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Accountant

Employer
USAJobs
Location
Washington, D.C
Closing date
Oct 6, 2020

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Duties

Summary

Are you a graduating student or a recent grad? Join our Pathways Recent Graduate Program! This program offers professional and technical training, mentoring and developmental opportunities; the initial length of the position is one year but may be made permanent in the competitive service without further competition.

Location of position: General Services Administration, Office of Chief Financial Officer, Washington, D.C.

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

This position is in the Office of the Chief Financial Officer, which is responsible for providing strategic consulting and advice to our business partners, helping them deliver on their mission. As an Accountant, you will use a basic foundation of professional accounting knowledge to perform routine accounting work, consistent with the employee's on-the-job training and expanding accounting programmatic experience.

Duties at the GS-07 Grade Level

Maintains liaison and effective day-today working relationship with operating officials to improve work flow, clarify instructions, correct errors, and learn about operational problems to be resolved. Reviews existing reports and accounts to identify any inaccuracies and provides feedback orally or in writing as requested. Reviews routine accounting activities including accounting automated systems, accounting data, transactions, ledgers, accounts, summary reports, and financial statements. Serves as the principle point of contact or reference in the handling of routine problems either providing solutions derived from the direct application of well established principles and practices or referring the problem to the supervisor for solution.

Duties at the GS-09 Grade Level

Researches various source documents and data to identify situations and problems and verify information to carry out the successive steps in fact-finding and analysis necessary to complete each phase of assigned work/projects. Analyzes and evaluates current accounting policies, practices, procedures and methods used by the organization to learn and recommend areas and types of corrective/improvement action needed. Prepares various accounting information documents or statistical data in accordance with recognized accounting guidelines, theories and practices. Studies existing reports, accounts, or instructions relating to possible changes modifications and/or streamlining in various accounting activities and provides feedback orally or in writing and is involved in the different phases of implementation as assigned by the supervisor or senior staff employee(s).

Travel Required

Occasional travel - Occasional travel may be required.

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
12

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • US Citizenship or National (Residents of American Samoa and Swains Island)
  • Applicants must provide college transcripts.
  • Register with the Selective Service if you are a male born after 12/31/1959


If selected, you must meet the following conditions:
  • Receive authorization from OPM on any job offer you receive, if you are or were (within the last 5 years) a political Schedule A, Schedule C or Non-Career SES employee in the Executive Branch.
  • Register with the Selective Service, if you are a male born after 12/31/1959.
  • Serve a one year trial period, if required.
  • Undergo and pass a background investigation (Tier 2 investigation level).
  • Have your identity and work status eligibility verified if you are not a GSA employee. We will use the Department of Homeland Security's e-Verify system for this. Any discrepancies must be resolved as a condition of continued employment.

If selected as a participant in our Pathways Recent Graduates program, you will:
  • Receive at least 40 hours of formal training directly linked to your employment field in addition to soft skill training.
  • Signed participant agreement is required for employment under this Program.
  • Enjoy annual promotions for the first 2-3 years if you perform successfully.


Qualifications

For each job on your resume, provide:
  • the exact dates you held each job (from month/year to month/year)
  • number of hours per week you worked (if part time).

If you have volunteered your service through a National Service program (e.g., Peace Corps, Americorps), we encourage you to apply and include this experience on your resume.

For a brief video on creating a Federal resume, click here .

If you are a new federal employee, your starting salary will likely be set at the Step 1 of the grade for which you are selected.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE:

Accountant Qualifications:

Basic Requirements: You must have either A or B, or C:

  • Degree in accounting
  • 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
  • A combination of college level education and experience.

  • Refer to OPM's Accounting Qualification Standard for more information.

    GS-07 Grade Level

    The GS-07 salary range starts at $48,670 per year.

    In addition to the Basic Requirements, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 level in the Federal service. Examples of qualifying experience include work that provided: a general knowledge of accounting procedures; review and analysis of prepared financial reports; and responsibility for entering and maintaining subsidiary ledgers. OR 1 year of graduate-level education or superior academic achievement.

    Superior Academic Achievement (SAA) at the baccalaureate level is fully qualifying at the GS-7 level. To claim SAA, submit documentation of one of the following:

    1. Class standing -- You must be in the upper third of your graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses.

    2. Grade-point average (rounded to one decimal point) of :
  • 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on your official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of your curriculum; or
  • 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in your major field or the required courses in your major field completed during your final 2 years of the curriculum.

  • 3. Election to membership in a national scholastic honor society in one of the national scholastic honor societies listed by the Association of College Honor Societies.

    GS-09 Grade Level

    The GS-09 salary range starts at $59,534 per year.

    In addition to the Basic Requirements, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level in the Federal service. Examples of qualifying experience include developing automated accounting procedures for routine records, and analyzing financial and statistical data. OR 2 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree OR a combination of graduate level education and appropriate experience that together meet the qualification requirements of this position.

    Education

    Note: If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html

    Additional information

    Bargaining Unit status: Not Applicable

    If you are selected at a grade lower than the full performance level, you may be promoted up to that grade level without having to re-apply or compete against other applicants.

    We are currently filling one vacancy, but additional vacancies may be filled through this announcement in this or other GSA organizations within the same commuting area.

    On a case-by-case basis, the following incentives may be approved:
    • Recruitment incentive if you are new to the federal government.


    How You Will Be Evaluated

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

    We will use a method called Category Rating to assess your application. Here's how it will work:

    You will be scored on the questions you answer during the application process, which will measure your possession of the following competencies or knowledge, skills, and abilities:

    GS-07 Grade Level
  • Ability to compile centrally requested cost reports and reports of variance from standards in order to develop reports comparing actual results to plans and budgets.
  • Ability to identify accounting problems such as inadequate maintenance of fund controls, inaccurate records and reports, improper methods for document control, and lack of documentary evidence to support performance of regulatory reconciliations.
  • Skill in performing statistical analyses of agency productivity trends.
  • Knowledge of accounting concepts, principles, and methods sufficient to work independently using conventional procedures and practices that apply to most situations.

  • GS-09 Grade Level
  • Ability to compile centrally requested cost reports and reports of variance from standards in order to develop reports comparing actual results to plans and budgets.
  • Knowledge of accounting concepts, principles, and methods sufficient to work independently using conventional procedures and practices that apply to most situations.
  • Skill in performing statistical analyses of agency productivity trends.
  • Ability to participate with other accountants in developing cost estimates for in-house projects and contractor proposals.

  • Your answers to the questions will be used to place you in one of three categories:

    Best Qualified, Well Qualified, or Qualified

    We will verify your answers to the questions in your resume. If your resume doesn't support your answers, we may lower your score, which could place you in a lower category.

    Within each category, veterans will receive selection priority over non-veterans.

    If you meet the criteria above, you will be referred to the selecting official. Veterans will receive selection priority over non-veterans.

    To preview questions please click here .

    Background checks and security clearance

    Security clearance
    Other

    Drug test required
    No

    Position sensitivity and risk
    Noncritical-Sensitive (NCS)/Moderate Risk

    Trust determination process

    Required Documents

    ALL required documents must be submitted before the closing date. Review the following list to determine what you need to submit.

    Current or Former Political Appointees: Submit SF-50.

    If you are claiming veterans preference:
    (a) Copy of your Certificate of Release or Discharge From Active Duty, DD-214 that shows the dates of your active duty service. If selected, a DD-214 showing your type of discharge (member 4 copy) will be required prior to appointment.
    (b) If you are claiming 10-point preference, submit both of the following in addition to the DD-214: (1) completed SF-15 form; and (2) proof of your entitlement (refer to SF-15 for complete list).

    If you are active duty military- Certification on a letterhead from your military branch that includes your rank, character of service (must be under honorable conditions) & military service dates including discharge/release date (must be no later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted).

    College transcripts: Your transcripts must show a, b, and c:
    (a) Proof of recent graduate status (within past 2 years or on track to graduate by October, 2020or within past 6 years if you were prevented from applying due to your military service)
    (b) Name of your college or university
    (c) Date your degree was awarded

    If you are currently pursuing a graduate degree, but you are claiming Recent Graduate eligibility based on a previous degree, you must also include those transcripts.

    If you completed your education outside of the U.S., see Foreign Education information for guidance on what we can accept.

    If selected, an official transcript will be required prior to appointment.

    Superior Academic Achievement: Submit transcripts as described above. If you qualify based on your class rank or honor society membership, submit documentation of it.

    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.

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