Accountant

Summary

View Common Definitions of terms found in this announcement.

Organizational Location: This positions are located in the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, , in Irving, Texas; Washington, District of Columbia; Williston, Vermont.

This is a non-bargaining unit position.

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Duties

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As an Accountant, at the full performance level, GS-13, you will perform the following duties:

- Perform complex analyses of general ledger accounts, trial balances, and financial statements to ensure accuracy and compliance with FASAB, OMB, and Treasury reporting standards.

- Conduct in-depth research on complex accounting issues and new federal standards, preparing technical position papers and white papers to support management decision-making and document accounting conclusions.

- Lead the reconciliation of intra-governmental activity and balances with federal trading partners, resolving discrepancies and ensuring accurate reporting in accordance with Treasury guidance.

- Manage the accounting for real and personal property, including capitalization, depreciation, and disposal, while reconciling property management systems with the general ledger to maintain data integrity.

- Support financial audits by preparing documentation, responding to auditor inquiries, and assisting in the development of corrective action plans to address control deficiencies and process weaknesses.

- Provide authoritative recommendations to improve financial processes, coordinate across agency program offices, and offer technical guidance to junior staff to enhance the quality of financial operations.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position.
• You must successfully pass a background investigation.
• You must successfully pass a drug screen.
• Males born after 12/31/59 must certify registration with Selective Service.
• Complete the initial online assessment and USAHire Assessment, if required
• Requirements by Closing Date: Unless otherwise noted, you must meet all requirements by the closing date of the announcement.
• Time in Grade: Current Federal employees must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade in the Federal service. Time in grade requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.
• Probationary Period: This is a full-time permanent position (Career/Career-Conditional appointment). Upon appointment to this position, you may be required to serve a one-year probationary period.

Qualifications

Please limit your resume to 2 pages. If more than 2 pages are submitted, only the first 2 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

Do not copy and paste the duties, specialized experience, or occupational assessment questionnaire from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.

BASIC EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Individual Occupational Requirements (IORs) for the Accounting, 0510 series are as follows:

Degree : A degree (Bachelors or higher) in accounting; or a degree (Bachelors or higher) 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. (The term "accounting" means "accounting and/or auditing" in this standard. Similarly, "accountant" should be interpreted, generally, as "accountant and/or auditor.")

OR

Combination of education and experience: at least 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:

1. Twenty-four semester hours in accounting or auditing courses of appropriate type and quality. This can include up to 6 hours of business law;

2. A certificate as Certified Public Accountant or a Certified Internal Auditor, obtained through written examination;

3. Completion of the requirements for a degree that included substantial course work in accounting or auditing, e.g., 15 semester hours, but that does not fully satisfy the 24-semester-hour requirement of paragraph 1, 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 4-year course of study described in paragraph 1; and (c) except for literal nonconformance to the requirement of 24 semester hours in accounting, the applicant's education, training, and experience fully meet the specified requirements.

IN ADDITION TO THE BASIC EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENT:

You qualify for the GS-12 grade level if you possess the following:

Experience: One (1) year of specialized experience at the GS-11 grade level or equivalent performing duties such as:

• Applying financial accounting principles and standards to perform accounting assignments, including preparing and posting journal vouchers, reconciling general ledger accounts, and ensuring compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and policies.
• Preparing and analyzing financial statements and reports including performing monthly and year-end close activities, developing supporting schedules, identifying variances or discrepancies, and recommending corrective actions.
• Analyzing business processes, including testing system changes, reconciling data from multiple systems or subsystems, and providing technical guidance to financial staff.
• Assessing compliance with federal requirements, and recommending changes to policies, procedures, or systems to strengthen financial integrity and reporting accuracy.

You qualify for the GS-13 grade level if you possess the following:

Experience: One (1) year of specialized experience, equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the federal service, performing duties such as:

• Compiles and analyzes financial statements, trial balances, and related note disclosures to ensure accuracy and compliance with regulatory and statutory requirements.
• Perform trial balance reconciliations, data validation, and transaction-level reporting for General Funds.
• Demonstrates experience evaluating accounting programs, processes, or activities to determine effectiveness, identify deficiencies, and recommend actions to improve financial operations.
• Applying financial standards to evaluate daily accounting operations, perform root-cause analyses, and resolve discrepancies.

Qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. Qualification claims will be subject to verification.

National Service Experience (i.e., volunteer experience): 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.

Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.

The Department of Homeland Security encourages persons with disabilities to apply, to include persons with intellectual, severe physical or psychiatric disabilities, as defined by 5 CFR 213.3102(u), and/or Disabled Veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30 percent or more as defined by 5 CFR 315.707. Veterans, Peace Corps, VISTA volunteers, and persons with disabilities possess a wealth of unique talents, experiences, and competencies that can be invaluable to the DHS mission. If you are a member of one of these groups, you may not have to compete with the public for federal jobs. To determine your eligibility for non-competitive appointment and to understand the required documentation, click on the links above or contact the Servicing Human Resources Office listed at the bottom of this announcement.

Education

For GS-12 Education: There is no education substitution for this grade level.

For GS-13 Education: There is no education substitution for this grade level.

Additional information

Promotion Potential: When promotion potential is shown, the agency is not making a commitment and is not obligated to provide future promotions to you if you are selected. Future promotions will be dependent on your ability to perform the duties at a higher level, the continuing need for an employee assigned to the higher level, and administrative approval.

E-Verify: DHS uses E-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities.

Suitability: If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application, prior to entry on duty. False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment, dismissal after beginning work, fine, or imprisonment.

Background Investigation: To ensure the accomplishment of our mission, DHS requires every employee to be reliable and trustworthy. To meet these standards, all selected applicants must undergo and successfully obtain and maintain a background investigation for as a condition of placement into this position. This may include a credit check, a review of financial issues such as delinquency in the payment of debts, child support and/or tax obligations, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs.

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. (

A student loan repayment incentive may be available, in which case a service agreement will be required.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Help

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Benefits: DHS offers competitive salaries and an attractive benefits package, including: health, dental, vision, life, and long-term care insurance; retirement plan; Thrift Savings Plan [similar to a 401(k)]; Flexible Spending Account; Employee Assistance Program; personal leave days; and paid federal holidays. Other benefits may include: flexible work schedules; tuition reimbursement; transportation subsidies; uniform allowance; health and wellness programs; and fitness centers. DHS is committed to employee development and offers a variety of employee training and developmental opportunities. For more information, go to the DHS Careers website and select "Benefits." Disabled veteran leave will be available to any Federal employee hired on or after November 5, 2016, who is a veteran with a service-connected disability rating of 30 percent or more.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.