Summary This position is in the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO), Financial Management Service (FMS), Reporting, Reconciliation, and Analysis Division, Asset Reconciliation Branch in New Orleans, Louisiana. The incumbent of this position is responsible for analyzing accounts, reports, data, and procedural instructions. This is a Temporary / TERM Appointment Not To Exceed (NTE) 2 years. This is NOT a Remote/Virtual Position. Responsibilities Reviews and analyzes balances and other financial statements to ensure conformance with established policies, regulations, and generally accepted accounting practices. Prepares detailed accounting reports. Reviews agency regulations, policies, and procedures applicable to unit operations. Recommends actions to be taken by top management officials to ensure that an effective accounting and reporting system is achieved, with emphasis on internal controls. Prepares periodic reconciliations using Microsoft Excel and other tools. Provides internal and external audit support. Communicates with others to obtain, clarify, or give facts and information concerning accounting policies and/or procedures. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including time-in-grade restrictions, specialized experience and/or education, as defined below. This position has a positive education requirement; therefore, a legible copy of your college transcripts is required to be attached to your application prior to the closing date of the announcement; applicants who fail to submit their transcripts will not be given credit for their education. Your application or resume must clearly show that you possess the appropriate specialized experience requirements. You must possess the Basic Requirements indicated below, in addition to Specialized Experience or Education to be considered eligible for this position. 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: 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. See above for education requirements. In addition to the Basic Requirements, applicants must meet the following: Specialized Experience: To qualify for the GS-11: Have at least one year of specialized experience, equivalent to the GS-09 level in Federal Service or equivalent responsibility in the private sector/pay systems equipping you with the competencies to successfully perform as a Systems Accountant. Such experience includes researching, analyzing, and reconciling various financial data and records from multiple accounting/data systems to FMMI. Finding solutions to complex general ledger and reporting issues between the general ledger and internal or external systems. Resolving issues related to the operations of an accounting or corporate financial management system, interfacing system or subsidiary system. or 3 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or Equivalent combination of successfully completed higher level education and specialized experience that makes up 100% of the qualifications required for the position. Combinations of Education and Specialized Experience: Education and specialized experience can be combined to meet the minimum qualification requirements, as allowed in the applicable standard. Only graduate education in excess of 18 semester hours may be used to qualify applicants for this grade level). The education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. When combining education with experience, first determine the total qualifying education as a percentage of the education required for the grade level; then determine the applicant's specialized experience as a percentage of the experience required for the grade level; finally, add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify for this grade level. To qualify for the GS-12: One year of specialized experience, equivalent to the GS-11 level in Federal Service or equivalent responsibility in the private sector/pay systems equipped you with the competencies to successfully perform as an Accountant (Systems). Such experience includes: Researches analyzes and applies corrective action to financial data and the financial system while applying general accepted accounting principles and standards outlined by FASB, GASB, GAO, Treasury, OMB and other authoritative regulations or bodies; recommends improvements and devises innovative solutions to challenging problems and process flows through the ERP SAP financial system modules and the results of external interfaces, including agency systems and U.S. Department of Treasury system; provides expert advice on the interpretation of new legislation and/or laws affecting the accounting system. The following link provides more information on the qualifications for this position: Accounting Series 0510 Individual Occupational Requirements (IOR): https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification- standards/0500/accounting-series-0510/ Group Coverage Qualification Standard for Professional and Scientific Positions: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/#url=Group-Standards 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 and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Education Education must be reviewed and certified by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be creditable toward your qualifications. Therefore, you should provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. If any education was completed at a foreign institute, you must submit with your application evidence that the institute was appropriately accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as equivalent to U.S. education standards. There are private organizations that specialize in this evaluation and a fee is normally associated with this service. For a list of private organizations that evaluate education, visit the NACES website. All transcripts must be in English or include an English translation. Additional Information Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): Visit the OPM website for information on how to apply as a CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP candidates must be rated and determined to be well qualified (or above) based on an evaluation of the competencies listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section. When assessed through a score-based category rating method, CTAP/ICTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100. PROMOTION POTENTIAL: If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you will be placed under a career development plan, and may be non-competitively promoted if you successfully complete the requirements and if recommended by management. However, promotion is neither implied nor guaranteed. TELEWORK: This position may be eligible to telework up to four days per week, based upon the duties of the position. This position may also be eligible for flexible work arrangements as determined by agency policy and any applicable collective bargaining agreements.