Accountant

Summary

The Smithsonian Institution (SI) is the world's largest museum, education, and research complex, with 21 museums and the National Zoo. This position is located in the Office of Finance and Accounting (OF&A). The Office of Finance and Accounting is responsible for the integrity of the SI's internal controls; financial policies and procedures; and the planning, directing, and managing of its accounting and financial services programs.

More than one selection may be made from this announcement.

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Duties

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The Accountant is responsible for managing advanced accounting functions and requirements associated primarily with federal accounting; analyzing and resolving their complex and controversial problems; preparing comprehensive accounting data and financial reports; and managing that data in automated accounting systems.

In this position, you will:

• Be responsible for federal reporting (i.e. GTAS and SF133) and analyzing trial balance and reconciling as well as preparing journal entries and maintaining assigned general ledger reconciliations for cash, inventory, accounts receivable, fixed assets, prepaid and deferred expenses, deferred revenue, and accrued liabilities.
• Prepare monthly, quarterly and annual federal financial statements ensuring they cross-tie with related footnotes and conduct period-to-period comparisons identifying variances and anomalies.
• Serve as an expert authority in the application of federal accounting standards and advise management on complex financial accounting procedures for proprietary and budgetary accounts, as well as obligations, etc.
• Serve as a subject matter expert that participates, develops, documents, and improves existing instructions and accounting procedures to meet accounting/reporting requirements in accordance with federal laws, rules, and regulations.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• Pass Pre-employment Background Investigation
• May need to complete a Probationary Period
• Maintain a Bank Account for Direct Deposit/Electronic Transfer
• Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered with Selective Service.

Conditions of Employment

Qualification requirements, including one year time-in-grade at the next lower grade level for promotion candidates, must be met within 30 days of the job announcement closing date. See the 'Required Documents' section for additional information.

For information on qualification requirements, see Qualification Standards Handbook for General Schedule Positions viewable on OPM Website.

Qualifications

Basic Qualification Requirements:

A. 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.")

OR

B. 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; or
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.

You must submit a copy of your unofficial college transcripts, certificate as a Certified Public Accountant or Certified Internal Auditor for verification in order to be considered.

In addition to meeting the basic requirements above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the specialized experience as described below:

GS-13 Experience: You qualify for this position if you have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 level in the Federal Service. For this position, specialized experience is defined as experience analyzing and reconciling fund balance working in Government Treasury Account Symbol (GTAS) ensuring accounts are in alignment with the US Department of Treasury records; reviewing and analyzing recurring and special accounting/auditing reports and briefing organizational management regarding findings and required actions; providing advice and guidance regarding controversial or sensitive accounting reporting issues and financial reports such as GTAS and SF-133, balance sheets, profit and loss statements, and general ledger account reconciliations based on Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB).

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.

Part-time and/or unpaid experience related to this position will be considered to determine the total number of years and months of experience. Be sure to note the number of paid or unpaid hours worked each week.

Your resume must be no more than two (2) pages and should clearly demonstrate how your experience aligns with the responsibilities and specialized experience required for this position. Do not copy language directly from the vacancy announcement, as you will be deemed ineligible for consideration. Instead, provide detailed, descriptive information about your actual experience.

Important Note:

Your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses to the occupational questionnaire or other assessment tool for consistency. If a determination is made that you have rated yourself higher than is supported by your resume, you will be assigned a rating commensurate to your described experience. Your resume should provide sufficient information regarding how your education and experience relate to this position, including the major duties and qualifications criteria listed.

Education

There is no education substitution for Specialized experience at the GS-13 grade level.

Additional information

• This position is not included in the bargaining unit.

Current or Former Political Appointees: 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 Office of Human Resources. Submit a copy of your applicable SF-50, along with a statement that provides the following information regarding your most recent political appointment:

• Position title;
• Type of appointment (Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES, or Presidential Appointee);
• Agency; and,
• Beginning and ending dates of appointment.

Recruitment Incentive: Recruitment incentive(s) may be authorized for this position. However, approval for incentives are contingent upon various availability. If authorized, certain incentives will require the incumbent to sign a service agreement to remain in the Federal government for a certain time period.

Note: This statement does not imply nor guarantee an incentive will be offered and paid.

Selections may be made for vacancies across the Smithsonian Institution (SI). By applying to this position, you agree to allow your application and other personal information to be shared with one or more SI hiring officials for employment consideration for same/similar positions within the location(s) identified in this announcement.

ATTENTION: Due to the large number of qualified applicants for positions of this type, this job announcement will close at 11:59 pm Eastern Time on either: (A) The closing date listed above or (B) The date that 100 applications are received; whichever occurs first. If the announcement closes on the date that 100 applications are received, all applications submitted by 11:59pm that day will be given consideration, including those in excess of 100.

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

The Federal Government offers a comprehensive benefits package.

Please see Benefits at for a complete description.

Flexible Spending Accounts -

Health Insurance -

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Life Insurance -

Long Term Care Insurance -

Retirement Program -