Accountant

Drug Enforcement Administration; Arlington (VA); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Drug Enforcement Administration in Arlington, VA seeks a trainee-level accounting specialist to gain experience in monitoring accounting systems and ensuring regulatory compliance. The role includes developing interview review programs and tracking scorecard performance for the agency.

Applicants should meet basic accounting education requirements and may qualify through education with substantial accounting coursework or recognized certifications.

Qualifications

• Accounting coursework totaling 24 semester hours or more.
• Combination of education and experience with accounting knowledge.
• Possession of CPA or CIA certification or equivalent credentials.

Responsibilities

• Monitor accounting and financial systems and processes for regulatory compliance.
• Develop and conduct interview review programs.
• Track DEA's performance on scorecard initiatives.

Skills

Accounting

Education

Accounting degree

24 semester hours in accounting

CPA or CIA certification

Job description

This position is located in the DEA, Financial Management Division (FC), Office of Finance (FN). This position(s) primary purpose is to receive training and experience in monitoring accounting and financial systems and processes for regulatory compliance, develop and conduct interview review programs, and track DEA's performance on scorecard initiatives.

For more information on eligibility requirements see: DEA Employment Eligibility

Applicants must meet the required qualification requirements described below by the closing date of the announcement. If you are qualifying based on education or if there are mandatory education requirements listed below, you MUST submit a copy of your college transcripts with your application.

Basic Qualification Requirements:

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 oneof 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.

AND

Applicants applying for the GS-07 must meet one of the following requirements:

A. Have at least one full year of specialized experience that is at least equivalent to work performed at the GS-05 grade level. Specialized 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, knowledge and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Qualifying experience must demonstrate the following: 1) Assisting in the review and analysis of accounting functions; 2) Assisting with performing routine analysis and reconciliation of administrative accounts; 3) Processing basic accounting transactions and identifying discrepancies; and 4) Assisting in validating data entered into accounting systems.

OR

B. Education: 1 year of graduate-level education OR Successful completion of all the requirements for a bachelor's degree with Superior Academic Achievement (SAA). In order to be creditable under this provision, SAA must have been gained in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position and is based on: Class Standing: Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class, based on completed courses; Grade Point Average: applicants must have a grade point average of: 3.0 or higher: Based on 4 years of education or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; OR; 3.5 or higher: Based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; OR; Election to membership in a national scholastic honor society: Applicants can be considered eligible based on membership in one of the national scholastic honor societies recognized by the Association of College Honor Societies.

OR

C. Combination of Experience and Education: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) beyond the first year (total graduate semester hours minus 18) by 18. Add the two percentages.

Applicants applying for the GS-09 must meet one of the following requirements:

A. Have at least one full year of specialized experience that is at least equivalent to work performed at the GS-07 grade level. Specialized 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, knowledge and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Qualifying experience must demonstrate the following: 1) Reviewing and analyzing various accounting functions and procedures; 2) Performing routine analysis and reconciliation of administrative accounts; 3) Identifying and resolving complex accounting transactions and discrepancies; and 4) Preparing drafts of findings, recommendation, or reports to meet established reporting milestones.

OR

B. Education: 2 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree.

OR

C. Combination of Experience and Education: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) beyond the first year (total graduate semester hours minus 18) by 18. Add the two percentages.

Additional information on the position qualification requirements are located in the Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) Qualifications Standards Handbook

Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants must meet time-in-grade and time after competitive appointment requirements by the closing date of this announcement.