Accountant

Full Job Description

This position is located in the Financial Management Division (FMD), which supports the Office of Inspector General (OIG) by managing all stages of financial planning and execution.

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.

Basic Requirement for Staff Accountant GS-0510-13: Education cannot be substituted for experience for this position and grade level. 1.

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 2.

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; A 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 meeting the basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below: For the GS-13: You must have one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience that is at least equivalent in difficulty and complexity to work performed at the GS-12 grade level in the federal government.

You must include evidence of this specialized experience in your resume, including dates of experience (month/year) and hours worked/work schedule, to be considered qualified for this position.

Specialized experience for this position must have included ALL of the following: Experience serving as a subject matter expert on financial accounting systems and financial reporting requirements; Experience resolving abnormal balances and discrepancies; Experience and knowledge of accounting procedures, theories, practices, and concepts; Experience analyzing financial data including aging balances, cash forecasts, accounts receivable/accounts payable.

Merit promotion applicants must meet the time-in-grade requirement as defined in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F. One year at the GS-12 level is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS13 level.

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.

NOTE: To be considered for this position, you must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements for the GS-0510 series set forth in the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards by the closing date of the announcement.

A copy is available at: Accounting Series 0510 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. Major Duties:

• Prepares and verifies financial statements and reports, including the Balance Sheet, Statements of Changes in Net Position, Budgetary Resources, and Net Cost.
• Researches and resolves complex transaction issues and identifies discrepancies requiring technical analysis.
• Provides subject matter expert advice and guidance on accounting processes, methods, and the resolution of significant issues related to the recording and control of accounting data.
• Performs quality assurance reviews of accounting processes to ensure financial integrity and conformance to Federal laws and USDA Office of Inspector General regulations.
• Supports the preparation of briefings for the agency by providing technical accounting insights related to ongoing financial activities.