Accountant

Description:

This position is located in the Finance Accounting and Analysis Division, Office of the Chief Financial Officer, Office of Justice Programs. The incumbent performs professional accounting duties, which include analysis of financial reports; recording transaction data for the automated financial management information system; review and reconciliation of accounting data; and compilation/production of audited financial statements.

Requirements:

Grade 11 and 12:

BASIC REQUIREMENTS

A. Applicants must show successful completion of a full four-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree in accounting; or a degree in a related field such as business administration, finance, or public administration that included or was supplemented by 24 semester/36 quarter hours in accounting. The 24 semester/36 quarter hours may include up to 6 semester/9 quarter hours of credit in business law. (The term "accounting" means "accounting and/or auditing". Similarly, "accountant" should be interpreted, generally, as "accountant and/or auditor".)

OR

B. Combination of education and experience--at least four (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/36 quarter hours in accounting or auditing courses of appropriate type and quality. This can include up to 6 semester/9 quarter 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/22 quarter hours, but that does not fully satisfy the 24-semester-hour/36-quarter-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 four-year course of study described in paragraph A; and (c) except for literal nonconformance to the requirement of 24 semester/36 quarter hours in accounting, the applicant's education, training, and experience fully meet the specified requirements.

ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS FOR GS-11

In addition to meeting the basic entry qualification requirements, applicants must have had either specialized experience and/or directly related education in the amounts shown below. Education and experience may be combined to meet the total experience requirements.

1. The applicant must have completed three (3) years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree when it provided the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position.

OR

2. The applicant must have one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least GS-9.

Specialized experience is experience which is in or related to the line of work of the position to be filled and which has equipped the applicant with the specific knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Specialized experience is defined as: analyzing accounting system/processes and devising solutions to problems; reconciling grant and payment program accruals, general ledger balances, internal and external reporting, preparation of annual financial statements, and transmissions of trial balances; performing quality assurance reviews of grant payments, deposits, accruals, and closeout practices and recommending revisions to portions of the accounting system; preparing instructions for implementing new or revised procedures related to grants; using laws or regulations to validate accounting procedures and recommending revisions affecting grant payment programs, grant accruals, and grant closeout accounting processes.

ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS FOR GS-12

In addition to meeting the basic entry qualification requirements, applicants must have one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least GS-11.

Specialized experience is experience which is in or related to the line of work of the position to be filled and which has equipped the applicant with the specific knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Specialized experience is defined as: performing quality assurance reviews of accounting procedures for grant activities such as grant payment, grant deposit, grant accruals ,etc.; examining, interpreting, and recording grant activities and accounts receivables records; determining the need for revisions or new automated and/or manual accounting and grant systems; analyzing grant accounting reports, such as cost reports, fund reports, etc. for preparation of summary statements; analyzing grant payment program, grant accruals, and accounts receivable accounts; reconciling grant accounting data from various systems.

Additional information on the qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualification Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions and is available at PM's website: https://www.opm.gov/qualifications/standards/indexes/num-ndx.asp

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.
Click here to see the full Qualifications Statement.