Duties

Summary

READ ALL INFORMATION TO ENSURE YOU UNDERSTAND THE INSTRUCTIONS SPECIFIC TO THIS ANNOUNCEMENT.

This is a trainee position leading to the GS-12 full performance level.

Performs analysis and review of systems performance requirements dealing with earnings, payment delivery/disposition, audits, debt-collection, and Treasury operations.

Duties at the full performance level are shown below.

See Conditions below for information on career-ladder expectations.

See 8A270A and 8A2700 at PD Search
Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

• Assess effectiveness of systems and instructions to assure effective policy and procedural input.
• Identify problem areas, determine feasibility of new or modified processes and respond to other components' recommendations regarding area for which responsible.
• Reviews, monitors, and participates in validating all changes to operations within assigned area, including modifications to the system, program procedures, and operational workflow.
• Maintains contact with variety of SSA and government entities, PSCs, and field offices, Department of the Treasury, Department of Justice and Railroad Retirement Board to provide advisory services, conduct reviews.

Travel Required

Not required

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
12

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• All application materials must be received by the closing date.
• Applicants must be in good standing.
• Applicants must have a fully successful rating of record.
• Official Personnel Folders will not be reviewed.
• Requests for copies of application documents will not be accepted.
• All application forms submitted become the property of SSA Human Resources.
• Assignments in this position are characteristic of the full performance level position, but receive closer supervisory guidance. Work is reviewed more critically than that of the journeyman.
• Assignments will be broadened so employees eventually perform all the duties of the full performance position.
• Consideration for promotion to GS-12 is at the discretion of management and is based on the existence of higher-level work, the employee's ability to perform that work, administrative requirements and current agency/organizational restrictions.
• Position is eligible for telework consideration. Telework may be approved after all conditions for telework have been met.
• Position is on a full-time, flex-time schedule and may be eligible for an Alternate Work Schedules (AWS).
• Position is not authorized to be filled virtually or through outstationing.
• Relocation expenses will not be paid.
• ***Use the Application Checklist at the end of the online questionnaire to ensure submission of a complete and comprehensive application.***

Qualifications

READ THIS SECTION IN ITS ENTIRETY. THIS INFORMATION IS CRUCIAL TO SUBMITTING A SUCCESSFUL APPLICATION.

You can meet the MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS for this position based on (1) specialized experience AND/OR (2) education. The requirements for both are explained below.

See Required Documents for more information on demonstrating your eligibility and qualifications.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: You must have at least 52 weeks of Specialized Experience as described below. This experience must have been gained in a federal position at or above GS-09 OR (if your position/experience is in another federal payscale or outside of federal service) by performing duties at a level equivalent to those performed in a federal position at or above GS-09. This Specialized Experience must have provided you with the specific knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the functions of this GS-11 Fiscal Management Analyst position.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE is work that primarily consists of duties pertaining to fiscal, financial management, accounting, or budgetary work. Such work should include researching financial information, applying financial management policies, procedures, and practices, and using automated financial management systems.

DUTIES SHOULD INCLUDE:
-- examining financial documents for accuracy, adequacy of information, and compliance with regulations;
-- monitoring or reporting on financial obligations and expenditures;
-- using automated accounting systems to maintain and track payments and financial transactions;
-- posting financial data and reconciling financial records; or
-- issuing payments, including benefit authorizations (e.g., computing monthly benefits; calculating and adjusting benefit amounts, worker's comp payments, pension payments, etc; calculating, adjusting and posting financial information to claimant's records, such as earned income, unemployment benefits, disability and pension payments, various withholdings, etc).

If you perform duties of this nature, they must be clearly and specifically described in your SSA-45. Since Specialized Experience also has a time component, it must be evident that the duties you describe are at the required level for at least 52 weeks.

Performance of duties that do not meet the requirements of the Specialized Experience statement (above) will result in a rating of ineligible.

If your experience was gained in a federal position, state the grade and pay scale of that position in your SSA-45, along with the full start- and stop-dates of each position you are using towards meeting the Specialized Experience requirement.

Experience must be clearly described in your SSA-45 or you cannot be considered for this position.

EDUCATION: In lieu of Specialized Experience, you can meet the qualification requirement for this position if you have:

a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree

OR at least 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree (generally at least 54 graduate-level credits)

OR a portion of the full amount of experience and a portion of the full amount of education, which can be combined to meet the full requirement.

(Only graduate-level education beyond the second year can be used to meet this requirement. This will require you to submit transcripts for all college-level education).

NOTE -- you must submit a transcript to substantiate claimed education.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS (e.g., Specialized Experience and/or Education) must be met by the closing of this vacancy announcement.

Applicants seeking promotion must have at least 52 weeks at GS-09 and/or GS-10.
Time-in-grade requirement must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

Education

There is no educational requirement for this position, BUT certain education can be used in lieu of (or in conjunction with) specialized experience as described above.

Applicants who meet the educational requirement in lieu of (or in conjunction with) Specialized Experience are considered to meet the Minimum Qualifications for this position.

If you are using education to meet the qualifications for this position, identify that education in your SSA-45 and submit a copy of your relevant transcript(s). You may submit an unofficial transcript, but it must include your name, the name of the educational institution, the date of completion and the degree earned.

If you are claiming at least 3 full years of education leading to a Ph.D. (generally at least 54 graduate-level credits), your transcript must show your name, the name of the educational institution and course titles/number of credits completed.

You must upload your transcripts as part of your application package. Documents submitted via email, fax or regular mail will not be accepted.

If selected, you may be required to provide your official college transcripts prior to the effective date of your appointment.

Foreign Education: If your transcripts show education completed in foreign colleges or universities, you must also provide documentation that 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 a conventional/accredited U.S. education program; or that full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university.

Combining Education and Experience: Experience and education as described above may be combined to meet Minimum Qualifications. Experience and education will be computed as percentages of the overall requirements and must equal 100 percent when combined, as determined by this office during the review process. Only graduate-level education beyond the second year can be used to meet this requirement.

Note: One year of full-time graduate education is the number of credit hours your school determines to represent one year of study. If this information is not included on your transcript, we will consider 18 semester hours to equal one year of full-time study.

Additional information

Vacancy open to SSA competitive-service employees nationwide.

Excepted Service employees currently serving under (1) a Schedule A appointment for individuals with disabilities; (2) VRA (Veterans Recruitment Appointment) OR (3) a time-limited appointmentfor veterans with a compensable service-connected disability who meet other eligibility and qualification requirements for this position, may use Excepted Service status in lieu of Competitive Service status. Applicants claiming this eligibility should not submit disability or veteran's documentation, but must submit the SF-50 you received when you were hired. Disabled employees and veterans who are in the Competitive Service are already eligible to apply and should not indicate Excepted Service Eligibility. Veterans Preference will not be considered under this vacancy announcement.

NOTE: Employees serving under Schedule A appointments for Attorneys or other Excepted Service appointments (e.g., Pathways Programs such as Presidential Management Fellows, Recent Graduates or Interns) are not eligible for consideration.

See block 34 of your most recent SF-50 to confirm type of service.
"1" means you should file as a competitive service employee, even if you are disabled and/or a veteran.
"2" means you should refer to the SF-50 you received when you were hired to see if your appointment-type matches one of those listed above. If so, you should file as an eligible Excepted Service employee; if not, you are not eligible to apply for this position.

LOCALITY PAY: Salary will be set in accordance with locality pay provisions. If you currently receive a higher locality pay than Washington/Baltimore, you will lose the higher locality pay if selected for this position.

OTHER NOTES:

See QUALIFICATIONS and CONDITIONS for important information pertaining to this position.

See REQUIRED DOCUMENTS to ensure you submit the documents needed to support your claim.

This is a GS-11 career-ladder position leading to the GS-12 full performance level.

Position is on a full-time, flex-time schedule and may be eligible for an Alternate Work Schedules (AWS).

Position is eligible for telework consideration. Telework may be approved after all conditions for telework have been met.

Position is not authorized to be filled virtually or through outstationing.

Position to be filled under the provisions of the SSA/AFGE Merit Promotion Plan.
Additional selections may be made within 6 months of the date of the initial selection.

This is a moderate risk public trust position. If selected, you will be required to complete a Standard Form 85P, Questionnaire for Public Trust Positions, in order to have the appropriate investigation conducted, unless you have been previously certified to occupy a position at this level.

Relocation expenses will not be paid.

Location of Position:
SSA Headquarters/Woodlawn, Maryland
Office of the Deputy Commissioner for Budget, Finance and Management (DCBFM)
Office of Financial Policy and Operations (OFPO)
Office of Benefit Accounting and Systems Analysis (OBASA)

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

SEE QUALIFICATIONS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT YOUR SSA-45 MUST DEMONSTRATE.

Answer all questions and follow instructions. Errors or omissions may affect your evaluation. The questionnaire takes about 15 minutes. Your score will be based on your responses.

If you are among the highest-ranking applicants based on that score, your SSA-45 and/or transcript(s) will be compared to your responses, which are designed to capture the required competencies for this position.

You will be evaluated on relevant experience AND/OR relevant education.

If you use EXPERIENCE to meet Minimum Qualifications:
Describe duties you perform that meet the Specialized Experience for this position, as well as duties that demonstrate the following Knowledge, Skills and/or Abilities as they pertain to the Specialized Experience. Since Specialized Experience has a time component, it must be evident that the duties you describe are at the required grade for at least 52 weeks. Duties not clearly described cannot be credited.

-- Knowledge of SSA laws, policies, and regulations pertaining to Title II, Title VIII, and/or Title XVI payments (possible 12 points)

-- Ability to assist with complex financial and/or accounting problems (possible 16 points)

-- Ability to communicate both orally and in writing (possible 16 points)

**It is not sufficient to make claims in the questionnaire that are not supported in your SSA-45**

Information not specifically stated in your SSA-45 cannot be assumed. Information that is copied or restated language from the vacancy announcement or rating criteria will not be considered. If this occurs, you may be found ineligible.

If you use EDUCATION to meet Minimum Qualifications:
You will be evaluated on the transcript you submit, BUT still must submit an SSA-45 describing your experience.

If you provide a response to the online questionnaire indicating you are not eligible, fail to provide documents to support your claim OR you are otherwise found ineligible, you will not receive further consideration.

Your SSA-45 must support your answers to the questionnaire. It isn't necessary to address each question individually, but you should provide a clear description of the duties you perform that pertain to the experience you claim.

If you choose to provide narrative responses to the experience questions, you should first complete your SSA-45 (which must demonstrate that you have the required experience at the required grade level OR the required education) and then provide narrative responses in a separate document.

DO NOT SUBMIT NARRATIVE RESPONSES IN LIEU OF YOUR SSA-45.

If you are among the highest-ranked applicants AND your SSA-45 and/or transcript clearly demonstrate that you meet the minimum qualifications (e.g., specialized experience at the indicated grade and/or the relevant education) your name will be referred to the selecting official and your applicable documents will be forwarded for further review.

Your description of your knowledge, skills and abilities is subject to verification by the selecting official. You may be asked to provide specific examples or documentation or to verify a response by a practical demonstration of your claimed ability.

Preview questions here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11258772

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Not Required

Drug test required
No

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

Trust determination process
Suitability/Fitness

Required Documents

*** DOCUMENTS UPLOADED TO YOUR USAJOBS ACCOUNT MUST BE RECENT - OUTDATED DOCUMENTS CAN CAUSE YOU TO LOSE CONSIDERATION!

All applicants must submit a resume. SSA employees are advised to use an SSA-45.

SSA-45sare the key means for evaluating your qualifications for this position.

If your SSA-45 is not current, you should make necessary updates to demonstrate that you qualify for this position. Be sure you address the Specialized Experience required for this position (or state that you're meeting minimum qualifications with education in lieu of (or in addition to) Specialized Experience).

Describe duties you perform (not just knowledge, skills and abilities) as they relate to the Specialized Experience required for this position.

Be clear, accurate and specific when describing your experience.

List all positions separately, including full start and stop dates for each position, your grade (if the position was federal) and a comprehensive description the relevant duties you performed in each position.

DO NOT combine federal career-ladder experience into a single description of duties. Separate your federal positions by grade level to clearly document the required experience at the required grade for the required period of time.

You cannot be credited for federal experience unless you clearly show your grade at the time the experience was gained, as well as the complete dates (month/day/year) you served at each grade level.

You must clearly demonstrate that your claimed experience meets the 52-week time-in-grade requirement.

Reviewers cannot assume any information you don't specifically state.

It's not sufficient to make claims in the questionnaire that are not supported in your SSA-45. You may need to edit or rewrite your SSA-45 to fully demonstrate the experience required for this position.

Information that is copied or restated language from the vacancy announcement or rating criteria will not be considered and may cause you to be ineligible.

You must state your current duty location, component and specific office on your SSA-45. Provide current contact information in case an interview is desired, as well as the name, phone number and email address of your current supervisor and HR Contact in case a job offer is to be made.

If you are serving on a temporary assignment, also include information for your permanent position (e.g., duty location, component, specific office, name/phone number/email address of permanent supervisor and HR contact).

SEE QUALIFICATIONS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT YOUR SSA-45 MUST DEMONSTRATE.

Transcript - ONLY required to support educational claims. State educational claims in your SSA-45.

Unofficial transcripts are acceptable, but must include your name, the name of the school, the degree earned and date of completion.

To demonstrate 3 full years of education leading to a Ph.D. (generally at least 54 graduate-level credits), your transcript must show your name, the name of the school, course titles and credits completed.

SF-50 - ONLY required for Excepted Service employees -- must be the SF-50 you received when you were hired -- if you are currently a Competitive Service employee, an SF-50 isn't needed.

Employees' Official Personnel Folders will not be reviewed for purposes of obtaining missing or incomplete information. You will be evaluated only on the documents you submit.