Accountant

Summary

The Finance Staff (FS) formulates, establishes, and maintains Department-wide policies, procedures, and financial systems to support budgeting, accounting, auditing, travel, and other financial management activities. This position is in the FS, Operations and Reporting Group (O&R) responsible for general ledger accounting, GTAS, IPAC, Budget, OTCNet, monthly and quarterly reporting, processing of IPAC transactions, Accounts Payable, TROR, and other Treasury activities.

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Duties

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The duties and responsibilities for a Accountant, GS-0510-7/9/11 generally include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Assist with various reconciliation activities to ensure that subsidiary ledgers are reconciled to general ledger accounts by appropriation.
• Review changes in procedures and processes to ensure that accounting records are updated properly.
• Investigate and correct out-of-line and out-of-balance conditions.
• Apply conventional accounting principles to journalize accounting transactions to general ledger.
• Provide professional accounting advice and assistance in the application and compliance of generally accepted accounting principles, policies, and procedures.
• Review, analyze, and modify operating programs, practices, and procedures related to receiving, controlling, validating, recording, and reporting accounting transactions affecting asset, liability, revenue, expense, and budgetary accounts.
• Handle monthly, quarterly, and annual transactions.
• Reconcile accounts payable, reimbursable and receivable.
• Examine accounting documents for proper accounting classification and authorization.
• Analyze a variety of accounts.
• Prepare monthly trial balances and financial reports.
• Support senior accountants and supervisors in various tasks in meeting organizational goals.
• Provide assistance to field staff in processing journal vouchers or accounting entries.
• Identify problems and discrepancies, determines if adjustments or corrections are required, and takes necessary action to correct.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a United States Citizen or National.
• You will be required to complete a pre-employment security investigation and background check which includes a drug screening.
• You may be required to complete a probationary or trial period. See "Additional Information" for specific details.
• Selective Service registration is required for males born on, or after, December 31st 1959. Those not registered should have an approved exemption on file.
• You must meet all eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement and continue to meet these requirements throughout the hiring process. Offers can be rescinded if requirements are not met.
• A USA Hire assessment is required. An email will be sent with additional information after you submit your application. You will have 48 hours from the closing date of this announcement to complete the assessment.
• Additional selections may be made from this announcement.

Qualifications

To qualify for the position of Accountant, at GS-0510-7/9/11, you must meet the basic qualification requirements listed below.

Basic Requirements:

1. Degree : accounting; or a degree 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.") (NOTE: Transcripts must be provided)

OR

2. 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;

OR

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 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 4-year course of study described in paragraph A; 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. (NOTE: Transcripts and/or appropriate documentation must be provided).

AND

GS-7

Specialized Experience: For the GS-07, you must have one year of specialized experience at the GS-5 grade level or equivalent pay band in the Federal Service, which includes: Assist with preparing reports using a financial management system; And assist with performing audits and analyzing findings.

OR

Education: One (1) full year of graduate level education or a bachelor's degree and claim eligibility for superior academic achievement based on one of the following: A grade point average of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale, class standing in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, or membership in a national scholastic honor society.

OR

Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of successfully completed graduate level education and experience. This will be calculated using your resume and unofficial transcripts or a list of courses/course hours submitted with your application.

GS-9

Specialized Experience: For the GS-09, you must have one year of specialized experience at the GS-07 grade level or equivalent pay band in the Federal Service, which includes: Preparing reports using a financial management system; Performing audits and analyzing findings; And Researching and resolving routine/standard accounting issues.

OR

Education: Master's degree (or equivalent graduate degree such as a L.L.B./J.D.) or two (2) academic years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree.

OR

Combination of Education and Experience: Combinations of successfully completed graduate school education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify for the GS-9. Only graduate education in excess of the first year may be used to qualify.

GS-11

Specialized Experience: For the GS-11, you must have one year of specialized experience at the GS-09 grade level or equivalent pay band in the Federal Service, which includes: Performing a variety of accounting functions and/or analyzing financial data; Developing policies and/or procedures relating to accounting systems; and Resolving accounting transactions and/or developing financial reports.

OR

Education: A Ph.D. or equivalent degree or three (3) academic years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or an LL.M. if related.

OR

Combination of Education and Experience: Combinations of successfully completed graduate school education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify for a GS-11. Only graduate education in excess of the first two years may be used to qualify.

You MUST meet all qualification requirements, including time-in-grade, by 07/10/2026 of this announcement.

Your resume must support your responses to the application questionnaire and the qualification requirements. Failure to do so may result in an ineligible rating.See the Required Documents section for important notes about what must be included in your resume.

After you submit this application, you will receive an e-mail informing you that a USA Hire assessment is required of you. You will have 48 hours from the closing date of this announcement 07/10/2026 to complete the assessment as this assessment is part of your application.

Education

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements, please see the statements below.

Education must be reviewed and certified by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, in order for it to be creditable towards your qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from accredited institution.

FOREIGN EDUCATION: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. You must show proof the education credentials have been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in a conventional U.S. education program. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. For special instructions pertaining to foreign education and a list of organizations that can evaluate foreign education, see the Department of Education website. If you are qualifying on foreign education, you MUST submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. Transcripts must be uploaded with your application to verify education. All documentation must be in English or include an English translation.

If you are using education to qualify for this position, or education is required:

1. You must submit a transcript, which may be unofficial, as long as it contains a full listing of courses, credit earned, grade and grade-point-average, subject area, degree(s) earned, and dates of award.
2. Your transcript must come from a nationally accredited educational institution recognized by the Department of Education.
3. Please do not submit electronic transcripts with documentation security protection. These may prevent our application system from accepting and processing the document.
4. If submitting a foreign transcript, you must have the transcript reviewed by an approved foreign education review organization recognized by the Department of Education. Your transcript must also be in English or have an English translation included.

Additional information

This position is located in Washington D.C. New employees to the Justice Management Division of the Department of Justice will be required to work on site in our offices in Washington D.C. Current employees of the Justice Management Division may be allowed to remain in their duty station.

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. Candidates will not be hired based on their race, sex, color, religion, or national origin.

Probationary or Trial Period (as applicable): As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

1) your performance and conduct;

2) the needs and interests of the agency;

3) whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and

4) whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period or trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

EEO Statement/Policy: The United States government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service or other non-merit factor. More information can be found here:

DOJ Reasonable Accommodation Policy: Federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the hiring agency directly. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. The DOJ Reasonable Accommodation policy can be found here:

Selective Service: If you were born male, on or after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. Additional information is found at:

Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs: The Fair Chance Act prohibits Federal agencies from requesting an applicant's criminal history information before the agency makes a conditional offer of employment. If you believe a DOJ employee or Federal contractor acting on its behalf has violated your rights under this Act, you may submit a written complaint within 30 days of the date of the alleged non-compliance directly to the hiring office using the contact information listed in the announcement. Note: In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201(b) certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance Act.

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.

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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.