Systems Accountant

Department of State Headquarters (DOS); Charleston (SC); Hybrid; USD 106,000 - 138,000; Full time

Job summary

Department of State Headquarters (DOS) seeks a systems accountant to evaluate, document, and implement financial systems requirements and enhancements for users of accounting, financial, budgeting, and reporting systems. The role focuses on supporting automated and manual processes and guiding users across worldwide operations.

The position requires a strong accounting background, experience with automated systems enhancements, and the ability to train and assist financial service centers and

Qualifications

• Experience applying attention to detail by validating data in accounting systems.
• Experience implementing enhancements to automated financial management systems.

Responsibilities

• Provides training to financial service centers and post users on deployed financial systems.
• Provides professional accounting expertise to support operations and develops user guidance for automated systems.
• Determines accounting requirements for design and redesign of systems to meet financial management needs worldwide.
• Performs detailed design analyses of enhancements and interfaces for proper integration.

Skills

Attention to detail

Accounting knowledge

Education

Accounting degree or related field with 24 semester hours in accounting/auditing

Tools

Automated accounting systems

Job description

This position is located in the Bureau of the Comptroller and Global Financial Services, Global Financial Operations Directorate (CGFS/F). This position serves as a systems accountant charged with evaluating, defining, documenting, reviewing, and implementing financial systems requirements, enhancements; supporting users of accounting (manual and automated), financial, budgeting and information reporting systems.

Key Information

• Location: Charleston, SC
• Telework eligible: Yes
• Remote job: No
• Relocation expenses reimbursed: No
• Salary: $106,437 – $138,370 per year
• Pay scale and grade: GS 13
• Promotion potential: 13
• Work schedule: Full-time
• Travel Required: Not required
• Appointment type: Permanent
• Occupations and job series: 0510 Accounting
• Supervisory status: Yes
• Federal service type: Competitive Service
• Drug test: Yes
• Security clearance: Top Secret
• Position sensitivity and risk: Critical-Sensitive (CS)/High Risk
• Background check type: Credentialing, Suitability/Fitness, National security
• Announcement number: M/CGFS-MPI-2027-0010
• Control number: 891193400

Duties

• Provides support and training to the financial service centers, bureaus and post users in the use of the various financial and related systems deployed in the Department; assists in the deployment of such systems.
• Provides professional accounting skill and expertise in-support of operations designed to assist users in the use of automated accounting systems; develops documentation to provide basic guidance for users of the automated accounting systems.
• Determines accounting and financial requirements to be met in the design, re-design and adaptation of existing automated and manual systems and sub-systems to meet financial management needs of the worldwide operations of the Department.
• Performs detailed design systems analyses of enhancements and interfaces to determine if proposed changes will function properly in the context of existing systems; recommends corrective actions as necessary.

Conditions of Employment

• U.S. Citizenship is required.
• Incumbent will be subject to random drug testing.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance.

Applicants must meet all the required qualification requirements described below by the closing date of this 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 transcript with your application.

NOTE:Applicants must meet time-in-grade and time after competitive appointment requirements, by the closing date of this announcement.

Time-In-Grade Requirements: Federal applicants must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade to satisfy time-in-grade restrictions, per 5CFR 300, Subpart F.

All applicants MUST meet one of the basic qualification requirements described below for this position:

BASIC QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

A. Applicants must have a degree from an accredited college or university in accounting and/or auditing 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 and/or auditing. (The 24 semester hours may include up to 6 hours of credit in business law);

OR

B. Combination of Education and Experience: Have 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 meet 1, 2 or 3 below:

1. Twenty-four semester hours in accounting or auditing courses. (This can include up to 6 hours of business law.)
2. A certificate as a Certified Public Accountant or a Certified Internal Auditor obtained through a written examination.
3. Have at least 4 years of experience in accounting AND 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 described in paragraph A above, AND (a) have successfully worked at the full-performance level in accounting, auditing, or a related field, (e.g., valuation engineering or financial institution examining); AND (b) a panel of at least two higher level professional accountants or auditors determined that I have 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 above; AND (c) except for literal nonconformance to the requirement of 24 semester hours in accounting, my education, training, and experience fully meet the specified requirements.

Note: All applicants MUSTsubmit transcripts as verification of educational requirement OR a certificate as a Certified Public Accountant or a Certified Internal Auditor, obtained through written examination OR panel recommendation that includes all the requirements as described under Combination of Education and Experience #3 above by the closing date of this announcement. If you fail to provide requested information, or the information you submit is insufficient to verify your eligibility, you WILL lose consideration for this position.

IN ADDITION to meeting one of the basic qualifications requirements listed above, the applicant MUST have at least one year of specialized experience that has equipped them with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. This experience is related to the work of the position and equivalent to at least the GS-12 level in the Federal service. Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following:

• Experience applying attention to detail by validating data entered into accounting systems.
• Experience implementing enhancements to automated financial management systems.

Education

See the qualifications section of this vacancy announcement for education requirements.

Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the education requirements if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. For a list of accredited organizations recognized as specializing in interpretation of foreign education credentials, visit: www.naces.org/members.php.

Additional Information

• To request a reasonable accommodation for additional time on the timed sections of the assessment, please submit your request using the "Request a Reasonable Accommodation" button within the Assessment Application.
• For all other reasonable accommodations at the U.S. Department of State, please contact the Office of Accessibility and Accommodations (OAA) at [e-mail].
• Applicants submitting a RA request MUST attach supporting medical documentation signed by a licensed, treating medical provider.
• RA requests that do not contain supporting medical documentation attachments at the time of initial request may be subject to further review.
• Applicants will have 48 hours after their RA request is adjudicated to complete the assessment battery. Scores generated after the allotted timeframe will not be admissible and the applicant will not be considered further for the vacancy.
• If a different type of RA is needed, please contact OAA directly at [e-mail].
• If eligible, situational telework agreements may be permitted with supervisory approval.
• Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement. If eligible, applicants to this announcement may be referred to other similar positions in other Bureaus/Offices in the Department for up to 240 days and may require a higher or lower security clearance. Telework eligibility and security clearance requirements may vary for such similar positions.
• Agency & Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP & ICTAP): View OPM’s CTAP & ICTAP eligibility website for more information.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Benefits

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Learn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits. Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

Required Documents

1. Resume limited to two pages showing relevant work/volunteer experience, education and training. Include the start and end dates (from month/year to month/year) and the number of hours per week worked/volunteered. Your resume serves as the basis for qualification determinations and must support your answers to the completed online assessment questions. Resumes longer than two pages will be deemed ineligible and will not be considered further.
2. Transcripts, if applicable and you are qualifying based on education. See the Qualification and Education sections of this announcement for more information. If selected, an official/sealed college transcript(s) will be required to verify education prior to employment.
3. Other Qualification Documentation (e.g. certificates, certifications, etc.), if applicable. See the Qualification section of this announcement for more information.
4. Most recent SF-50s (Notification of Personnel Actions), if you are a current eligible DOS employee (per 3 FAM 2313.4(a)(5)), including current employees applying under a non-competitive hiring authority. The SF-50s must show: effective date, position title, series, grade, salary, tenure, position occupied, full promotion potential, and name of agency. Multiple SF-50s may be needed to show all required information (e.g., promotion, within-grade increase, and separation SF-50s). Award SF-50s often do not show the required information.
5. Performance appraisal, strongly encouraged for current eligible DOS employees. Submit a copy of your most recent (i.e., usually within the last 18 months) final (i.e., not a mid-year review) official (i.e., signed by the rating official and in original format) annual performance appraisal for the hiring manager’s consideration. If a performance appraisal is not available, you may provide a statement and/or a statement from your supervisor explaining the reason one is not available and your servicing HR Office contact information (name, email address, phone number).

Note: You may be requested to provide an appraisal to the hiring official if one was not provided with your application. To receive a promotion, the employee’s most recent performance rating must be “fully successful” or an equivalent level or higher. Employees who are tentatively selected to receive a promotion will be required to provide performance documentation within two business days of request. Servicing HR Offices may be contacted to verify performance ratings.

1. Non-competitive hiring authority eligibility documentation, if applicable. If you are a current eligible DOS employee applying under a non-competitive hiring authority (e.g, FS tenured employees, USUN reinstatement eligibles, Schedule A), you must submit proof of non-competitive eligibility with your application. For information related to Schedule A hiring authority for individuals with disabilities visit OPM’s hiring information site.
2. CTAP documentation, if applicable (e.g., reduction-in-force (RIF) separation notice, certification of expected separation, etc.). In addition submit a copy of your current (or last) performance rating of record which must be at least fully successful or equivalent and submit all required documents listed above that apply to you (e.g., resume, transcripts, SF-50, etc.).

Agency Contact Information

• Name: Emily Markley
• Phone: [phone]
• Fax: [phone]
• Email: [e-mail]
• Address: U.S. Department of State, Charleston, South Carolina 29405, United States

Next Steps

1. After applications are received.
2. After applications are assessed to determine qualifications.
3. After candidates are referred to the hiring manager.
4. After a selection is made.

For the selected candidates who receive a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability review and/or security background investigation that generally takes an average of at least two to six months.

Fair and Transparent

• Criminal history inquiries
• Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
• Financial suitability
• New employee probationary period
• Privacy Act
• Reasonable accommodation policy
• Selective Service Signature and false statements
• Social security number request