Summary This vacancy is for a Lead Accountant position in the Office of the Chief Financial Officer located at the U.S. Census Bureau Headquarters in Suitland, Maryland. The Census Bureau is accessible from the Metro Rail Green Line - Suitland Station. This Job Opportunity Announcement may be used to fill other Accountant, 0510-13 positions within the Census Bureau in the same geographical location with the same qualifications and specialized experience. Responsibilities Applies financial data, identifies problem areas, resolves discrepancies in reported data, develops solutions and recommends alternatives to improve operating program effectiveness. Provides authoritative advice, guidance, and operational support in fulfilling OMB, GAO, and Treasury's over financial management and reporting requirements as mandated. Conducts financial analyses, reviews, and validates financial data. Serves as a Team Lead working in collaboration with management managing and overseeing a staff in accounting and financial operations. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS: You must meet the Basic Requirements and Specialized Experience as described below. BASIC REQUIREMENTS (A) 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. OR (B) 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. AND SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE Specialized Experience: For the GS-13, you must have one year of experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-12 in the Federal service. Specialized experience required for this position includes: Gathering, recording, and processing financial data from an accounting and/or financial system; Reviewing and examining the accuracy of financial data/general ledger to ensure conformance to regulations, policies, and operating procedures; Providing functional guidance on a variety of financial matters related to Governmentwide Treasury Account Symbol (GTAS) Adjusted Trial Balance System, Financial Statements, The US Standard General Ledger (USSGL), SF 133: Report on Budget Execution and Budgetary Resources; Working with G-invoicing and Oracle Federal Financial System; Assisting with audit inquiries and requests; and Analyzing and reconciling financial transactions. Education: Substitution of education may not be used in lieu of specialized experience for this grade level. 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. Education You are not required to submit official transcripts/documents at this time; copies are sufficient. For further information on the educational requirement outlined above in the Qualifications section, see the OPM Qualification Standards associated with the Accounting Series 0510: Accounting Series 0510. Special Instructions for Foreign Education: Qualifying education from colleges and universities in foreign countries must be evaluated in terms of equivalency to that acquired in U.S. colleges and universities. Applicants educated in whole or in part in foreign countries must submit sufficient evidence, including transcripts, to an accredited private organization for an equivalency evaluation of course work and degree. You must provide a copy of the letter containing the results of the equivalency evaluation with a course-by-course listing along with your application. Failure to provide such documentation when requested will result in lost consideration. For further information on the evaluation of foreign education, refer to the U.S. Department of Education's web site at Academic and Professional Mobility | International Affairs Office (ed.gov). Additional Information The following links provide information on various hiring authorities that may enable you to apply through merit assignment procedures, or be eligible for a non-competitive appointment. VRA (GS-11 or below) VEOA (permanent positions) 30% or more disabled veteran Persons with disabilities CTAP ICTAP The Department of Commerce also provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the Human Resources Office. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be on a case-by-case basis. TTY users can contact the Human Resources Office via the Federal Relay Service, 1-800-877-8339.
