Summary
As an Accountant, you will be responsible for performing complex accounting and financial management functions. The Office of Financial Operations is responsible for managing agency financial operations, including overseeing cash management, accounts receivable, and accounts payable. We are currently filling five vacancies, but additional vacancies may be filled as needed.
Responsibilities
Location of positions: Washington, DC; Kansas City, MO; Fort Worth, TX; Lakewood, CO; Tacoma, WA; Raleigh, NC; Atlanta, GA; New York, NY; San Francisco, CA; Philadelphia, PA; Chicago, IL; and Boston, MA. As an Accountant, you will be responsible for performing the following duties: Review financial and/or management reports and render advice and/or assistance to the appropriate officials in interpreting trends or spotting abnormal fluctuations, including the determination and recording of adjustments required. Develop new or revised reporting formats to serve changing needs of management. Create Standard General Ledger (SGL) posting models for the proper recording of accounting transactions in the accounting systems. Perform analysis of SGL accounts for proper accounting treatment, accuracy, and correction of existing posting models. Coordinate the resolution of accounting issues arising from factors such as changes in legislation, regulations, and accounting standards as prescribed by GAO, Treasury, and OMB, and makes appropriate changes to policy, procedures and reports. Review agency financial procedures for compliance with policy. Recommend changes to financial, accounting and business procedures and practices to ensure complete, reliable and consistent financial information is provided to executives, managers, employees and clients. Participate in research and development work to formulate accounting policies and procedures to: (1) design and develop new techniques, (2) review and evaluate effectiveness and compliance with policy of current and proposed procedures and (3) provide advice and guidance to management, financial and operational components. Plan and implement, through changes in the official handbooks, manuals and regulations of GSA, modifications to existing policies and procedures to meet the changing program requirements and management needs. Maintain effective relationships with GSA's OCFO and program offices to develop economical and useful accounting and financial reporting systems. Create various reports required by senior management, financial managers, or program officials. Prepare replies to correspondence from members of Congress, State and local agencies, and interested segments of the private industry.
Qualifications
To evaluate your qualifications, your resume must clearly demonstrate how you meet the specialized experience described below. Your resume must not exceed two pages. To ensure your qualifications can be fully evaluated, we recommend including the following information: Name, address, telephone number, email address; Job title (if federal service, provide series and grade; if not in GS plan, provide GS equivalent grade); Relevant work experience—should include employer name, job title, start and end dates (month/year), the number of hours worked per week and descriptions that explain how you meet the required qualifications in the job announcement. Education, certifications or licensures—If the job announcement requires any education, certifications or licensures, make sure to include the required information and any required documents like transcripts. Your resume should contain enough information to make a valid determination that you fully meet experience requirements for each grade level you are applying to. If you do not provide enough information for us to determine your qualifications, you may be rated ineligible. If you have volunteered your service through a National Service program (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps), we encourage you to apply and include this experience on your resume. The GS-13 salary range starts at $108,173 per year. If you are a new federal employee, your starting salary will likely be set at the Step 1 of the grade for which you are selected. This position has a positive education requirement: Applicants must submit a copy of their college or university transcript(s) and certificates by the closing date of announcements to verify qualifications. If selected, an official transcript will be required prior to appointment. Basic Requirements: You must have either A or B: 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. (The term "accounting" means "accounting and/or auditing" in this standard. Similarly, "accountant" should be interpreted, generally, as "accountant and/or auditor."); 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: Twenty-four semester hours in accounting or auditing courses of appropriate type and quality. This can include up to 6 hours of business law. A certificate as Certified Public Accountant or a Certified Internal Auditor, obtained through written examination; or 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. Refer to OPM's Accounting Qualification Standard for more information. In addition to the Basic Requirements, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level in the federal service. Specialized experience is defined as performing accounting and financial management functions that demonstrate the following: Analyzing and evaluating accounting transactions, problems, reports, systems, etc. to support meeting the organization's goals and objectives; Drafting recommended changes to policy, procedures, and reports to improve organizational effectiveness; and Serving as a central point of contact for professional and technical guidance, and resolving customer requests and issues.
Requirements
If selected, you must meet the following conditions: 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 or NonCareer SES employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the HR Office. Failure to disclose this information could result in disciplinary action including removal from Federal Service. Serve a one year probationary period, if required. Undergo and pass a background investigation (Tier 2 investigation level). Have your identity and work status eligibility verified if you are not a GSA employee. We will use the Department of Homeland Security's e-Verify system for this. Any discrepancies must be resolved as a condition of continued employment.
Education
Note: If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/
Benefits
You will have access to many benefits including: Health insurance (choose from a wide range of plans) Life insurance coverage with several options Sick leave and vacation time, including 11 paid holidays per year Thrift Savings Plan (similar to a 401(k) plan) Transit and child care subsidies Flexible spending accounts Long-term care insurance Training and development