Accountant

Summary This position is in the Financial Management Division (FMD), Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO). The FMD is responsible for verifying, authorizing, and processing financial documents that represent multimillion dollar annual payments to employees and the billing/collection of millions in revenue from sources owing funds to FSIS. The FMD processes documents authorizing payments to outside vendors, along with billing and reimbursements to State agencies with cooperative agreements. Learn more about this agency Duties Monitors and performs entry of obligation documents and general ledger adjustments in the FMMI financial system in support of FSIS incentives programs and activities Coordinates with agency stakeholders and reviews and evaluates the accuracy of reporting data elements, obligations, and expenditures Supports the day-to-day operations of performing financial analysis, verification of financial data, preparation of financial statements and other reporting Provides training to FSIS personnel as required or requested and provides assistance to program officials on accounting operations and procedures Conducts analysis, surveys and reviews of methods, policies and procedures to provide a basis for a sound and progressive management improvement program Reviews and analyzes internal accounting reports to assure the proper integration of data from accounting and various other financial feeder subsystems Interprets data, recommends, and executes corrective action to correct imbalances Provides technical and expert advice on complex financial and accounting issues Requirements Conditions of employment You must be a US Citizen or US National. Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt. Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check. Successful completion of one-year probationary period, unless previously served. Refer to the Next Steps section for more information. Subject to one year supervisory/managerial probationary period unless prior service is creditable. New USDA supervisors must successfully complete all components of the required training program before the end of their probationary period. Direct Deposit: Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution. Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit https://www.e-verify.gov/. False statements or responses on a resume or application can jeopardize employment and may be grounds for disciplinary action, including removal from Federal service. If you are selected, you may need to complete a Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) prior to being appointed to determine suitability for Federal employment and to authorize a background investigation. Qualifications Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including specialized experience and/or education, as defined below. Specialized Experience: GS-9: Applicants must have one year or 52 weeks of specialized experience at the GS-7 or equivalent that demonstrates: Professional knowledge of the theory, concepts and practices of accounting; Accounting operations; Financial information systems and software capabilities; and provide technical direction to obtain efficiency and economy of operations, etc. Additionally, your resume must include: Applying knowledge to broad assignments and to areas of accounting; Organizing or analyzing financial management data; Experience with accounting or accounting systems; Knowledge of fiscal law statues, transactions and systems GS-11: Applicants must have one year or 52 weeks of specialized experience at the GS-9 or equivalent that demonstrates: Professional knowledge of the theory, concepts and practices of accounting; Accounting operations; Financial information systems and software capabilities; and provide technical direction to obtain efficiency and economy of operations, etc. Additionally, your resume must include: Applying knowledge to broad assignments and to specialized areas of accounting; Organize and analyze financial and management data; Experience with accounting and accounting related systems; Knowledge of fiscal law statues, transactions and systems GS-12: Applicants must have one year or 52 weeks of specialized experience at the GS-11 or equivalent that demonstrates: Professional knowledge of the theory, concepts and practices of accounting; Accounting operations; Financial information systems and software capabilities; and provide technical direction to obtain efficiency and economy of operations, etc. Additionally, your resume must include: Applying knowledge to broad and difficult assignments and to specialized areas of accounting; Solve controversial problems with regulations, financial reporting, reimbursable rate calculations, organizational and functional operations of the various programs; Interpret and evaluate financial and management data; Define project specifications based on the alternative results selected; Develop and evaluate proposals to integrate a number of administrative support or functional program accounting systems. For more information on how to qualify for this position, Click Here 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 and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Education Basic Requirements 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 oneof 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. Additional information Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): Visit the OPM website for information on how to apply as a CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP candidates must be rated and determined to be well qualified (or above) based on an evaluation of the competencies listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section. When assessed through a score-based category rating method, CTAP/ICTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100. If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you will be placed under a career development plan and may be non-competitively promoted if you successfully complete the requirements and if recommended by management. However, promotion is neither implied nor guaranteed. 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. Expand Hide  additional information 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. Benefits A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits. Review our benefits Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.