Accountant

Description:

This position is located in the Department of Health and Human Services, Program Support Center, headquartered in Rockville, Maryland.

This announcement has an applicant limit of 1 50 and will close on the day that 1 50 applications have been received, at 11:59 PM.

Please read the "How You'll be Evaluated" section for specific details regarding the evaluation process for this job.

Requirements:

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

You must possess the Basic Requirement and Specialized Experience Requirement below to be qualified for this position.

Basic Requirement
You must possess one of the items listed below (A or B):

A. A degree in 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 (which may include up to 6 hours of credit in business law).

OR

B. A combination of education and experience with 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.
My background also includes one of the following:
(1) 24 semester hours in accounting or auditing courses of appropriate type and quality--including up to 6 hours of business law;
(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, but that does not fully satisfy the 24-semester-hour requirement, provided that (a) I have successfully worked at the full-performance level in accounting, auditing, or a related field; (b) a panel of at least two higher level professional accountants or auditors has determined that I have 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 answer A; and (c) except for literal non-conformance to the requirement of 24 semester hours in accounting, my education, training, and experience fully meet the specified requirements.

AND

Specialized Experience
You must have one year specialized experience to perform successfully the duties of the position. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service performing ALL of the following:

• Examine and verify complex sets of financial data to confirm accuracy and consistency.
• Develop and deliver reports that highlight financial activity and trends for leadership.
• Operate multiple accounting platforms to post, track, and reconcile transactions.
• Investigate unusual balances or errors, determine the cause, and make needed corrections.
• Carry out advanced accounting assignments independently while managing competing deadlines.
• Recommend improvements that strengthen accuracy, streamline work, and reduce repeat problems.
• Share findings and offer clear explanations of accounting outcomes to colleagues and supervisors.

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.

Do not copy and paste the duties, specialized experience, or occupational application questionnaire from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.

In accordance with Office of Personnel Management policy, federal employees are assumed to have gained experience by performing duties and responsibilities appropriate for their official series and grade level as described in their position description. Experience that would not normally be part of the employee's position is creditable, however, when documented by satisfactory evidence, such as a signed memorandum from the employee's supervisor or an SF-50 or SF-52 documenting an official detail or other official assignment. The documentation must indicate whether the duties were performed full time or, if part time, the "percentage of times" the other duties were performed. It is expected that this documentation is included in the employee's official personnel record. In order to receive credit for experience in your resume that is not within the official series and grade level of your official position, you must provide a copy of the appropriate documentation of such experience as indicated above.

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; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to gain employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. If such experience is on a part-time basis, you must provide the average number of hours worked per week as well as the beginning and ending dates of the experience so it can be fully credited.

OPM Qualification General Policies Website