SUPERVISORY ACCOUNTANT

Summary

This position is located in the Office of Compliance (OC), Finance Office, Business Center, Rural Development. The incumbent is responsible for planning, organizing, directing, and coordinating functions related to external entities' compliance with Rural Development (RD) regulations related to financial assistance provided to RD awardees in support of the accounting, financial management, and program requirements of multiple mission areas.

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Duties

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• Directs and coordinates the Division's activities relating to the development and evaluation of RD imposed awardees' accounting practices and procedures, assures accounting policies, procedures, and systems meet regulatory requirements.
• Directs or oversees the performance of studies and analyses of practices and procedures concerning RD awardee accounting operations.
• Directs the development and preparation of regulations, bulletins, and staff instructions to communicate and ensure uniform accounting and requirements throughout the Agency and among all awardees.
• Incumbent exercises first and second level supervisory responsibilities, including, but not limited to: Directs, coordinates, and oversees work through subordinate supervisors.
• Directs and supervise all Human Resources administrative responsibilities and programs.
• Directs or oversees the performance of studies and analyses of practices and procedures concerning RD awardee accounting operations
• Determines requirements for CPA-prepared audit reports of borrowers' financial statements, including the issuance of instructions and standards for the performance of attestation.
• Provides technical advice and assistance to RD program officials concerning the interpretation and application of accounting principles and standards, and to awardees on functions and responsibilities.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a US Citizen or US National.
• Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.
• Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
• Direct Deposit - Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit
• Subject to one year supervisory/managerial probationary period unless prior service is creditable. New USDA supervisors must successfully complete all components of the required training program before the end of their probationary period.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including time-in-grade restrictions, specialized experience and/or education, as defined below

Time in Grade : Current federal employees applying for a promotion opportunity must meet the time in grade requirement of 52 weeks of service at the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the position being filled.

For the GS-15 level: Applicants must possess one (1) year of specialized experience in the accounting field equivalent to at least the next lower grade level; or its non-Federal equivalent that demonstrates the knowledge of accounting theories, concepts, principles, and practices to conduct a variety of assignments related to accounting and financial transactions. Experience in directing and coordinating the Division-level activities relating to the development, maintenance of external controls related to the operation of a multi-hundred-billion dollar loan portfolio accounting system. Experience in overseeing the External Compliance Reviews of project awards and Audited Financial Statement (AFS) reviews. Experience in reviewing of industry accounting standards and update of regulations affecting accounting operations of awardees. Experience in managing the development and implementation of strategic compliance efforts to ensure that the portfolio is sufficiently collateralized, and the risk of external fraud, waste and abuse is minimized. Experience in directing or overseeing the performance of studies and analyses of practices and procedures concerning RD awardee accounting operations. Experience in managing the overall Division's review of financial statement reporting provided by awardees and analyzing the work performance of CPAs whose audit services have indicated a deficiency or inadequacy. Experience in determining, implementing, and evaluating policy and procedures governing borrower auditing requirements and the minimum standards for audit reports. Experience interpreting legislation and/or regulations for applications and developing short, intermediate, and long-range plans for meeting Rural Development and CFO goals and objectives. Experience in dealing with organizations and advising higher level management officials; making decisions on work problems presented by subordinates; evaluating staff to ensure performance standards are equitable; making and/or approving selections for subordinate positions; hearing and resolving group grievances or employee complaints; reviewing/approving disciplinary actions; approving awards, bonuses, selections, overtime, travel and within-grade increases etc. Experience accomplishing Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) goals and objectives and recommending actions to eliminate such barriers.

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 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

Basic Requirements:

Applicants must provide documentation (such as a transcript, CPA certificate, etc.) to show they meet the Basic Requirements, either Alternative A or Alternative B for this position. Failure to provide documentation may result in loss of consideration for this position.

Alternative 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. The 24 semester hours may include up to 6 hours of credit in business law.

OR

Alternative B: A 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). Under Alternative B, the applicant's background must also include one of the following:

(1) 24 semester hours in accounting or auditing courses of appropriate type and quality (including up to 6 semester hours of business law);

(2) A certificate as a Certified Public Accountant or 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 (at least 15 semester hours) provided that (a) the applicant has 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 has determined that the applicant has demonstrated a good knowledge of accounting and related fields that is equivalent to a four-year course of study leading to a degree as describe in Alternative A; and (c) except for literal non-conformance to the requirement of 24 semester hours in accounting, the applicant's education, training, and experience fully meet the specified requirements.

Additional information

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL): Visit the OPM website for information on how to apply as a CTAP, RPL eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP candidates must be rated and determined to be well qualified (or above) based on an evaluation of the competencies listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section. When assessed through a score-based category rating method, CTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100.

If selected, you will be required to submit Form OGE-450 within 30 days of your initial appointment date, and annually thereafter. Selectee is subject to financial Disclosure Requirements in accordance with 5 CFR, Part 2635, Sub part E regarding business or personal transactions with applicants, borrowers, or business contacts who have or who are seeking business with this Agency. Selectee must be able to obtain and maintain a security clearance. If selected you will be subject to a National Agency Check and Inquiry (NACI) and a credit report.

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.

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.