Duties

Summary

This position is located with the Department of Homeland Security, United States Coast Guard, Assistant Commandant for Resources, Office of Internal Controls (CG-85) located in Washington, DC.

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

In this position, you will be responsible for coordinating, directing, and reviewing internal controls test work by verifying and validating Coast Guard wide audit remediation and corrective action plans related to material weaknesses and significant deficiencies under the Chief Financial Officers Act and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Security Accountability Act.

Being a civilian working for the Coast Guard makes you a valuable team member. Typical duties include:

• Providing technical reviews, expert feedback, guidance and oversight of from internal control and audit remediation activities related to findings and reports from conducted control test work, the DHS Office of the Inspector General (OIG), the General Accounting Office (GAO), and other organizations in order to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations, effective and efficient operations, and reliable reporting, which includes financial statements reported in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and the Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Board (FASAB).
• Developing and implementing sound financial management, accounting, and internal control policies; conducting studies for special projects and presenting the results and researching and resolving problems independently and in a team environment.
• Providing written and verbal advice to financial and program managers and other Accountants on unusual and difficult accounting system and/or process operation problems, identifying opportunities for improvement to business processes and internal controls.
• Ensuring that the agency is in compliance with the Federal Manager' Financial Integrity Act (FMFIA), OMB Circular A-123, General Accounting Office (GAO) Internal Control Standards, and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Internal Control guidance.
• Leveraging technology, which includes governance, risk, and compliance tools in order to enhance workflows and improve data transparency to the supervisor and agency leadership.

Travel Required

Occasional travel - Occasional travel is required.

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
14

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• U.S. Citizenship is required.
• Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for Selective Service.
• Unofficial transcripts must be submitted at the time of application.
• May be required to serve a probationary period.
• Requires National Agency Check with Inquiries Background Investigation.

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement. This includes Time-In-Grade requirements for current status employees applying through merit promotion procedures. Status applicants applying for a promotion must have 52 weeks of service at the next lower grade.

Qualifications

Applicants must have a:

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.

Applicants must have at least one full year of experience equivalent to the GS-13 level in the Federal service.

Specialized experience includes: coordinating, directing, and/or reviewing internal controls test work by verifying and validating audit remediation and corrective action plans; providing feedback and guidance from internal control and audit remediation activities related to findings and reports from conducted control test work in order to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations, effective and efficient operations, and reliable reporting, including financial statements; identifying key controls for process areas and performing risk assessments over these controls; establishing standards for test plans and reviewing the suitability of test procedures in order to conduct tests over key controls to evaluate process performance; providing advice to financial and program managers and other accountants on accounting system and/or process operation problems, identifying opportunities for improvement to business processes and internal controls; and leveraging technology, which includes governance, risk, and compliance tools in order to enhance workflows and improve data transparency to the supervisor and agency leadership.

Specialized experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular competencies/knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position and is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled.

National Service Experience (i.e., 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 directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

The Office of Personnel management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule, C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.

Education

This position does have a positive education requirement. If you are including education on your resume, report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. See Required Documents section for detail.

FOREIGN EDUCATION: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet Federal qualification requirements if you can show that your foreign education is comparable to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence with your application. See Recognition of Foreign Qualifications click here

Additional information

Applicants will be required to complete questions contained on the Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) at the time a tentative job offer is made. Certain responses on the form could pose a problem with suitability for employment determinations. If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete/make updates to the OF-306 and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application, prior to entry on duty. False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment, dismissal after beginning work, or imprisonment.

DHS uses e-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about e-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities at click here

Recruitment incentives may be authorized.

All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit.

The Department of Homeland Security encourages persons with disabilities to apply, to include persons with intellectual, severe physical or psychiatric disabilities, as defined by 5 CFR § 213.3102(u), and/or Disabled Veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30 percent or more as defined by 5 CFR § 315.707. Veterans , Peace Corps / VISTA volunteers , and persons with disabilities possess a wealth of unique talents, experiences, and competencies that can be invaluable to the DHS mission. If you are a member of one of these groups, you may not have to compete with the public for federal jobs. To determine your eligibility for non-competitive appointment and to understand the required documentation, click on the links above or contact the Servicing Human Resources Office listed at the bottom of this announcement.

More than 1 selection may be made from this announcement if additional identical vacancies in the same title, series, grade, and unit occur within 45 days from the date the certificate was issued.

If you need a reasonable accommodation for the application and hiring process, please contact 202-795-6272. Decisions on granting reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. Visit Reasonable Accommodation

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

We will review your résumé and supporting documentation to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. If you meet the minimum qualifications, your experience, education and training will be rated using the on-line self assessment questions that are based on the following competencies or knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform this job:

Knowledge of accounting principles and internal control standards and concepts sufficient to direct, develop, implement, and coordinate a variety of internal control assessment, accounting policy, and audit related activities.

Knowledge of financial management principles, practices, and techniques, which includes GAO, OMB, DHS, and Coast Guard policies, procedures, regulations, and accounting and auditing standards, and the development and/or implementation of DHS policies and regulations.

Knowledge of management issues and programs as they relate to resolving accounting and audit problems/issues in planning evaluation, control, and resource allocation in Coast Guard operations and the ability to provide advice on accounting and financial management related issues to various levels of management throughout the Agency.

Knowledge of information management systems and related information technologies, which include financial and administrative systems design, operation, and cyber security risks.

Knowledge of the techniques of written, oral, and visual communication sufficient to speak and write with clarity and tact, to secure acceptance of proposed program initiatives, and to make formal presentations related to a wide range of strategic transformation and communication issues.

Your resume and responses to the self-assessment questions are an integral part of the process for determining your qualifications for the position. Therefore, you must support your responses to the self-assessment questions by providing examples of past and present experience in your resume.

If you are best qualified, you may be referred to the hiring manager for consideration and may be called for an interview.

Consideration will be given to performance appraisals and incentive awards as an indicator of quality of prior experience; no points will be assigned.

To preview questions please click here .

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Other

Drug test required
No

Required Documents

1. Your resume
2. Your responses to the online questionnaire
3. Current or former federal employees, submit a copy of your most recent SF-50, Notice of Personnel Action, that demonstrates your eligibility for consideration, e.g., length of time you have been in your current/highest grade. Examples of appropriate SF-50s include promotions, with-in grade increases. Performance award are not acceptable.
4. If you are qualifying based on education, submit a legible copy of your unofficial college transcript from an accredited college/university. The transcript must reflect the college/university name and/or logo. Applicants are highly encouraged to proactively order a copy of their official transcripts to be delivered to their home address so transcripts will be readily available if selected. If selected, official transcripts are required prior to establishing your start date. Foreign education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet education requirements if you can show that it is comparable to education received in U.S. accredited institutions. Provide proof with your application. Please see click here.
5. If you are claiming special priority selection rights under the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP), you must submit a copy of your agency notice, most recent performance rating and most recent SF-50, noting your current position, grade level and duty location. If you have never worked for the federal government, you are not ICTAP eligible. To be considered eligible, you must be placed in the well-qualified category for this position. Please see ICTAP eligibility.
6. If you are claiming veterans' preference, submit the following documents. Please see Feds Hire Vets for detail.
a. Veterans claiming 5 point veterans' preference must submit legible Member 4 Copy DD214(s) indicating Character of Service. 5-point preference will not be granted if appropriate documentation is not submitted.
b. 30% Disabled Veterans must submit their Member Copy 4 DD-214(s), which includes Character of Service, and VA Disability Letter with percentage of disability OR documentation of disability determination from a branch of the Armed Forces which reflects a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more.
c. Other 10 point Preference Eligibles must submit applicable Member Copy 4 DD-214(s), which includes Character of Service, and provide documentation of your other 10 point preference. If claiming 10 point preference, you must provide required documentation described on the back of the SF-15 . 10-point preference will not be granted if appropriate documentation is not submitted with your application.
d. If you are a current active duty military member who does not have a DD214 and is claiming preference under the Veterans Opportunity to Work (VOW) Act, you must submit certification from the Armed Forces indicating that you will be discharged or released under honorable conditions from active duty within 120 days from the date on the certification. Certifications must be on letterhead from the appropriate military branch and include: military dates of service and expected discharge or release date, character of service, military rank, type of discharge and date when terminal leave will begin. Certifications must be signed by, or by direction of military members' military personnel offices, unit commanders or higher headquarters.
7. If you are requesting consideration under Executive Order 13473 , you must submit proof of eligibility. At a minimum to confirm eligibility for purposes of appointment based on relocation under these provisions a spouse of a service member must provide a copy of the marriage certificate or other documentation verifying marriage and a copy of the military PCS orders assigning the service member to a certain post. The PCS orders must state the member's spouse was authorized on the military orders. Proof of eligibility based on disability and deaths resulting from active duty service is outlined here.
8. OPM must authorize employment offers for former or current Political Appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C or Non-Career SES employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information. Submit proof of your former or current status, such as your SF-50. Please see here.

All documentation as outlined above must be received by the closing date of the announcement. If you are unable to submit your documents electronically, you may fax or mail the documents. A fax cover sheet will be provided to you from the system with fax number and instructions. Required documents will also be accepted by mail and must be received by the closing date of the announcement. The mailing address is COMMANDANT CG-123), ATTN OFFICE OF CIVILIAN HUMAN RESOURCES (JOBS), US COAST GUARD, 2703 MARTIN LUTHER KING JR AVE SE STOP 7912, WASHINGTON, DC 20593-7912.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education .

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.