Accountant

Summary

This position is located in the Department of Health and Human Services, Program Support Center, headquartered in Rockville, Maryland.

This announcement has an applicant limit of 150and will close on the day that 150applications have been received, at 11:59 PM.

Please read the "How You'll be Evaluated" section for specific details regarding the evaluation process for this job.

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Duties

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WHAT YOU'LL BE DOING DAY TO DAY

As an Accountant, you will use your knowledge and experience to optimize business results and customer experience by:

• Maintains and processes general ledger accounts, including posting and verifying accounting transactions
• Performs reconciliations of financial data and analyzes discrepancies to ensure accuracy of records.
• Prepares and reviews financial reports to ensure completeness, accuracy, and compliance with standards.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• U.S. Citizenship required
• Males born after December 31, 1959 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service -
• Suitable for federal employment
• Meet time in grade restrictions by the closing date of the announcement
• Appointment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication. All information concerning qualifications is subject to investigation.
• All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date.

Qualifications

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

Basic Requirement

You must possess one of the items listed below (A or B):

A. A 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 hours in accounting (which may include up to 6 hours of credit in business law).

OR

B. A combination of education and experience with 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. My background also includes one of the following:(1) 24 semester hours in accounting or auditing courses of appropriate type and qualityincluding 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, but that does not fully satisfy the 24-semester-hour requirement, provided that (a) I have successfully worked at the full-performance level in accounting, auditing, or a related field; (b) a panel of at least two higher level professional accountants or auditors has determined that I have 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 answer A; and (c) except for literal non-conformance to the requirement of 24 semester hours in accounting, my education, training, and experience fully meet the specified requirements.

AND

GS-09 Specialized Experience:

You must have one year specialized experience to perform successfully the duties of the position. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service performing ALL of the following:

• Apply standard accounting principles and automated systems to process and reconcile transactions.
• Identify and resolve routine discrepancies using established procedures and guidance.
• Support financial reporting, record maintenance, and audit preparation activities.

OR

have at least two (2) years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree. One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. If that number cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered an academic year of graduate study.

OR

Have a combination of experience as described in "A" above and graduate education as described in "B" above.

GS-11 Specialized Experience:

You must have one year specialized experience to perform successfully the duties of the position. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service performing ALL of the following:

• Analyze and reconcile financial data across multiple systems to ensure accuracy and completeness.
• Investigate discrepancies and irregularities, determine root causes, and implement corrective actions.
• Contribute to financial reporting, process improvements, and audit readiness with limited supervision.

-OR-

Education: Successful completion of at least three (3) years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree. You must include transcripts.

-OR-

Combination: Successful completion of a combination of graduate-level education (beyond the first two years) and specialized experience, as described above, to meet the total requirements. The education portion must include graduate courses that demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do to the work of this position. You must include transcripts.

GS-12 Specialized Experience:

You must have one year specialized experience to perform successfully the duties of the position. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service performing ALL of the following:

Lead analysis and resolution of complex financial discrepancies and account issues.

Oversee reconciliation processes and evaluate system outputs to ensure accuracy and reliability.

Recommend and implement process improvements that strengthen financial integrity and operational efficiency.

Documenting experience: IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Qualifications are based on breadth/level of experience. In addition to describing duties performed, applicants must provide the exact dates of each period of employment (from MM/YY to MM/YY) and the number of hours worked per week if part time. As qualification determinations cannot be made when resumes do not include the required information, failure to provide this information may result in disqualification. Applicants are encouraged to use the USAJOBS Resume Builder to develop their federal resume.

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

In accordance with Office of Personnel Management policy, federal employees are assumed to have gained experience by performing duties and responsibilities appropriate for their official series and grade level as described in their position description. Experience that would not normally be part of the employee's position is creditable, however, when documented by satisfactory evidence, such as a signed memorandum from the employee's supervisor or an SF-50 or SF-52 documenting an official detail or other official assignment. The documentation must indicate whether the duties were performed full time or, if part time, the "percentage of times" the other duties were performed. It is expected that this documentation is included in the employee's official personnel record. In order to receive credit for experience in your resume that is not within the official series and grade level of your official position, you must provide a copy of the appropriate documentation of such experience as indicated above.

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; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to gain employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. If such experience is on a part-time basis, you must provide the average number of hours worked per week as well as the beginning and ending dates of the experience so it can be fully credited.

OPM Qualification General Policies Website

Education

Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show 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 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:

Note: Applications can be accepted from students who expect to complete qualifying education within 9 months from the date of application. Education was completed successfully before the applicant can be appointed.

Additional information

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

Incentives may be authorized; however, this is contingent upon multiple factors, including funds availability . If authorized, certain incentives may require you to sign a service agreement to remain in the Federal government for a period of up to 3 years. Note: This statement does not imply nor guarantee an incentive will be offered and paid. Incentives may include the following: moving expenses, recruitment or relocation incentive; student loan repayment, superior qualifications appointment, creditable service for annual leave for prior non-federal work experience or prior uniformed military service, etc.

Bargaining Unit Position: No

Research position: No

Drug Screening Required: No

Special Hiring Authorities for Veterans -

Special Hiring Authorities for Military Spouses -

People With Disabilities (Schedule A) -

Career Transition Assistance Program/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP/ICTAP): For information on how to apply as an CTAP/ICTAP eligible see To be well-qualified and exercise selection priority for this vacancy, displaced Federal employees must be rated at 85.0 or above on the rating criteria for this position.

Beginning January 1, 2010, agencies must seek prior approval from OPM before they can appoint a current or recent political appointee to a competitive or non-political excepted service position at any level under the provisions of title 5, United States Code. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employee in the executive branch, you MUST disclose that to the Human Resources Office.

USA Hire 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 here:

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.

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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.