Accountant

US Western Area Power Administration; Lakewood (CO); On-site; USD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

US Western Area Power Administration seeks an Accountant to advise RMR management on interpreting accounting data for problem-solving and decision-making. You will handle cost accounting, plant accounting, and overall financial analysis for the Rocky Mountain Region.

The role requires meeting basic and specialized experience requirements, including GAAP application and coordination of month-end/year-end tasks. Office-based responsibilities emphasize careful documentation and reporting.

Qualifications

• Degree in accounting or related field with 24 semester hours in accounting.
• 4 years of accounting experience or equivalent combination as described.
• GS-11/GS-12 specialized experience requirements include GAAP and financial statements mastery.

Responsibilities

• Develop, prepare, and analyze financial statements and reports.
• Reconcile accounts payable/receivable and general ledger accounts.
• Prepare or review month-end and year-end journal entries.
• Plan and track capital assets through their life cycle.
• Provide GAAP guidance to non-finance stakeholders.

Skills

GAAP knowledge

Financial statements

Journal entries

Accounts payable/receivable

General ledger

Capital assets

Education

Accounting degree with 24 accounting hours

CPA or CIA certification

Job description

This position is part of the WAPA-RMR-Rocky Mountain Region. As an Accountant, you will provide advice and assistance to RMR management to interpret accounting data for problem-solving and decision-making purposes. As the Region's principal source of cost accounting, plant accounting, fiscal and systems accounting information, you will be responsible for all phases of financial analysis and review. To be found qualified, you must meet the basic requirement AND minimum qualification requirements for the grade level(s) in which you apply.

BASIC 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.")
• 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.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS:

Specialized Experience, GS-11 Level: Your resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-09) in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is defined as having all of the following:

1. developing, preparing, and analyzing financial statements and reports; and
2. reconciling accounts payable and receivable activity and standard general ledger accounts.

OR Education Substitution

successfully completed a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or at least three full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree in a field related to the work of this position as described in the vacancy announcement.

OR Combination of Education and Experience

combination of specialized experience and graduate education beyond the first two years of graduate study that together meet the requirements for this position.

Specialized Experience, GS-12 Level:

Your resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-11) in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is defined as having all of the following:

1. preparing or reviewing month end and year end journal entries;
2. planning and tracking capital assets through their useful life;
3. reviewing and analyzing data, identifying errors and formulating questions;
4. applying Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and providing guidance to non-finance stakeholders.

"Experience" refers to paid and unpaid experience. Examples of qualifying unpaid experience may include: volunteer work done through National Service programs (such as Peace Corps and AmeriCorps); as well as work for other community-based philanthropic and social organizations. 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.

Limit your resume to no more than two (2) pages. If more than two pages are submitted, only the first two pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility and qualifications.

Working Conditions:

The work is primarily sedentary.

Physical Effort:

The work is performed in an office setting.