As an Accountant, you will be responsible for performing professional accounting work and providing authoritative advice to executive level management, external parties and other staff on policy and operations related to accounting and financial management matters. This position is in the Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO), which establishes financial policies and procedures and oversees the formulation and execution of the agency's budget.
Summary
As an Accountant, you will be responsible for performing professional accounting work and providing authoritative advice to executive level management, external parties and other staff on policy and operations related to accounting and financial management matters. This position is in the Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO), which establishes financial policies and procedures and oversees the formulation and execution of the agency's budget.
Performs professional accounting work that requires the application of accounting theories, concepts, principles, and standards.
Provides technical leadership in the design, development, operation, or inspection of accounting and budget systems.
Oversee OCFO's activities on the annual Performance and Accountability Report in collaboration with other offices.
Serves as the audit liaison for the agency's financial statement audit, to include gathering requested documentation, coordinating with other offices and our shared service provider and updating management on the status of the audit.
Develops accounting cost policy, methods, and processes for compliance with applicable legal and regulatory requirements.
Participates in the annual Farm Credit System assessment process and supports the budget team as needed on functions such as mid-year budget reviews.
Submission of a financial disclosure report may be required.
Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service.
Must be a U.S. citizen.
Qualifications
BASIC REQUIREMENT
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 experience fully meet the specified requirements.
In addition to the above basic requirement, you must meet the specialized experience statement below.
You may qualify at the VH-40 (GS-14) grade level if you have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the VH-39 (GS-13) 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 such as:
Coordinating all accounting activities related to the development and publication of agency financial statements.
Coordinating activities related to the development and publication of the agency's annual Performance and Accountability Report.
Developing accounting cost policy, methods, and processes for compliance with applicable legal and regulatory requirements.
Overseeing activities supporting the financial statement audit, to include review of documentation provided to auditors, coordinating with other Offices and Office of Inspector General (OIG) staff, and updating management as needed on the status of the audit.
Providing technical leadership in the operation of agency financial management, systems, and processes.
Performing professional accounting work that requires the application of accounting theories, concepts, principles, and standards.
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.
Time-In-Grade Requirements: Current and former Federal employees (including VEOA eligibles) must have served one-year (52 weeks) at the next lower grade in the Federal service to meet time-in-grade restrictions per 5 CFR 300, Subpart F, by the closing date of the announcement.
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
Only experience and education obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered.
This announcement may be used to fill similar vacancies.
Applicants are encouraged to apply to all band/grade levels for which believe they are qualified for and wish to receive consideration.
To receive selection priority for this position, you must: (1) meet CTAP 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 eligibility. For more information visit: http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp
All FCA 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.
FCA's supplemental ethics regulations restrict certain FCA 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.
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 at FCA | Farm Credit Administration) for information on filing a complaint.
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.
Structured Resume Review: You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above. Once the announcement has closed, a review of your résumé (no more than 2 pages) and required supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the minimum qualification requirements listed on this announcement. If you are minimally qualified, your résumé will be compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire to determine your level of experience. If, after reviewing your résumé, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.
1. Your resume will be reviewed, to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements outlined in this announcement. Therefore, it is imperative that your resume contains sufficiently detailed information upon which to make the qualification determination.
2. If you are found minimally qualified, a Management Screening Panel (MSP) will review your resume against pre-established benchmarks related to the competencies/KSAs, to determine if you possess the competencies/KSAs and key experiences.
3. Top ranked candidates will be invited to participate in one or more structured panel interviews to further assess technical competencies, confirm organizational fit, and commitment to American ideals.
All qualified candidates will be assigned to a quality category. The category assignment is a measure of the degree in which your background matches the competencies required for this position. Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):
Accountability
Accounting Operations
Attention to Detail
Teamwork
Technical Competence
All qualified Non-Competitive applicants and the best qualified Merit Promotion applicants will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration.
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 based on the competencies listed 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
To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes:
Your resume (no more than two pages in a Times Roman 10pt font) 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:
SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action that is most recent that shows you are/were in the competitive service and the highest grade or promotion potential held. A cash award SF-50 should not be provided.
Career Transition Assistance Program/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.)
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.)
Certain Family Members Eligible under E.O. 12721. Your most recent non-award SF-50 and performance appraisal.
Certain Military Spouses Eligible under E.O. 13473. Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders, that lists you as authorized to accompany the Military member to the new duty permanent station; OR verification of the member's 100% disability (VA Letter); and/or verification of the member's death while on active duty (DD-1300 and Death Certificate) AND verification of the marriage to the service member (i.e., a marriage license or other legal documentation verifying marriage).
Interchange Agreement with Other Merit Systems Eligible. Documentation eligibility as listed in each individual interchange agreement.
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 FCA 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.
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 (no more than two pages in a Times Roman 10pt font) 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:
SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action that is most recent that shows you are/were in the competitive service and the highest grade or promotion potential held. A cash award SF-50 should not be provided.
Career Transition Assistance Program/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.)
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.)
Certain Family Members Eligible under E.O. 12721. Your most recent non-award SF-50 and performance appraisal.
Certain Military Spouses Eligible under E.O. 13473. Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders, that lists you as authorized to accompany the Military member to the new duty permanent station; OR verification of the member's 100% disability (VA Letter); and/or verification of the member's death while on active duty (DD-1300 and Death Certificate) AND verification of the marriage to the service member (i.e., a marriage license or other legal documentation verifying marriage).
Interchange Agreement with Other Merit Systems Eligible. Documentation eligibility as listed in each individual interchange agreement.
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 FCA 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.
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.
