Accountant
What you'd do
View Common Definitions of terms found in this announcement. Organizational Location: This position is located in the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Chief Financial Officer Office of Financial Capitol of Financial Management Financial Operations, in, Irving, Texas; Washington, District of Columbia; Williston, Vermont. This is a non-bargaining unit position.
Major duties
As an Accountant, at the full performance level, you will perform the following duties: Perform complex analyses of general ledger accounts, trial balances, and financial statements to ensure accuracy and compliance with financial systems reporting standards. Conduct in-depth research on complex accounting issues and new finance standards, preparing technical position papers and white papers to support management decision-making and document accounting conclusions. Lead the reconciliation of intra-governmental activity and balances with federal trading partners, resolving discrepancies and ensuring accurate reporting in accordance with Treasury guidance. Manage the accounting for real and personal property, including capitalization, depreciation, and disposal, while reconciling property management systems with the general ledger to maintain data integrity. Support financial audits by preparing documentation, responding to auditor inquiries, and assisting in the development of corrective action plans to address control deficiencies and process weaknesses. Provide authoritative recommendations to improve financial processes, coordinate across agency program offices, and offer technical guidance to junior staff to enhance the quality of financial operations.
What you need to qualify
Please limit your resume to 2 pages. If more than 2 pages are submitted, only the first 2 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications. IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Do not copy and paste the duties, specialized experience, or occupational assessment questionnaire from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position. BASIC EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Individual Occupational Requirements (IORs) for the Accounting, 0510 series are as follows: Degree: A degree (Bachelors or higher) in accounting; or a degree (Bachelors or higher) 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: 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; 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 1, 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 1; 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 THE BASIC EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENT: You qualify for the GS-12 grade level if you possess the following: Experience: One (1) year of specialized experience at the GS-11 grade level or equivalent performing duties such as: Applying financial accounting principles and standards to perform accounting assignments, including preparing and posting journal vouchers, reconciling general ledger accounts, and ensuring compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and policies. Preparing and analyzing financial statements and reports including performing monthly and year-end close activities, developing supporting schedules, identifying variances or discrepancies, and recommending corrective actions. Analyzing business processes, including testing system changes, reconciling data from multiple systems or subsystems, and providing technical guidance to financial staff. Assessing compliance with federal requirements, and recommending changes to policies, procedures, or systems to strengthen financial integrity and reporting accuracy. You qualify for the GS-13 grade level if you possess the following: Experience: One (1) year of specialized experience, equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the federal service, performing duties such as: Compiles and analyzes financial statements, trial balances, and related note disclosures to ensure accuracy and compliance with regulatory and statutory requirements. Perform trial balance reconciliations, data validation, and transaction-level reporting for General Funds. Demonstrates experience evaluating accounting programs, processes, or activities to determine effectiveness, identify deficiencies, and recommend actions to improve financial operations. Applying financial standards to evaluate daily accounting operations, perform root-cause analyses, and resolve discrepancies. Qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. Qualification claims will be subject to verification. 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. Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office. The Department of Homeland Security encourages persons with disabilities to apply, to include persons with intellectual, severe physical or psychiatric disabilities, as defined by 5 CFR 213.3102(u), and/or Disabled Veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30 percent or more as defined by 5 CFR 315.707. Veterans, Peace Corps, VISTA volunteers, and persons with disabilities possess a wealth of unique talents, experiences, and competencies that can be invaluable to the DHS mission. If you are a member of one of these groups, you may not have to compete with the public for federal jobs. To determine your eligibility for non-competitive appointment and to understand the required documentation, click on the links above or contact the Servicing Human Resources Office listed at the bottom of this announcement.
Before you apply
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