ACCOUNTANT (SYSTEMS)

Summary This is a Direct Hire Authority (DHA) solicitation utilizing the DHA for certain personnel of the workforce to recruit and appoint qualified candidates to positions in the competitive service. This position will be filled at the GS-9,11 or 12 grade levels. About the Position: This position is located within the Resource Management Office, Finance and Accounting Branch of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England Districts located in Concord, MA. Responsibilities The incumbent will serve as a senior Accountant within Resource Management. In this position, the incumbent has full authority to act on accounting matters. Plan nature and extent of accounting programs in terms of overall aspects. Plan scheduling and conducting of special studies and projects. Determine and implement applicable policies, procedures and techniques to be utilized in the overall accounting program. Ensure compliance with laws such as appropriation law statutes with Public Law 97-258, Federal Managers Financial Integrity Act, and the Chief Financial Officers Act. Ensure district compliance with federal accounting principles contained within the Government Accountability Office (GAO) manual. The incumbent has primary responsibility for monitoring and coordinating a Corps-wide management information system at the district level. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications Who May Apply: US Citizens In order to qualify, you must meet the education and experience requirements described below. 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). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document. Basic Requirements for Accounting 0510 series: A. Degree: Bachelor's degree (or higher 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. The 24 hours may include up to 6 hours of credit in business law. OR B. Combination of Education and Experience: Must include 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; OR (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; AND (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. In addition to meeting the basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below: GS:09 One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 grade level in the federal service. Specialized experience is defined as meeting ALL OF the following: 1)Provide accurate and timely financial information to program managers; 2) assist customers in interpreting accounting systems data for use in financial program execution; and 3) utilize financial management system programs in order to complete tasks including the use of structured query language used to extract data from financial management systems; 5) use data visualization tools, such as PowerBi. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the second lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-07). OR Education: Master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position, such as: Accounting. OR Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) beyond the first year (total graduate semester hours minus 18) by 18. Add the two percentages. GS-11: One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 grade level in the federal service. Specialized experience is defined as meeting ALL OF the following: 1) Interpret accounting policies and/or regulations in order to maintain compliance 2) Provide financial accounting services to internal and/or stakeholders; and 3) utilize financial management system programs including the use of structured query language used to extract data in order to complete tasks; 4) use financial of management systems visualization tools such as PowerBi, to present information to management. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the second lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-09). OR Education: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position, such as: Accounting. OR Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) beyond the second year (total graduate semester hours minus 36) by 18. Add the two percentages. GS-12: One year of specialized experience which includes meeting all of the following: 1) Analyze automated accounting and/or financial systems reports and provide recommendations to management; 2) utilize structured query language to extract operational data for use by management; 3) utilize financial management system programs, such as PowerBi in order to complete tasks; 4) reconcile cost data against the general ledger, subsidiary ledgers and/or manual/automated reports. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-11). "Some federal jobs allow you to substitute your education for the required experience in order to qualify. For this job, you must meet the qualification requirement using experience alone--no substitution of education for experience is permitted". Education FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/ Additional Information Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration. You will be required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship. One year trial/probationary period may be required. Direct Deposit of Pay is required. This position requires you to submit a Public Financial Disclosure Report (OGE 278) or a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE450) upon entry, and annually thereafter. Selection is subject to restrictions resulting from Department of Defense referral system for displaced employees. If you have retired from federal service and you are interested in employment as a reemployed annuitant, see the information in the Reemployed Annuitant information sheet. This is a(n) CP-11- Comptroller Career Field position. Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement. Salary includes applicable locality pay or Local Market Supplement. Recruitment/Relocation/Retention Incentives MAY BE authorized.