Duties

Summary

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is the principal Federal agency responsible for measuring labor market activity, working conditions, and price changes in the economy. Its mission is to collect, analyze, and disseminate essential economic information to support public and private decision-making. As an independent statistical agency, BLS serves its diverse user communities by providing products and services that are objective, timely, accurate, and relevant.

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

The incumbent serves as the Accounting Officer. Duties may include but are not limited to the following:

• Directs subordinate supervisors and employees in the efficient and effective performance of the Division's accounting policies, programs, and operations within BLS, including accounting services, payments, and collections.
• Provides expert advice to BLS management on accounting and financial management issues, including interpretation of Appropriation Law.
• Provides effective control over, and accountability of, all funds and other financial assets of BLS.
• Manages the cash management and debt collection programs of BLS.
• Manages the monthly, quarterly, and year-end closeout activities, reviewing all work for compliance with applicable laws and regulations to ensure the accuracy and integrity of the BLS financial data.
• Ensures that fund balances with the U.S. Treasury are reconciled on a monthly basis.
• Analyzes the monthly financial statements and reports, including the SF 133 and Trial Balance, for accuracy.
• Oversees the execution of the BLS reimbursable accounting process, including recording earned and unearned revenue and providing quarterly notifications of BLS reimbursable balances to the federal agencies it is servicing.
• Reconciles and resolves intragovernmental differences with federal trading partners.
• Manages the preparation of fund allotments and allocations during the year consistent with the BLS apportionment prepared by the BLS Budget Officer.
• Manages the reconciliation of capitalized assets and internal use software.
• Represents BLS with auditors for financial statements audits and for internal control assessments, responds to findings and recommendations, and develops and implements corrective action plans.
• Represents BLS in the development of new Department of Labor financial systems, or systems interfacing with financial systems (e.g., core accounting, travel, property, procurement, etc.).
• Represents BLS in the operations of the Department of Labor's Oracle-based financial accounting system.

Travel Required

Occasional travel - Some travel may be required less than 25% of the time.

Supervisory status
Yes

Promotion Potential
15 - This position is being advertised at the FPL15.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• Must be at least 16 years old and a U.S. Citizen.
• Appointment to this position may require a background investigation.
• Requires a probationary period if the requirement has not been met.
• Requires a probationary period if the requirement has not been met.

Applicants must meet time-in-grade, time-after-competitive-appointment and qualifications requirements within 30 calendar days after the closing date of the vacancy to be eligible for consideration for selection.

Federal Employees Please Note: Your SF-50 must include enough information to be able to determine that time-in-grade requirements have been met and reflects your position title, pay plan/series/grade, tenure and the type of appointment (i.e. competitive/excepted). In some cases you may need to submit more than one SF-50.

Reference the "Required Documents" section for additional requirements.

Qualifications

To be deemed qualified, applicants must possess:

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

B. 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: 1. Twenty-four semester hours in accounting or auditing courses of appropriate type and quality. This can include up to 6 hours of business law; 2. A certificate as Certified Public Accountant or a Certified Internal Auditor; or 3. 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 1; and (c) except for literal non-conformance to the requirement of 24 semester hours in accounting, the applicant's education, training, and experience fully meet the specified requirements.

In addition, applicants must also have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, GS-14, in the Federal Service. This experience must have equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and ability to successfully perform the duties of this position. At the GS-14 level, specialized experience is utilizing operational experience in providing advice and assistance to top level executive staff and key program officials on on matters relating to accounting operations, and the impact of changes in accounting principles, policies, and standards.

Candidates must have demonstrated in their work experience or training that they possess, or have the potential to develop the qualities of successful supervision.

YOUR APPLICATION MUST INCLUDE EVIDENCE OR DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF YOUR SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE.

Education

You must submit academic transcripts demonstrating that you meet the qualifying educational requirements. You must provide transcripts from each academic institution in which the required courses were taken in order to receive credit for that course work. See the 'Qualifications and Evaluations' section of this announcement for more details.

If you do not submit sufficient academic documentation necessary to demonstrate that you meet the eligibility and minimum qualification requirements described in this announcement, your application will be deemed incomplete and you will be ineligible for further consideration for this vacancy.

Any applicant falsely claiming an academic degree from an accredited school will be subject to actions ranging from disqualification from federal employment to removal from federal service.

If your education was completed at a foreign college or university, you must show comparability to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States and comparability to applicable minimum course work requirements for this position. Click Evaluation of Foreign Education for more information.

Additional information

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

Click here for Evaluation details. For Displaced Employees ONLY: if you meet the eligibility requirements for special priority selection under ICTAP / CTAP , you must be well-qualified for the position to receive consideration for special priority selection. ICTAP/CTAP eligibles will be considered "well-qualified" if they attain at least a rating score of 85 in a numerical rating scheme. Be sure to review DOL Account Eligibility Questions #24 and 27 to reflect that you are applying as an ICTAP/CTAP eligible and submit supporting documentation.

Evaluation Factors (Competencies) - All qualified applicants will be evaluated on the following key competencies:

Leading People - Team Building

Results Driven - Accountability

Results Driven - Customer Service

Decision Making/Problem Solving

Interpersonal Skills

Oral Communication

Self Management

Writing

Accounting Technical

The information you provide may be verified by a review of your work experience and/or education, by checking references and through other means (ex. interview). Your evaluation may also include a review by an HR Specialist or panel and may include other assessment tools (ex. interview, structured interview, written test, work sample, etc). The examining Human Resources Office (HRO) makes the final determination concerning applicant ratings. Your resume MUST provide sufficient information to substantiate your vacancy question responses. If not, the HRO may amend your responses to more accurately reflect the level of competency indicated by the content of your resume.

To preview questions please click here .

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Other

Drug test required
No

Required Documents

The following documents must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on the vacancy closing date. Warning: If you submit a document using the same document title, the 2nd submission will OVERWRITE the 1st submission. Also, do not upload password protected documents.

The following documents are required from all applicants (PLEASE READ CAREFULLY):

ARE YOU A CURRENT OR FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEE? If applying as a status candidate with current or former Federal Service, please provide a copy of your last or most recent SF-50, "Notification of Personnel Action" which shows your appointment eligibility for the position for which you are applying. Your SF-50 must identify the highest grade you held on a permanent basis, Pay Plan/Pay Schedule, Series, and Grade/Pay Band, and career status. Multiple SF-50 may be submitted to demonstrate your highest previous rate and eligibility.

*WARNING: An award SF-50 (ex. cash or time off award) may not indicate grade, step and competitive status. For current DOL employees, an award SF-50 DOES NOT indicate grade and step.

- Most recent performance appraisal/evaluation signed and dated within 18 months is requested by the agency, but will not disqualify candidates if not submitted. If not submitted during the application process, one may/will be requested at the time of the interview if the opportunity is extended. Applies to current and former Federal employees.

- Land Management Eligibles: a copy of your most recent Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50 or equivalent) proving your eligibility for appointment under the Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act. This service must have been performed in the competitive service, under a time limited appointment in a Land Management Agency, as defined by P.L. 114-328. For more information, click here .

The following documents are required if applicable:

- Displaced Employee Placement Documents - Only required if requesting priority consideration under ICTAP / CTAP Eligibility.

- DD-214 - verifying military service, eligibility for consideration under the Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) and showing character of discharge (ex. Member Copy 4 and 2 are acceptable vs. Copy 1 which is not acceptable to adjudicate veteran's preference)

- Special/Non-Competitive Appointing Authority Documents - Applicants who are eligible for consideration, and wish to be considered, under one of the following non-competitive hiring authorities must submit appropriate documentation (click on the links below to see the documentation requirements):

(a) Veterans' Recruitment Appointment (VRA)
(b) Persons with Severe Disabilities (SCHEDULE A)
(c) 30% or More Compensably Disabled Veterans (DAV)
(d) Military Spouses (MISP)

- Cover Letters are not mandatory and will not be used to verify experience, but may be submitted

Applicants selected for employment who are not current DOL employees will be required to provide proof of citizenship , and the E-Verify system will be used to confirm the employment eligibility of all new hires.

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.