer Experience:
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 to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Applications will be accepted for the open period as stated above. A first cut-off or multiple cut-offs may be utilized for this opportunity. To ensure consideration, submit your application early. The agency reserves the right to close or extend the announcement based on mission need and/or volume of applications received.

This vacancy announcement will be used to fill current vacancies and anticipated future vacancies. Onboarding is dependent upon favorable security/suitability determination and availability of work and vacancies. In some instances, individuals may not be employed for six months or more from the time they are approved by security.

Education

This position is being filled under the Direct Hire Authority (DHA) for Certain Personnel of the Department of Defense via delegated authority by the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

Applicants MUST have related financial experience AND/OR a related financial degree (examples include: Finance, Accounting, Management, Actuarial Science, Business Administration, or related), in addition to meeting Office of Personnel Management (OPM) minimum qualification requirements. Substitution of combination of education and experience must still, in conjunction, minimally satisfy the DHA qualification requirement.

You may apply if you are within nine (9) months of completing the education requirements but official transcripts matching the education qualification standards will be needed before a firm job offer can be sent.

Related degree fields include Finance, Accounting, Management, Actuarial Science, Business Administration, or other related degree(s) to the position being filled.

Qualifying education must be conferred or awarded within nine (9) months of the closing date of this announcement.

GS-05 SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION FOR SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Four years of successfully completed education above the high school level may be substituted to meet the specialized experience required when it is directly related to the work of the position being filled for which high school graduation, or the equivalent, is a prerequisite. Equivalent combinations of successfully completed education and experience may be used to meet total experience requirements. A percentage of the education (which is directly related to the work of the position being filled) and experience which when combined totals 100% of the necessary education and experience to qualify for this position. (Only education that directly relates to the work being filled beyond the first 60 semester hours will count toward the percentage).

GS-06 Substitution of Education for Experience: Six months of graduate education may be substituted to meet the specialized experience required when it is directly related to the work of the position being filled.

If you are using education to substitute for the specialized experience, you must submit transcripts at the time you apply. To be creditable, education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (http://www2.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html).

Additional information

  • Announcement may be utilized to fill current and future anticipated agency needs. In some cases, individuals may not onboard up to six (6) months from date they clear security.
  • Moving expenses WILL NOT be paid.
  • 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.
  • Selections are subject to restrictions resulting from the DoD Program for Stability of Civilian Employment.
  • As a condition of employment, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary 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.?
  • We may use this announcement to fill additional vacancies within 90 days of the closing date.
  • DFAS recognizes the value of competencies gained through formal education and professional certifications. To ensure that consistent credit is given for these credentials in the selection process DFAS has developed standard selection criteria to be used when filling positions in professional and administrative series. Selections for professional and administrative positions will be based on four categories of selection criteria: Experience, Other, Education, and Certifications.
  • 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).
  • 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.
  • All applicants are encouraged to apply electronically. If you are unable to apply on-line, you may contact 317-212-0454 for assistance.
  • This position requires you to obtain and maintain a Level 1 Certification under the DoD Financial Management (FM) Certification Program as a condition of employment. If you are selected, you will have to obtain this certification within two (2) years of your entry on duty in the position unless you are already in a position that requires a Level 1 Certification in which case you must complete the certification within the original 2-year period. Failure to become certified within the required time-frame may be grounds for removal from the position and/or from Federal service. Information about the DoD FM Certification Program is available at FM Certification

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)

  • Arithmetic/Mathematical Reasoning
  • Customer Service
  • Flexibility
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Reading Comprehension


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.

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.

You can preview the Assessment Questionnaire here:https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13011880


Criminal History Inquiries - If you apply to this position and are selected, we will not ask about your criminal history before you receive a conditional job offer. If you believe you were asked about your criminal history improperly, contact the agency @ dfas.indianapolis-in.zh.mbx.ssc-cc@mail.mil.

Defense Finance and Accounting Service

This position is being filled under the Direct Hire Authority for Certain Personnel of the Department of Defense via delegated authority by the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Positions may be filled as permanent or term with a full-time or part-time work schedule. Pay will vary by geographic location. We reserve the right to close this announcement early or to extend, as appropriate, based upon the needs of the Agency. Qualified application packages may be referred to management at various points in the selection process depending on the number and timing of applications received. Selections may be made at any point during the announcement open period.

Pay for first time hires to Federal Govt will typically be set at step 1 for their respective grade level.
To view pay rates in a specific location visit the OPM pay tables at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/

Employment with DFAS means access to generous benefits such as: health, vision, and dental insurance, retirement benefits, paid time off, and educational benefits.

Agency contact information

HR Customer Care Center
Phone
(317) 212-0454
Email
dfas.indianapolis-in.zh.mbx.dfasmeritcc@mail.mil
Address
DFAS - ACCOUNTING OPERATIONS - INDIANAPOLIS
8899 E. 56th Street
Indianapolis, IN 46249
US

Visit our careers page

Learn more about what it's like to work at Defense Finance and Accounting Service, what the agency does, and about the types of careers this agency offers.

https://www.dfas.mil

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