Systems Accountant

Summary The Financial Operations Division (AFM-200) establishes financial system requirements that support Delphi and PRISM. The Systems Reporting Services Branch (AFM-230) develops financial reports and dashboards that support agency operations that provides data from any of the FAA’s financial systems, including DELPHI, PRISM, and the E2 Travel System. Responsibilities The Systems Accountant is a recognized subject matter expert in financial systems and provides leadership for highly complex and challenging activities under the minimal direction of a manager or executive. May act as the principal Accountant to develop new and innovative approaches, methodologies, and/or techniques. The Systems Accountant is responsible for developing and maintaining financial systems and reporting processes for the Office of Financial Management (AFM). Generates and produces reports and dashboards using the agency’s financial systems data. Ensures reporting methods adhere to the Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Board accounting standards and the practices and procedures within the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Act of 1990. Supports the annual financial statements audit by ensuring that financial system data is represented accurately in financial reports and dashboards. Applies experience and expert knowledge of systems accounting principles, financial management systems, and financial management reporting requirements to conduct functional activities for projects/programs that often require the development of new and innovative approaches. Identifies and resolves challenging problems or issues that often cross- organizational boundaries and impact on the accomplishment of strategic objectives. Assignments include providing guidance to less-experienced professionals; leading large project/program teams; defining and developing internal policies and procedures; predicting potential issues and proposing preventive actions. The Systems Accountant supports financial system maintenance and improvements that enable the agency to leverage innovative reporting practices that align with the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) strategic goals and the FAA’s automation initiatives. Collaborates with financial staff within AFM and liaisons within the Office of Information and Technology (AIT) to ensure FAA financial systems are configured with proper reporting functions. Participates in financial systems implementation projects to ensure accounting and financial management standards are met to include defining requirements, testing, and deployment. Interacts with the Lines of Business (LOB) and Staff Offices (SO) to assist and/or complete financial system reporting requests that require data from FAA financial systems. Implements the DOT strategic initiative to improve reporting accuracy with automation technologies. Contributes knowledge of system accounting technologies and automation skills to ensure financial systems and reporting processes comply with Federal regulations, policies, and guidelines. Conducts employee outreach and demonstrations to share the value of automation within the financial reporting function. Develops a repository of reporting automation for ad-hoc use. Broad policies and objectives provide general guidance for addressing issues but often require the development of new approaches. May create new solutions and policy interpretations, as situations require. Provides expert guidance and instruction both internally and externally to address diverse, complex issues that often cross multiple projects, programs, and/or functional areas. Develops and recommends approaches to address current and anticipated problems and issues. Works with senior management to identify and resolve problems. Collaborates with the branch staff to establish and maintain effective reporting operations. Analyzes business processes and develops approaches to streamline processes. Work is reviewed primarily through status reports and at project completion. The work activities and project assignments impact directly on the objectives of one or more organizational units, major subdivisions, LOB/SOs and impacts the FAA financial management program. Requirements Conditions of Employment We are not accepting applications from noncitizens. Qualifications To qualify for this position, you must demonstrate in your application that you possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the FV-I, FG/GS-13 level. This experience is typically related to the line of work of the position to be filled and which has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been at least equivalent to the next lower level in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience is defined as: Experience with accounting or financial systems using reporting applications. You should include relevant examples of the specialized experience in your work history. Errors or omissions may impact your rating or may result in you not being considered. Answer all questions to the best of your ability. DO NOT ASSUME THAT BECAUSE YOU HOLD, OR HAVE HELD THIS POSITION, YOU WILL AUTOMATICALLY BE FOUND ELIGIBLE. You may be asked to provide evidence or documentation that you have this type of experience later in the selection process. Your responses are subject to verification through job interviews or any other information obtained during the application process. Any exaggeration of your experience or any attempt to conceal information can result in disqualification. *Applicants who fail to demonstrate possession of any of the above criteria AND who do not provide the required documentation will receive no further consideration for this position. * Applicants may be asked to verify information on their application for employment with the FAA. *All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this vacancy announcement. * Education This position has a positive education requirement: Applicants must submit a copy of their college or university transcripts(s) and certificates by the closing date of announcement to verify qualifications. If selected, an official transcript will be required prior to appointment. You may upload these documents with your application in USAJOBS or fax it to fax number provided in the announcement (please include announcement number on each page). Failure to do so will result in loss of consideration. Schools must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Accreditation may be verified at the following website: www.ed.gov/accreditation. Foreign education must be evaluated by a private professional organization specializing in interpretation of foreign education credentials or an accredited U.S. educational institution in terms of equivalence to a degree acquired at an American college or university. A copy of the evaluation results must be included, otherwise your foreign education will not be considered. 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 one of the following: a. Twenty-four semester hours in accounting or auditing courses of appropriate type and quality. This can include up to 6 hours of business law; b. A certificate as Certified Public Accountant or a Certified Internal Auditor, obtained through written examination; or c. 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; 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 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. If you are a current or former Federal employee, and you currently hold or previously held a position classified in the 0510 occupational series, you are not required to submit a college transcript provided you upload a copy of the SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, verifying your classification in the 0510 occupational series. Applicants, who are not currently in the 0510 occupational series in the Federal Government and fail to provide a copy of an unofficial or official transcript will not receive further consideration for this vacancy. Upon selection, if not currently employed in the 0510 occupational series, you will be required to submit an official transcript before appointment. If you do not have an official transcript (original, with the raised seal), you should contact your school immediately to request it. Foreign Education: For additional information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html. Additional Information We may use this vacancy to fill other similar vacant positions. Position may be subject to a background investigation. A one-year probationary period may be required. The U.S. Department of Transportation strives to ensure that equity, transparency, accountability, collaboration, and communication permeate all that we do for the betterment of the Department, the traveling public, and our nation. As such, DOT values a highly diverse workforce of persons who promote a culture of belonging by respecting the personal dignity and worth of each individual and fostering a positive environment where all feel safe and welcome. If these commitments coincide with your personal ideals and professional aspirations, please consider joining the DOT family. NOTES: 1. This position is covered by the FAA Core Compensation plan. Additional information about Core Compensation is available at: https://www.faa.gov/jobs/working_here/benefits. 2. As a part of the Federal-Wide Hiring Reform Initiative (streamlining the hiring process), the FAA is committed to eliminating the use of Knowledge, Skills, and Ability (KSA) narratives from the initial application in the hiring process for all announcements. Therefore, as an applicant, you are NOT required to provide a narrative response in the text box listed below each KSA. In place of providing a KSA narrative response in the text box listed below each KSA section, in your work history, please include information that provides specific examples of how you meet the response level or answer you chose for each KSA. Your work history examples should be specific and reflect the highest level of ability. Your KSA answers will be evaluated further to validate whether the level that you selected is appropriate based on the work history and experience you provided. Your answers may be adjusted by a human resource specialist as appropriate. 3. Eligible applicants meeting the minimum qualification requirements and/or selective placement factor(s) (SPF) may be further evaluated on the Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA) and/or Quality Ranking Factor (QRF) listed in the announcement. Based on this evaluation, applicants will be placed in one of the following categories: (1) score order; (2) category grouping; (3) alphabetical; or (4) priority grouping and referred to the selecting official for selection consideration. 4. This Level 6 (High Risk; Public Trust) position requires favorable adjudication of a Background Investigation (BI) background investigation before appointment unless a waiver is obtained. 5. NATCA Multi-unit Interview Criteria: Article 42, Section 5 states: If the Agency decides to interview any qualified employee on the selection list, then all on the list who are qualified must be interviewed. If the selection list is shortened to a best-qualified list through a comparative process, then the best-qualified list shall be considered to be the selection list. If it is determined that interviews are required and telephone interviews are not utilized, travel expenses incidental to these interviews will be paid according to the Agency’s travel regulations and this Agreement. Links to Important Information: Locality Pay, COLA