This position is located in the Farm Credit System Insurance Corporation (FCSIC), Financial Management Division (FMD), in McLean, Virginia. Serves as a Senior Accountant and reports directly to the Chief Financial Officer (CFO). FCSIC utilizes a shared service provider to support financial reporting.
Summary
This position is located in the Farm Credit System Insurance Corporation (FCSIC), Financial Management Division (FMD), in McLean, Virginia. Serves as a Senior Accountant and reports directly to the Chief Financial Officer (CFO). FCSIC utilizes a shared service provider to support financial reporting.
Supports the financial management and insurance fund operations of FCSIC, including accounting and financial reporting, internal control evaluation and administration, data analysis, investment and premium-related activities, and special projects. Reviews and analyzes financial data; assists with the preparation of monthly, quarterly, and annual financial reports; ensures compliance with applicable federal laws, regulations, policies, and standards; and contributes to the development and documentation of policies and procedures. Major duties include things such as:
Reviews and evaluates financial data and transactions recorded in the financial management system, including posting entries and reconciliations of cash, investments, premium receivables, and other accounts.
Assists with the preparation of monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements and related reports, including FCSIC's Annual Report, government-wide and regulatory reporting such as Office of Management and Budget (OMB) data requests and year-end audited financial statements.
Analyzes trends in insurance obligations, Insurance Fund percentages, and projected investment income; coordinates with Farm Credit System (FCS) banks or Associations to obtain data or communicate information; and projects insurance premium assessments to FCS banks.
Drafts and updates policies, procedures, standard operating procedures (SOPs), Board materials, and other written reports and documents related to financial management, internal controls, and program operations.
Performs internal control risk assessments for FCSIC operations and the control environment pursuant to the Federal Managers' Financial Integrity Act (FMFIA) and other relevant guidance.
Assists in the administration of the travel system, including routing changes, assigning proper accounting codes, and responding to employee inquiries; makes, allocates and reviews purchase card transactions.
Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service.
Resume and supporting documents (See How to Apply)
Suitability for Federal employment, as determined by a background investigation.
May be required to successfully complete a probationary or trial period.
Submission of a financial disclosure report may be required.
Qualifications
Basic Requirements
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
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 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 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 experiencefully meet the specified requirements.
In addition to the above basic requirement:
You may qualify at the VH-39 (GS-13) grade level if you have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the VH-38 (GS-12) grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped you with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. Some examples of qualifying experience include:
Preparing or contributing to audited financial statements and an annual report, including month end and year end close, account reconciliations, variance analysis, and drafting or reviewing disclosures.
Maintaining and reconciling the general ledger in an enterprise accounting system, preparing journal entries (including accruals and adjustments), resolving abnormal balances, and clearing reconciling items promptly.
Designing, documenting, and testing internal controls over financial reporting; summarizing results; and supporting corrective actions to remediate control deficiencies. Performing evaluations and risk assessments over financial reporting processes using a recognized internal control framework such as the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations Internal Control-Integrated Framework.
Preparing audit requests, schedules/support and responding to auditor inquiries through fieldwork and closing.
Drafting clear accounting procedures or policy memos and communicating complex financial topics to non accountants to support decision-making.
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.
The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act of 2019, with some exceptions, prohibits the Farm Credit Administration from requesting an applicant's criminal history record before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. 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, visit our website at (Careers) for information on filing a complaint.
Education
ARE YOU USING YOUR EDUCATION TO QUALIFY? You MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Unless otherwise stated: (1) official or unofficial transcripts are acceptable, or (2) you may submit a list with all your courses, grades, semester, year, and credit for the course. All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement.
PASS/FAIL COURSES: If more than 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) were taken on a pass/fail basis, your claim of superior academic achievement must be based upon class standing or membership in an honor society.
GRADUATE EDUCATION: One academic year of graduate education is the number of credits hours your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study.
FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: College Accreditation | U.S. Department of Education
Additional information
If you are a veteran with preference eligibility and are claiming 5-points veterans' preference, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 or other proof of eligibility. If you are claiming 10-point veterans' preference, you must also submit an SF-15, "Application for 10-Point Veterans' Preference" plus the proof required by that form. For more information on veterans' preference visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Veterans.
Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service. For more information visit: https://www.sss.gov/verify/. Career Transition Assistance Programs: These programs apply to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed.
To receive selection priority for this position, you must: (1) meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; (2) be rated well-qualified for the position with a score of 85 or above; and (3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. For more information visit: http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp.
Only experience and education obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered.
All FCSIC employees are subject to the conflict of interest laws and Standards of Ethical Conduct imposed upon all employees of the Executive Branch of the Federal Government and may be required to file a Financial Disclosure Report.
FCSIC's supplemental ethics regulations restrict certain employees concerning their direct or indirect interests in, or connections with, Farm Credit System institutions. These rules also require all employees to obtain approval for outside employment or business activities. Please contact the HR Division for additional information on these rules.
FCSIC uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees.
This announcement may be used to fill similar vacancies.
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: https://appsupport.usastaffing.gov/hc/en-us/sections/28980686389652-Reasonable-Accommodation-Information
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.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
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.
In addition to USA Hire, you will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Once the application process is complete, your two-page resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications.
Structured Resume Review: Occupational Experts (OEs) will review your resume to determine your technical qualifications for this position based on the required competencies. OEs will review ONLY your two (2) page resume. OEs will not review additional information beyond your resume (e.g., cover letter, links embedded in your resume).
You will be assessed on the following competencies:
Accountability
Accounting Operations, General Ledger, and Financial Systems Oversight
Accounting Policy, Technical Guidance, and Communication
Arithmetic/Mathematical Reasoning
Attention to Detail
Audited Financial Reporting and Annual Report Coordination
Customer Service
Decision Making
External Audit Coordination
External Audit, Regulatory Reporting, and Technical Accounting
Flexibility
Integrity/Honesty
Internal Controls over Financial Reporting and Enterprise Risk Management
Interpersonal Skills
Learning
Reasoning
Self-Management
Stress Tolerance
Teamwork
If you are found qualified, your application will move forward to additional phase(s) of the review and assessment processes which will include responses to narrative questions.
Your application will be evaluated and rated under Category Rating and Selection procedures. Eligible candidates will be placed in one of three pre-defined quality categories, described below. The category assignment is a measure of the degree in which your background matches the competencies required for this position.
Highly-Qualified Category: In addition to meeting minimum qualifications, applicants must fully demonstrate proficiency in all major aspects of the position.
Well-Qualified Category: In addition to meeting minimum qualifications, applicants must demonstrate proficiency in some but not all of the major aspects of the position.
Qualified Category: In addition to meeting minimum qualifications, applicants must demonstrate a basic level of knowledge, skill and ability of the position.
Under category rating procedures, veterans' preference points are not applied. The rights of eligible veterans are protected by placement on the list ahead of non-preference eligibles within each pre-defined quality category. Preference eligibles who meet minimum qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent (i.e., CPS and CP) are listed in the Highly-Qualified category except when the position is being filled is scientific or professional at the VH-35 (GS-09) band level or higher.
To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes:
Your resume showing (1) paid and non-paid work experience including your position title, start and end dates (month/year) of employment, hours worked per week, and duties performed (separated by position series and grade for each federal position, if applicable).
College Transcript(s), if qualifying based on education and/or a certificate as a Certified Public Accountant or a Certified Internal Auditor, obtained through written examination.
Other supporting documents:
Cover letter, optional
Veterans' Preference documentation, if applicable (e.g. DD-214 Member Copy 4 showing type of discharge/character of service; SF-15 Form and related documentation; VA letter.)
Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program documentation, if applicable (e.g., Certification of Expected Separation, Reduction-In-Force Separation Notice, or Notice of Proposed Removal; SF-50 that documents the RIF separation action; and most recent performance appraisal.)
To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration.
To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
Follow the prompts to select your résumé and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
You will be taken to the online application which you must complete to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://www.usajobs.gov/), all your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status.
If you are unable to apply online, you must request an alternative application which is available from the Human Resources Division. Please contact FSCIC HR Division at Employment_Opportunities@fca.gov or 703-883-4135 between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. ET, at least two business days prior to the closing date of this announcement to obtain an alternative application.
Human Resources Division
1501 Farm Credit Drive
McLean, VA 22102
US
Next steps
Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. Your application will be evaluated by the Human Resources Division to determine your eligibility for the position. Later steps in the selection process are specifically designed to verify your ratings. Your resume may be evaluated by a subject matter expert or may be asked to complete a structured interview, written demonstration, and/or fit interview as part of the assessment process. After the evaluation is complete, you will receive another notification regarding the status of your application.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes:
Your resume showing (1) paid and non-paid work experience including your position title, start and end dates (month/year) of employment, hours worked per week, and duties performed (separated by position series and grade for each federal position, if applicable).
College Transcript(s), if qualifying based on education and/or a certificate as a Certified Public Accountant or a Certified Internal Auditor, obtained through written examination.
Other supporting documents:
Cover letter, optional
Veterans' Preference documentation, if applicable (e.g. DD-214 Member Copy 4 showing type of discharge/character of service; SF-15 Form and related documentation; VA letter.)
Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program documentation, if applicable (e.g., Certification of Expected Separation, Reduction-In-Force Separation Notice, or Notice of Proposed Removal; SF-50 that documents the RIF separation action; and most recent performance appraisal.)
To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration.
To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
Follow the prompts to select your résumé and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
You will be taken to the online application which you must complete to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://www.usajobs.gov/), all your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status.
If you are unable to apply online, you must request an alternative application which is available from the Human Resources Division. Please contact FSCIC HR Division at Employment_Opportunities@fca.gov or 703-883-4135 between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. ET, at least two business days prior to the closing date of this announcement to obtain an alternative application.
Human Resources Division
1501 Farm Credit Drive
McLean, VA 22102
US
Next steps
Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. Your application will be evaluated by the Human Resources Division to determine your eligibility for the position. Later steps in the selection process are specifically designed to verify your ratings. Your resume may be evaluated by a subject matter expert or may be asked to complete a structured interview, written demonstration, and/or fit interview as part of the assessment process. After the evaluation is complete, you will receive another notification regarding the status of your application.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
