Financial Program Specialist

Summary The position is located in the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency (CSOSA) for the District of Columbia, Office of Behavioral Interventions (OBI), within the Intensive Cognitive Behavioral Intervention Unit (ICBIU). The Agency works closely with the criminal justice system and community partners to provide comprehensive services that support the fair administration of justice, increase public safety, prevent crime, and reduce recidivism. Responsibilities Budget Formulation and Financial Oversight Assist in planning, coordinating, and processing financial disbursement activities, including commercial payments, travel actions, interagency agreements, and fund transfers. Review financial data and budget submissions for accuracy, completeness, and compliance with established procedures; compile budget estimates for higher-level review. Manage and coordinate complex disbursement activities involving multi-year funds, working capital accounts, appropriations, and other high-impact financial actions, providing authoritative guidance to OBI leadership. Budget Execution and Financial Monitoring Monitor obligations and expenditures to ensure alignment with spending plans and identify inconsistencies requiring correction or supervisory review. Enter, track, and reconcile financial data within CSOSA's financial systems and support year-end closing activities, including invoice and IPAC reconciliations. At full performance, conduct comprehensive reviews of budget estimates, program plans, and financial statements for major agency programs; analyze operating results and long-range requirements; and adjust financial plans to meet program objectives. Prepare detailed budget reports, recommend corrective actions, and ensure adequate funds are available to support program operations. Financial Analysis and Program Advisory Services Prepare summaries, reports, and analytical products that support financial decision-making within the OBI. Provide routine guidance to program staff on financial procedures, documentation requirements, and budget timelines. Serve as a subject-matter expert on financial management matters, providing authoritative analysis, recommendations, and interpretation of financial policy to senior leadership. Assess the financial impacts of program changes, operational adjustments, and resource allocations; advise management on strategies to improve fiscal accountability and program effectiveness. Project Planning and Management Assist in developing project plans, coordinating schedules, tracking progress, and preparing reports that support OBI project objectives. Participate in identifying project issues and contribute data and information for project evaluations. Manage complex, multi-phase projects involving interdependent activities, tight deadlines, and cross-organizational coordination; evaluate project performance and recommend improvements. Contract Administration and COR Support Support Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) activities by collecting contractor performance data, assisting with procurement reviews, and performing developmental price and cost analyses. Conduct market research to identify qualified small and disadvantaged firms and support procurement documentation. Serve as the COR for assigned contracts; monitor contractor performance, resolve technical issues, and ensure compliance with contract requirements within delegated authority. Interpret procurement regulations and provide guidance on procurement policy; review procurement actions and conduct complex price, cost, and financial analyses. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications To qualify at the GS-11 level, you must fulfill one of the following qualification requirements: A. One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position is defined as assisting with routine financial and budgetary tasks, including supporting financial disbursements, compiling and reviewing budget estimates and financial statements, tracking obligations and expenditures and entering data into financial systems, supporting invoice reconciliation and year-end closeout activities, assisting with project planning and preparing draft reports, supporting basic COR functions such as collecting contractor performance information and reviewing simple procurement actions, and applying fundamental knowledge of budget formulation, execution, and financial regulations to perform routine analytical tasks while following established guidelines. OR B. Successful completion of a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree; or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the work of the position. Examples of qualifying fields include accounting, finance, business administration, public policy, economics, or other graduate programs related to budgeting or financial management. OR C. A combination of education and experience as listed above. Qualifying experience is converted to a percentage of the required experience and education is converted to a percentage of the required education. When the two percentages add up to at least 100 percent, the minimum qualification requirements can be met. NOTE: Transcripts are required for all claimed education. Failure to submit transcripts to confirm eligibility based on education will result in loss of consideration. To qualify at the GS-12 level, you must fulfill the following qualification requirement: One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service. This experience includes independently performing advanced financial management work such as managing complex disbursements, conducting in-depth reviews of budget estimates, financial statements, and long-range funding needs, developing and adjusting budget plans and policies, analyzing program changes and recommending financial actions, executing budget monitoring, reconciliations, and year-end closeout, coordinating projects with multiple interdependent tasks, and serving as a COR by monitoring contractor performance, interpreting procurement regulations, and conducting price, cost, or financial analyses for complex procurements. Time-in-Grade: Current or former federal employees who have held a GS position in the preceding 52 weeks, must meet the time in grade requirement. Applicant must have served 52 weeks as a GS-09 or higher grade in Federal Service. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Education ARE YOU USING YOUR EDUCATION TO QUALIFY? You MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Unless otherwise stated: (1) official or unofficial transcripts are acceptable, or (2) you may submit a list with all of your courses, grades, semester, year, and credit for the course. All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement. PASS/FAIL COURSES: If more than 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) were taken on a pass/fail basis, your claim of superior academic achievement must be based upon class standing or membership in an honor society. GRADUATE EDUCATION: One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study. FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show 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 an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: Additional Information Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. ( If you are an eligible Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) applicant, you may apply for special selection over other applicants for this position. Individuals who have special priority selection rights under the CTAP or ICTAP must be well qualified for the position. To be well qualified, applicants must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and meet the mid-level (scoring between 85 and 89) of the rating criteria for all factors or the established cutoff score. CTAP/ICTAP eligibles must submit one of the following as proof of eligibility for the special selection priority: a separation notice; a "Notice of Personnel Action" (SF-50) documenting separation; an agency certification that you cannot be placed after injury compensation has been terminated; an OPM notification that your disability annuity has been terminated; OR a Military Department or National Guard Bureau notification that you are retired under 5 U.S.C. 8337(h) or 8456. Additional information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is at: This vacancy announcement may be used to fill future vacancies for identical positions within the next year. Relocation expenses are not authorized. Only experience and education obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered. You must meet all qualification requirements within 30 days after the closing date of this announcement and before placement in the position. CSOSA is an Equal Opportunity Employer.