Accountant in College Park, Maryland

Summary This position is part of the National Archives and Records Administration. This position is located in Accounting Policy and Operations (XA), Office of the Chief Financial Officer (X), National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), and under the general supervision of the Accounting Officer. Responsibilities The following are the duties of this position at the GS-12. If you are selected at a lower grade level, you will have the opportunity to learn to perform all these duties, and will receive training to help you grow in this position. As an Accountant, you will: Evaluate accounting reports and prepare narrative, interpretive, and graphic analysis thereof showing accomplishments, trends and comparison of performance to NARA objectives, programs goals and schedules. Provide accounting policy and direction where necessary and follows-up with NARA’s shared service provider and NARA program officials to coordinate accounting policy, accounting program changes and accounting processing requirements training with NARA’s users. Work on a variety of financial accounting systems (Oracle, PRISM, OBI, QuickTime, etc.) that require the application of established, and more or less standardized, accounting principles, theories, concepts, and practices. Prepare prescribed and special financial reports, exception reports, and answer inquiries requiring management attention, regarding specific data derived from the accounting system. Requirements Conditions of Employment This opportunity is also open to Status Candidates under Announcement ST-12599847-25-MU. Please refer to that announcement for details on open period, eligibility, and how to apply. The experience may have been gained in either the public, private sector or volunteer service. One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-time work is considered on a prorated basis. To ensure full credit for your work experience, please indicate dates of employment by month/day/year, and indicate number of hours worked per week on your resume. A one year probationary period may be required. Must successfully complete a background investigation. Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency. If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so. Go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the Form i-9. Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S. Obtain and use a Government-issued charge card for business-related travel. Key Requirements: Please refer to “Conditions of Employment.” Click “Print Preview” to review the entire announcement before applying. Must be U.S. Citizens or U.S. Nationals. Public Trust background investigation will be required. Qualifications You must meet the following requirements by the closing date of this announcement. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: For the GS-09, you must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position includes: Examining and interpreting accounting data, records, and reports; AND Operating automated accounting systems. OR EDUCATION: You may substitute education for general or specialized experience as follows: 2 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Master’s degree or Master’s or equivalent graduate degree. OR COMBINATION OF EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION: You may qualify by a combination of experience and education. Options for qualifying based on a combination will be identified in the online questions. A combination of education and experience. Only graduate level education in excess of 18 semester hours (27 quarter hours), may be used to combine education and experience. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: For the GS-07, you must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-05 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position includes: Experience applying accounting theory, concepts, principles and practices sufficient to: Demonstrate a basic level understanding of accounting theory and concepts; OR Experience in operating and maintaining automated accounting systems sufficient to: Processing accounting documents and/or performing research and analysis. OR EDUCATION: You may substitute education for specialized experience as follows: One full year of graduate level education in either accounting or auditing or related fields, such as business administration, finance, or public administration; OR a Bachelor’s Degree with Superior Academic Achievement demonstrated through class standing (upper third of the graduating class); grade point average (a GPA of 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 based on 4 years education or courses completed during the final 2 years; or a GPA of 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 based on required courses in the major field); or election to membership in a national scholastic honor society. A copy of transcript or list of college courses designating semester or quarter hours earned is required. OR A COMBINATION OF EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION: Only graduate level education (i.e. education beyond the Bachelor’s degree) may be used to combine education and experience. Education Education Requirements: The education generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Individual Occupational Requirements A. Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor’s degree or higher in accounting or 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/auditing” in this standard. Similarly, “accountant” should be interpreted, generally, as “accountant/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: 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. Additional Information We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies. This announcement may be used to fill like positions in other organizations within the National Archives and Records Administration. This is a bargaining unit position. AFGE Council 260. We offer opportunities for telework, per Agency policy. We offer opportunities for alternative and flexible work schedules, per Agency policy.