Accountant

Full Job Description

This vacancy is for a GS-0510-7/9/11, Accountant located in the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Coast Guard, Financial Service Center in CHESAPEAKE, Virginia.

Basic Requirements: This position has a positive Education Requirement in addition to at least one year of Specialized Experience or substitution of education for experience or combination (if applicable) in order to be found minimally qualified.

Transcripts must be submitted with your application package.

You MUST meet the following requirements: EDUCATION: 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 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.

AND To qualify at the GS-07 grade level, applicants must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-05 grade level in the federal sector.

Specialized experience is experience that has equipped you with the particular ability, skill, and knowledge to successfully perform the duties of this position and is typically in or related to this line of work.

Specialized experience must include the following: Review accounting data to assist with examination of accounting data. Follow financial procedures to resolve issues. Use automated accounting systems.

AT THE GS-9 LEVEL: In addition to meeting the Basic Requirements above, applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-7 grade level (in the federal sector).

Specialized experience must include the following: Examine accounting data in preparation for validation. Assist in improving financial operations through issue resolution.

Instructions for using automated accounting systems. Assist in resolving a variety of complex accounting problems.

OR at least one of the following if using education to qualify at this grade level: (A) Have a master's or equivalent graduate degree; OR (B) 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education, if related; OR (C) A law degree such as an LL.B.

or J.D, if related; OR(D) A combination of education and experience which together totals 100%.

AT THE GS-11 LEVEL: In addition to meeting the basic requirements, applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-9 grade level (in the federal sector).

Specialized experience must include the following: Validate accounting data through dynamic examination. Improve financial operations through issue resolution.

Instructions for development of automated accounting systems. Solve a variety of complex accounting problems.

OR at least one of the following if using education to qualify at this grade level:(A) Ph.D.

or equivalent doctoral degree; OR(B) 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., if related.(C) A combination of education and experience which together totals 100%.Combining experience and education: Experience and education combinations are computed by first determining the total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required for the grade level; then determining the total of qualifying education as a percentage of the education required for the grade level; and then adding the two percentages.

The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify at that grade level.

Specialized experience is experience that has equipped you with the particular ability, skill, and knowledge to successfully perform the duties of this position and is typically in or related to this line of work.

Specialized experience is experience that has equipped you with the particular ability, skill, and knowledge to successfully perform the duties of this position and is typically in or related to this line of work.

NOTE: All experience statements (i.e., duties, specialized experience, or related applicable assessment) copied from this announcement and pasted into your resume will not be considered as a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.

NOTE: Education can be substituted for experience at this grade level.

National Service Experience (i.e., volunteer experience): 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:

You will serve as a Accountant responsible for performing a variety of accounting duties, utilizing a professional knowledge of accounting principles and procedures in carrying out assignments.

Being a Coast Guard civilian makes you a valuable member of the Coast Guard team.

Typical work assignments include: Performing reconciliation of accounts to correct all difference between subsidiary ledger balances and control account balances in the general ledger.

Analyzing accounting systems to modify and adapt accounting practices, solving a variety of complex accounting problems.

Developing a segment of an automated accounting system and preparing procedural instructions for implementation. Conducting financial analysis and resolving accounting discrepancies in report data.

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. Reasonable Accommodation Information