Accountant

US Washington Headquarters Services; Alexandria (VA); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Washington Headquarters Services (WHS) is seeking a proactive accounting professional in the Financial Management Directorate, Accounting Division, to provide advanced financial reporting and guidance. The incumbent will lead complex accounting tasks, analyze transactions, and contribute to policy development and internal controls.

The role emphasizes advisory support to management on accounting principles, preparation of summaries and briefing materials, and ongoing process improvements.

Qualifications

• Degree in accounting or related field with 24 semester hours in accounting (may include up to 6 hours in business law).
• Combination of education and experience may qualify with 4 years in accounting and specified coursework or credentials.

Responsibilities

• Lead complex accounting assignments across multiple programs or systems.
• Analyze audit findings, management reports, and financial statements to improve performance.
• Develop and interpret organizational financial policies and internal control programs.
• Provide advisory services to management on accounting principles and briefs or reports.

Skills

Accounting operations

Financial reporting

Financial analysis

SOP drafting

Education

Accounting degree or related field + 24 semester hours accounting

Job description

This position is in the Washington Headquarters Services (WHS), Financial Management Directorate, Accounting Division. This division is responsible for providing financial reporting on allocations to the Office of the Secretary of War (OSW), WHS, Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS), and other DOW activities. The incumbent serves as a proactive problem-solver and special assistant in all areas of the Accounting Division.

Basic Requirements:

1. 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

2. 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.

You may qualify at the GS-12 level, if you fulfill the following qualification requirement:

1. Performing standard accounting operations to reconcile financial records, prepare routine financial reports, and resolve balancing errors from feeder systems.
2. Analyzing financial transactions and systems to identify compliance issues with standard accounting procedures and guidelines.
3. Drafting or revising standard operating procedures (SOPs) or local guidelines for financial and accounting processes.
4. Preparing financial summaries, charts, or briefing materials to communicate accounting data and standard financial results to supervisors or managers.

You may qualify at the GS-13 level, if you fulfill the following qualification requirement:

1. Leading complex accounting assignments across multiple financial programs or systems to resolve difficult system-wide reporting and balancing problems.
2. Analyzing comprehensive audit findings, management reports, and financial statements to evaluate performance and implement process improvements.
3. Developing, interpreting, and implementing organizational financial policies, standard operating procedures, and internal control programs to manage financial risk.
4. Providing advisory services to management on the application of accounting principles and preparing detailed briefs or reports to explain complex financial issues.

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). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
All qualifications and education requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement and clearly documented in your resume.Your resume may not exceed two (2) pages. For qualifications determinations, it is recommended that applicants include their months and hours worked per week for each employment listed on their resume. If a determination is not able to be made about the duration of your creditable experience for qualification requirements, you will be removed from consideration.

Read more about what should I include in my federal resume at https://help.usajobs.gov/faq/application/documents/resume/what-to-include

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Current or Former Political Appointees: Agencies must seek prior approval from OPM before they can appoint a current or recent political appointee to a competitive or non-political excepted service position at any level. If you are currently or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employee in the executive branch, you MUST disclose that to the Human Resources Office.

Time-in-grade requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement and clearly documented in your resume.