Duties

Summary

This is an opportunity under the Internship Program component of the Pathways Programs. The Internship Program provides students enrolled in high schools, colleges, trade schools and other qualifying educational institutions with paid opportunities to work in agencies and explore Federal careers while completing their education. Veteran's Preference will be applied in filling positions under the Pathways Programs.

This is a Student Trainee (Accountant) GS-0599-5/7.

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

This position is located in the Office of Budget, Finance and Awards Management, Division of Financial Management, Accounting and Reporting Branch, Financial Reporting and Accounting Operations and Analysis Section. Duties include the following:

• Monitors the daily operations of the accounting system including transaction inputs, updates, edits and corrections.
• Determines whether accounting transactions are consistent with prescribed coding and that transactions are processed in accordance with policy and guidance.
• Prepares both internal and external financial reports requiring accounting knowledge of the NSF and its programs and operations.
• Assists in the development of detailed reports, recommendations, and briefing materials. Assists in the presentation of briefings to senior managers.
• Participates under the supervision of senior management in troubleshooting and problem solving fiscal matters.
• Gathers, assesses, and analyzes data, in order to research electronic data and identify information concerning trend analysis on administrative or operational functions in the division.

COMPETENCIES

• Accounting and Financial Management
• Data and Financial Analysis
• Written Communication
• Oral Communication
• Representation and Team Collaboration

Travel Required

Not required

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
09

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must have a grade point average of 2.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale
• Selective Service registration required for male applicants, unless exempt
• Background investigation
• You must be taking at least a half-time course load.,

It is NSF policy that NSF personnel employed at or IPAs detailed to NSF are not permitted to participate in foreign government talent recruitment programs. Failure to comply with this NSF policy could result in disciplinary action up to and including removal from Federal Service or termination of an IPA assignment and referral to the Office of Inspector General. Foreign Talent Definitions

• Eligible students must be enrolled at least half-time in an accredited academic institution & maintain a cumulative 2.5 GPA or higher.
• Students may be hired for Internship positions at any time during the year, & may work full-time or part-time based on office needs.
• Students will be on indefinite appointments during their period of eligibility under the Internship Program.
• Interns will be required to sign an agreement that outlines the parameters of the Internship Program.
• The Internship Program allows students an opportunity to be converted non-competitively to a career-conditional or term position once the student completes all requirements of the Internship Program.
• Noncompetitive conversion to a permanent or term position is NOT guaranteed. The Intern's eligibility for conversion does not guarantee that the agency will opt for conversion.
• Interns may be required to submit updated transcripts and proof of enrollment upon selection.

From the closing date of this vacancy announcement, applicants MUST have at least one year remaining in their required coursework for completion of their degree.

Experience refers to paid & unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) & other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills & can provide valuable training & experience that translates to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.

You must answer all job-related questions in the eRecruit questionnaire.

All online applicants must provide a valid email address. If your email address is inaccurate or your mailbox is full /blocked, you may not receive important communication that could affect your consideration for this position.

This position is in the bargaining unit.

Qualifications

To qualify at the GS-5 level, you must have at least three years of progressive work experience, one year of which is equivalent to the GS-4 level in the Federal service. Examples of this experience may include: responsibility for identifying problems, gathering data, and recognizing solutions; planning and organizing work; and communicating orally and in writing; OR Have successfully completed a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree, in an accredited college or university; OR Possess a combination of post high school education and work experience that in combination meet the requirements for this position.

To qualify at the GS-7 level you must have one of the following: At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-5 level in the Federal service. Specialized experience may include: monitoring the daily operations of an accounting system including transaction inputs, updates, edits, and corrections; reconciling an organization's ledger accounts and making entries when necessary; and assisting in the preparation of internal and external budget and financial reports; OR One full year of graduate level education; OR A Bachelor's degree with Superior Academic Achievement - that is one of the following: In the upper one-third of your graduating class; OR a GPA of 3.0 or higher out of 4.0 as recorded on your official transcript, OR based on courses completed during your final 2 years; OR A combination of post high school education and experience that combined meet the qualification requirements for this position.

To be eligible for conversion, you must meet one of the following basic education requirements for accountant positions: 1. A degree from an accredited college or university in accounting and/or auditing or in a related field such as business administration, finance, or public administration that included or was supplemented by 24 semester hours in accounting. This may include up to 6 semester hours of credit in business law; OR 2. A combination of education and experience that includes 4 years of experience in accounting or a combination of accounting experience, college level education, and training and included one of the following: 1) 24 semester hours in appropriate accounting or auditing courses (can include semester 6 hours of business law); 2) certificate as a Certified Public Accountant or a Certified Internal Auditor, from a written exam; 3) degree that included substantial accounting or auditing courses, (i.e.,15 or more semester hours), but less than 24 semester hours and have worked successfully at the full-working level in accounting, auditing, or a related field and a panel of at least 2 higher level professional accountants or auditors have determined that you demonstrated a good knowledge of accounting and related fields. Your application package must include proof of meeting educational requirements.

Education

Education may be substituted for experience as described in "Qualifications."

All Education must be accredited by an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications (particularly positions with a positive education requirement.) Therefore, applicants must report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accredited institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Applicants may verify accreditation at the following website: Accreditation .

PLEASE NOTE: Certificate program is defined as post-secondary education in a qualifying educational institution equal to at least one academic year of full-time study that's part of an accredited college-level, technical, trade, vocational, or business school curriculum.

Additional information

Relocation expenses will NOT be paid.

This announcement is open to All US Citizens who meet citizenship and eligibility requirements.

Federal Appropriations Law requires that Non-Citizens meet certain eligibility criteria to be considered. Therefore, Non-Citizens must certify eligibility by signing and attaching this Citizenship Affidavit to their application. Non-citizens who do not provide the affidavit at the time of application will not be considered. Non-citizens may NOT be converted to competitive service appointments.

This announcement may be used to fill like positions in other organizations within the National Science Foundation.

NSF has determined that all of its positions are eligible for telework. Work suitable for telework depends on job duties; therefore, employees must receive approval from their supervisor for telework and have a telework agreement in place. Entering into a telework agreement is voluntary.

The Selected Candidate(s) may be subject to a background investigation.

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP):
ICTAP and CTAP provide eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP or CTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your ICTAP or CTAP eligibility; 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement; and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified you must meet the following: OPM qualification requirements for the position, all selective factors, where applicable; special OPM approved qualifying conditions for the position; is physically qualified with reasonable accommodation, where appropriate, to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry; and receives a rating of at least "Very Good" on the questionnaire. You must provide proof of eligibility with your application to receive selection priority. Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of ICTAP or CTAP eligibility, or a copy of your separation personnel action form.
Additional information regarding ICTAP or CTAP eligibility is available from OPM's Career Transition Resources

Veteran's Preference:
If you are entitled to veterans' preference, you should indicate the type of veterans' preference you are claiming on your resume. Your veterans' preference entitlement will be verified by the employing agency. For 5-point veterans' preference, please provide your DD-214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty), official statement of service from your command if you are currently on active duty, or other official documentation (e.g., documentation of receipt of a campaign badge or expeditionary medal) that proves your military service was performed under honorable conditions. For 10-point veterans' preference, please submit a Standard Form (SF) 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, DD-214, and the required documentation as specified on the SF-15.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

Applicant qualifications will be assessed based on the level of completed education and relevant work experience at the closing date of the announcement. Category rating procedures will be used to rank and select eligibles. Based on your responses to the occupational questionnaire, you will be assigned a score. Your score will determine in which of three categories you will be placed: Excellent, Very Good, or Good. Under this process, veterans will be assigned to the appropriate category (without additional preference points) and then placed at the top of their category. Veterans with service-connected disability of 10% or more will be placed at the top of the highest quality category.

The information contained in your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses to the Occupational Questionnaire to determine the degree to which you meet the competencies required of this position. Please ensure you answer all questions accurately. Your responses are subject to verification. In support of your responses provided in the Occupational Questionnaire, your resume should include verbiage that describes your experience relative to the position for which you are applying and provide examples that show the depth of knowledge, level of skill, or degree of ability you possess. If your application does not support your responses to the Occupational Questionnaire or your application is not complete, it may affect your evaluation or result in your name being removed from further consideration.

Applicants eligible for selection preference under the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) or CTAP must meet the agency definition of "well qualified." In NSF categories, this means at least "Very Good."

To preview questions please click here .

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Other

Drug test required
No

Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk

Trust determination process
Suitability/Fitness

Required Documents

You are strongly encouraged to submit all required documents at the time you submit your resume. Cover letters are optional.

• You MUST submit your official or unofficial college transcripts, including your cumulative GPA, with your application. This office will be unable to determine qualification eligibility without transcripts. Applications without transcripts are incomplete applications and will be rated "INELIGIBLE". Transcripts will NOT be accepted after the closing date of this announcement.

• You MUST provide proof of enrollment for the current Spring/Summer/Fall 2021 academic term (i.e., course schedule, acceptance letter, letter from the registrar). Applications without proof of enrollment are incomplete applications and will be rated "INELIGIBLE". Proof of Enrollment will NOT be accepted after the closing date of this announcement.

If you are entitled to veterans' preference: You must submit all required documents at the time you complete your application or it will not receive further consideration.

You must provide a copy of your DD-214, CERTIFICATE OF RELEASE FROM ACTIVE DUTY, and you should indicate the type of veterans' preference you are claiming on your resume. Your veterans' preference entitlement will be verified by the employing agency.

For 5-point veterans' preference, submit a copy of your DD-214 (Member 4 Copy), or an official statement of service from your command if you are currently on active duty, or other official documentation (e.g., documentation of receipt of a campaign badge or expeditionary medal) that proves your military service was performed under honorable conditions.

For 10-point veterans' preference, please submit a Standard Form (SF) 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, DD-214, and the required documentation requested by this form.

For information on veteran's eligibility visit: http://www.opm.gov/veterans/html/vetguide.asp.

Non-Citizens may apply, but must certify eligibility by signing and attaching this Citizenship Affidavit to their application. However, non-citizens may NOT be converted to competitive service appointments.

At the time of application, if you choose not to upload the documents, you will be directed to a webpage which lists the available fax coversheets for any documents we require. (Veterans note: documents related to veteran's preference are requested only when you first register in NSF's eRecruit system.) Please print out the appropriate fax coversheet(s) and follow the instructions carefully.

All faxing/uploading must be completed before 11:59 PM Eastern Time on the vacancy closing date. If you are faxing your information, please use extreme care in dialing the fax number to assure we receive your information. You will receive an email confirmation of receipt of your faxed and/or uploaded document(s).

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.