Accountant (Operating Accountant) at Washington

JOB SUMMARY:

The Administrative Office (AO), an agency of the Judicial Branch of the Federal government, is committed to serving and supporting the Federal court system of the United States. The AO provides a broad range of legislative, legal, financial, technology, management, administrative and program support services to the Federal courts. 

 

AO positions are classified and paid under a broad-banded system with the exception of positions in the AO Executive Service. Salary is commensurate with experience.  Most AO employees are eligible for full Federal and Judiciary benefits.

The AO is committed to attracting the best and brightest applicants in our support of the Third Branch of government. We take pride in serving the Judicial Branch and supporting its mission to provide equal justice under law. 

 

KEY REQUIREMENTS

• More than one selection may be made from this announcement.
• Selectees may be subject to a one-year trial period.
• Selectee must favorably complete a background investigation.
• All requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

DUTIES:Back to top

The Accounting and Financial Systems Division (AFSD) provides fiscal and accounting services to the AO and the Judiciary. It also centrally maintains the financial records of the Judiciary. This position is located in the Financial Accounting Branch which is responsible for directing the development, implementation, and monitoring of appropriate management and financial controls necessary to ensure data integrity in the AO’s large scale automated accounting system, protecting the Judiciary’s fiscal resources, and developing required reports and financial statements. The position will support the Financial Accounting Branch to improve accounting practices and best practices. Duties may include, but are not limited to:

Analyzing accounting transactions and data to ensure accuracy and integrity in reporting of the Judiciary’s budgetary and accounting information in monthly, quarterly and yearend financial reporting;

Performing account reconciliations including transactions posted from interfaced systems from the courts and other Federal agencies;

Advising and consulting with courts on their local financial and accounting matters;

Analyzing the status of obligations and other budget authority for court and AO allotment and allocation holders;

Supporting court financial management reviews;

Performing trend analysis of funds held by the Judiciary;

Working with the Financial Management Service and other Treasury affiliates on special financial management initiatives;

Supporting the AO audit process related to Judiciary wide financial statements; and

Working with accounting operations Branches to make business process improvements for current operations and those to support the implementation of the Judiciary wide Integrated Financial Management System project.

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:Back to top

Applicants must have demonstrated experience as listed below. This requirement is according to the AO Classification, Compensation, and Recruitment Systems which include interpretive guidance and reference to the OPM Operating Manual for Qualification Standards for General Schedule Positions.

Basic Qualifications: Applicants must meet ONE of the qualification requirements (A, B, or C) as described below:
(A) Degree in an accounting or in a related field such as business administration, finance, or public administration that includes or was supplemented by 24 semester hours in accounting and/or auditing. The 24 hours may include up to 6 hours of credit in business law.
(B) A 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 and included at least one of the following: 24 semester hours in accounting or auditing courses of appropriate type and quality (this can include up to 6 hours of business law); or a certificate as certified public accountant or a certified internal auditor, obtained through written examination.
(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 1, 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 applicants education, training, and experience fully meet the specified requirements.

Specialized Experience: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience. Specialized experience for this position is experience performing accounting operations which includes demonstrated experience applying accounting theories and practices as recognized in public and private sector accounting.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

Applicants are advised that false answers or omissions of information on any application materials or inability to meet the following conditions may be grounds for nonselection, withdrawal of an offer of employment, or dismissal after being employed.

All information is subject to verification.

Selection for this position is contingent upon completion of OF-306, Declaration for Federal Employment during the pre-employment process.

Selection for this position is contingent upon proof of U.S. citizenship or, for noncitizens, proof of authorization to work in the United States plus proof of entitlement to receive compensation. Additional information and guidance on the employment of non-citizens can be found at: http://www.usajobs.gov/ei/noncitizensemployment.asp. For a list of documents that may be used to provide proof of citizenship or authorization to work in the United States, please refer to Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, available at http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/i-9.pdf.

If not previously completed, a background security investigation will be required for all selectees. Appointment will be subject to the applicants successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication.  Failure to successfully meet these requirements may be grounds for appropriate personnel action.  In addition, if selected, a background security reinvestigation or supplemental investigation may be required at a later time.

All new employees of the AO must identify a financial institution for direct deposit of pay before appointment.

If selected for first-time appointment to the Federal government, you may be required to serve a trial period.  Failure to complete successfully the trial period may result in termination of employment.

If selected for a supervisory or managerial position, you may be required to serve a probationary period.  Failure to complete successfully the probationary period can result in return to a position comparable to the one held immediately before upervisory assignment, or if you were not a Federal employee before the assignment, then you may be moved to a position one level below the supervisory position.  An employee serving a trial period may be removed from employment under provisions of the AOs trial period policy.

If this position is temporary, management may have the discretion of converting this position to a permanent position depending upon funding and staffing allocation.

Relocation expenses may be provided, but only if specifically authorized by the Director of the AO.

The selectee of this position may be assigned to an official duty station within or outside the Washington DC metro area. Accordingly, pay will be set based on the locality area/official duty station assigned.

HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED:

We will review your resume and supporting documentation and compare this information to your responses on the occupational questionnaire to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications for this job.  If you meet the minimum qualifications for this job, we will evaluate your application package, to assess the quality, depth, and complexity of your accomplishments, experience, and education as they relate to the requirements listed in this vacancy announcement.

 

You should be aware that your ratings are subject to evaluation and verification.  If a determination is made that you have rated yourself higher than is supported by your resume and/or narrative responses, you will be assigned a rating commensurate to your described experience.  Failure to submit the mandatory narrative responses will result in not receiving full consideration and/or rating credit.  Deliberate attempts to falsify information may be grounds for not selecting you, withdrawing an offer of employment, or dismissal after being employed.

Country: USA, State: Dist of Columbia, City: Washington, Company: Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts.