Budget Technician

Summary

In this position you will support and assist Budget Analysts in the development and tracking of Plant Protection and Quarantine budgets for all funding sources by performing and conducting a variety of support work in the area of budget, fiscal, and administrative record-keeping.

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Duties

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• The duties described are for the full-performance level. At developmental grade levels, assignments will be of more limited scope, performed with less independence and limited complexity.
• The duties may include, but are not limited to:
• Prepares preliminary budget data for program and program support activities, providing projections developed from historical analysis and other accepted techniques.
• Collects and compiles information to determine the annual fiscal needs for the PPQ program for use in developing operating budgets.
• Receives, records and monitors annual appropriation data and reconciles and corrects the State's financial records.
• Loads Status of Funds (SOF) database, collects data for input, updates as necessary to the SOF process.
• Verifies procurement against advance procurement plan, track procurements through Financial Modernization Management Imitative (FMMI) and SOF for proper accounting and payments.
• Assembles background materials and prepares a variety of special reports such as annualized projections and cost accounting reports, for managers to use in conducting their program activities.
• Performs review of credit card procurement activity, notifying Budget Analyst of discrepancies, problems, or unauthorized activity.
• Researches and identifies questionable funding costs for budget period, functional area, Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) and Major Object Class (MOC).
• Prepares a variety of spreadsheet reports with financial data from various sources for use in annual budgeting process and monthly SOF reviews.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a US Citizen or US National.
• Individuals who were born male after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.
• Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
• Successful completion of one-year probationary period, unless previously served. Refer to the Next Steps section for more information.
• 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 E-Verify at
• All USDA employees are required to be enrolled in Continuous Vetting, which authorizes government agencies to receive notifications of criminal activity on individuals who hold low risk, public trust, or national security positions.

Qualifications

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

FOR THE GS-07 LEVEL: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-06 grade level) that demonstrates:

• Utilizes automated accounting systems and prepares documents to be entered into the accounting system.
• Researches accounting transactions to include unliquidated transactions.
• Supports the Budget Analyst in the preparation of accounting transactions.
• Ensures that the various policies and procedures pertaining to budget, fiscal, personnel, procurement, etc., are applied.
• Assists budget analyst or financial manager with budget development.

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

This position does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

• Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): Visit the OPM website for information on how to apply as a CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP 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/ICTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100.
• First time hires to the federal government normally start at the lowest rate of the salary range for the grade selected.
• Travel, transportation, and relocation expenses will not be paid. Any travel, transportation, and relocation expense associated with reporting for duty will be the responsibility of the selected employee.
• Locality pay will vary based upon the selectee's duty location. A final salary determination will be made upon selection.
• 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.