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Posted: February 19, 2026 (1 day ago)

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Accountant

Bureau of Prisons/Federal Prison System

Department of Justice

Fresh

Salary

$63,780 - $97,087

per year

Closes

March 5, 2026More DOJ jobs →

GS-11 Pay Grade

Base salary range: $62,107 - $80,737

Typical requirements: 1 year specialized experience at GS-10. Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, or 3 years graduate study.

Note: Actual salary includes locality pay (15-40%+ depending on location).

Job Description

Summary

This accountant role in the Federal Prison System involves managing financial records, preparing reports, and ensuring accurate accounting practices to support the operations of correctional facilities.

It focuses on tasks like handling accounts receivable and payable, interpreting financial data, and improving financial processes in a government setting.

A good fit would be someone with a strong background in accounting or auditing, who is detail-oriented and comfortable working in a structured, public safety environment.

Key Requirements

  • Bachelor's degree in accounting or related field with at least 24 semester hours in accounting (including up to 6 hours in business law), or equivalent combination of education and experience
  • Certified Public Accountant (CPA) or Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) certification obtained through written examination
  • For GS-11: One year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-09 level, including applying accounting principles to accounts receivable/payable and identifying/improving problem areas
  • Knowledge of accounting principles, theories, concepts, and practices
  • Experience preparing technical reports, interpreting financial statements, and adjusting/closing accounting books
  • Ability to provide expertise on operating, maintaining, and modifying accounting systems
  • U.S. citizenship and ability to pass a background check for federal employment

Full Job Description

Corrections professionals who foster a humane and secure environment and ensure public safety by preparing individuals for successful reentry into our communities.

To be considered for the position, you must meet the following qualification requirements: Basic 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: Twenty-four semester hours in accounting or auditing courses of appropriate type and quality.

This can include up to 6 hours of business law; Certificate as Certified Public Accountant or a Certified Internal Auditor, obtained through written examination; OR 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.

In addition to the above basic requirements: Education: GL-09: 2 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree.

GS-11: 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D or equivalent doctoral degree.

Such education must provide the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work.

OR Experience: You must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the next lower grade level.

To be creditable, this experience must have equipped the applicant with the particular qualifications to perform successfully the duties of the position, and must typically be in or related to the position to be filled.

Some examples of this qualifying experience are: GL-09: Experience in accounting principles, theories, concepts and practices; interpreting financial reports and understanding and implementing accounting standards.

Experience preparing technical reports and documents related to accounting and finance. Experience providing interpretations of accounting reports and statements.

Experience providing expertise on operating, maintaining and modifying accounting systems.

Experience adjusting and closing books, conducting pre and post-closing and preparing the accounting statements.

GS-11: Experience that demonstrates knowledge of accounting principles, theories, concepts, and practices with the ability to apply these standards to accounts receivable/payable processes and practices.

Experience in identifying problem areas within accounts receivable/payable and determining corrective action to improve operations and program effectiveness.

Experience in preparing monthly, quarterly, and annual corporate reports for internal and external use (Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Treasury, and private sector)and in support of audits.

Experience that demonstrates knowledge of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Systems Applications Products (SAP) and its payment/collection/supply chain modules.

OR Combination of Education and Experience: GL-09 and GS-11:A combination of education and experience.

This experience must have equipped you with the qualifications to perform the major duties of this position as described above. If applicable, credit will be given for paid and unpaid experience.

To receive proper credit, you must show the actual time (such as the number of hours worked per week) spent in activities.

**Your eligibility for consideration will be based on your responses to the questions in the application.** Major Duties:

This position is located at the Federal Medical Center in Lexington, Kentucky and is part of the Federal Prison Industries, Inc. (FPI).

Provides technical and operating accounting guidelines to FPI Business Managers, and product program managers responsible for the manufacturing and marketing of products and services provided to both government and private entities.

Responsible for the invoicing and collection process of accounts receivable for the more than 100 factories nationwide including funds collected through various methods outside of the centralized accounts receivable system.

Prepares and reconciles journal vouchers for posting to the corporate General Ledger.

Prepares certificates of deposits and receipts; reconciles bank and credit card statements or notifications; coordinates a bad debt collection efforts; and Treasury Report on Receivables (TROR)reporting for Treasury.

Along with all other correctional institution employees, incumbent is charged with responsibility for maintaining security of the institution.

The staff correctional responsibilities precede all others required by this position and are performed on a regular and recurring basis.

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Posted on USAJOBS: 2/19/2026 | Added to FreshGovJobs: 2/20/2026

Source: USAJOBS | ID: N-2026-0059