Accountant
What you'd do
The Finance Staff (FS) formulates, establishes, and maintains Department-wide policies, procedures, and financial systems to support budgeting, accounting, auditing, travel, and other financial management activities. This position is in the FS, Operations and Reporting Group (O&R) responsible for general ledger accounting, GTAS, IPAC, Budget, OTCNet, monthly and quarterly reporting, processing of IPAC transactions, Accounts Payable, TROR, and other Treasury activities.
Major duties
The duties and responsibilities for a Accountant, GS-0510-7/9/11 generally include, but are not limited to, the following: Assist with various reconciliation activities to ensure that subsidiary ledgers are reconciled to general ledger accounts by appropriation. Review changes in procedures and processes to ensure that accounting records are updated properly. Investigate and correct out-of-line and out-of-balance conditions. Apply conventional accounting principles to journalize accounting transactions to general ledger. Provide professional accounting advice and assistance in the application and compliance of generally accepted accounting principles, policies, and procedures. Review, analyze, and modify operating programs, practices, and procedures related to receiving, controlling, validating, recording, and reporting accounting transactions affecting asset, liability, revenue, expense, and budgetary accounts. Handle monthly, quarterly, and annual transactions. Reconcile accounts payable, reimbursable and receivable. Examine accounting documents for proper accounting classification and authorization. Analyze a variety of accounts. Prepare monthly trial balances and financial reports. Support senior accountants and supervisors in various tasks in meeting organizational goals. Provide assistance to field staff in processing journal vouchers or accounting entries. Identify problems and discrepancies, determines if adjustments or corrections are required, and takes necessary action to correct.
What you need to qualify
To qualify for the position of Accountant, at GS-0510-7/9/11, you must meet the basic qualification requirements listed below. Basic Requirements: 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.") (NOTE: Transcripts must be provided) 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:1. Twenty-four semester hours in accounting or auditing courses of appropriate type and quality. This can include 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, 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. (NOTE: Transcripts and/or appropriate documentation must be provided). AND GS-7 Specialized Experience: For the GS-07, you must have one year of specialized experience at the GS-5 grade level or equivalent pay band in the Federal Service, which includes: Assist with preparing reports using a financial management system; And assist with performing audits and analyzing findings. OR Education: One (1) full year of graduate level education or a bachelor's degree and claim eligibility for superior academic achievement based on one of the following: A grade point average of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale, class standing in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, or membership in a national scholastic honor society. OR Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of successfully completed graduate level education and experience. This will be calculated using your resume and unofficial transcripts or a list of courses/course hours submitted with your application. GS-9 Specialized Experience: For the GS-09, you must have one year of specialized experience at the GS-07 grade level or equivalent pay band in the Federal Service, which includes: Preparing reports using a financial management system; Performing audits and analyzing findings; And Researching and resolving routine/standard accounting issues. OR Education: Master's degree (or equivalent graduate degree such as a L.L.B./J.D.) or two (2) academic years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree. OR Combination of Education and Experience: Combinations of successfully completed graduate school education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify for the GS-9. Only graduate education in excess of the first year may be used to qualify. GS-11 Specialized Experience: For the GS-11, you must have one year of specialized experience at the GS-09 grade level or equivalent pay band in the Federal Service, which includes: Performing a variety of accounting functions and/or analyzing financial data; Developing policies and/or procedures relating to accounting systems; and Resolving accounting transactions and/or developing financial reports. OR Education: A Ph.D. or equivalent degree or three (3) academic years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or an LL.M. if related. OR Combination of Education and Experience: Combinations of successfully completed graduate school education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify for a GS-11. Only graduate education in excess of the first two years may be used to qualify. You MUST meet all qualification requirements, including time-in-grade, by 07/10/2026 of this announcement. Your resume must support your responses to the application questionnaire and the qualification requirements. Failure to do so may result in an ineligible rating. See the Required Documents section for important notes about what must be included in your resume. After you submit this application, you will receive an e-mail informing you that a USA Hire assessment is required of you. You will have 48 hours from the closing date of this announcement 07/10/2026 to complete the assessment as this assessment is part of your application.
Before you apply
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