STAFF ACCOUNTANT with Security Clearance

Duties This position is located in the Comptroller Division in the US Property and Fiscal Office (USPFO). The primary purpose of this position is to serve as a Staff Accountant. Performs detailed reviews and analysis of established procedures and ensures that the administration and operation of financial control systems--to include budget, accounting, payroll, accounts payable, and travel--are in compliance with established statutory requirements, regulations, directives, and policies. MAJOR DUTIES: 1. Plans, coordinates, and conducts an annual written Operational Review Program (ORP). The ORP encompasses reviews of all functional finance and accounting operations. Determines the objectives and scope of all reviews and audits. Prepares a written plan for the conduct of each review or audit. Analyzes each functional area within the Comptroller Division. Develops findings, determines, and facilitates required corrective actions, and provides formal written reports to the Financial Manager (FM). Performs follow-up reviews to assure corrective action has been taken. Conducts special or his position is located in the Comptroller Division in the US Property and Fiscal Office (USPFO). The primary purpose of this position is to serve as a Staff Accountant. Performs detailed reviews and analysis of established procedures and ensures that the administration and operation of financial control systems--to include budget, accounting, payroll, accounts payable, and travel--are in compliance with established statutory requirements, regulations, directives, and policies. 2. Serves as the division's primary point of contact for the Management Control Program. Ensures management controls are in place and effective. Prepares Management Control Evaluation Certification Statements for the division's portion of the Management Control Plan. 3. Continually assesses and evaluates the effectiveness of finance and accounting operations through the review of standard performance management metrics. Assesses the indicators and identifies operational areas currently not meeting performance goals as established within the ORP Plan. Assists Comptroller personnel in establishing and implementing methods or procedures to detect, prevent and resolve operational deficiencies. Identifies trends and specific problem areas as well as root causes of operational deficiencies. Performs follow-up reviews ensuring corrective actions produce the desired program results. 4. Reviews and analyzes a wide variety of reports including reports produced by NGB standard and local automated systems. Based on this analysis, advises the FM of actions required or recommended. Discusses system or procedural problems and areas of potential improvement with various system supervisors, Program Managers (PMs), and local management information systems personnel. Provides technical advice and assistance to the FM and the USPFO on internal matters involving statutory provisions, regulatory requirements, procedures, systems, or problems arising from changes in mission, programs, and/or organizational structure. Monitors the implementation of approved and directed procedural changes. Evaluates proposed regulatory changes and employee suggestions and provides comments and recommendations. Performs other duties as assigned. Requirements Conditions of Employment * Males born after 31 December 1959 must be registered for Selective Service. * May be required to successfully complete a probationary period. * Participation in direct deposit is mandatory. * May occasionally be required to work other than normal duty hours; overtime may be required. * Must be able to obtain and maintain the appropriate security clearance of the position. * May require travel in military and/or commercial aircraft to perform temporary duty assignments. Qualifications OPEN AREAS OF CONSIDERATION: AREA 1, 2, 3, 4 Area I: Current On-board Title 5 or Title 32 Dual Status Technicians (Tenure: 1-Career, 2-Conditional, 3-Indefinite or 4-Term ) - Only those current Vermont National Guard employees who are in permanent, indefinite, or term technician status as result of being competitively hired by the Vermont National Guard. Area II: All current Federal Employees from any agency. Area III: All current and former members of the VTNG. Area IV: United States citizens. * Veterans' Preference Rules are mandated by law and some applicants may receive priority consideration before other applicants without veterans' preference. Basic Requirements 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.") General Experience: In addition to meeting the basic entry qualification requirements, evaluate applicant's knowledge, skills, and abilities for: - Skill in collecting and analyzing data effectively, efficiently, and accurately; - Skill in applying procedures and directives by reading and interpreting program material; - Skill in presenting formal training presentations and briefings; - Ability to prepare reports and presentation formats. Specialized Experience: Must have 1-year equivalent specialized experience to at least the next lower grade level before being eligible for the next grade level. Must have fundamental working experiences with a validated understanding of the basic principles and concepts of the accountant occupational series and grade. Experiences gained through military technical training schools or civilian academic courses or related civilian work are included in the one-year on-the-job specialized experience. The applicant's educational degree study program or military or civilian academic courses may substitute for some specialized experience. Length of time is not of itself qualifying. Candidates' experience should be evaluated on the basis of duties performed rather than strictly on the rank of the individual; however, established compatibility criteria/assignments must be followed for Dual Status Technician positions. The applicant's record of experience, training, and education must show possession of the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to fully perform the duties of the position to be filled. Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics): - Professional and comprehensive knowledge of the theories, practices, methods, and concepts of accounting techniques. Skill in applying this knowledge to conduct on-site reviews designed to identify policy, procedural, and situational weaknesses, and strengths of each functional area; and to modify and adapt conventional accounting and analytical techniques to solve a variety of accounting problems within the Comptroller Division. Skill in planning, coordinating and conducting an annual quality assurance program is also required. -- Knowledge of applicable laws, policies, and regulations and internal control programs to ensure that review coverage is appropriate in meeting established objectives. -- Knowledge of ARNG and state financial management objectives, missions, policies and systems, and their relationship with national and local organizational elements, to advise the FM on a wide range of financial management issues is required. -- Knowledge to independently plan and conduct functional area reviews and the ability to gather, organize, consolidate, analyze accounting data, and separate essential from non-essential information. Ability to develop findings and/or reports that clearly identify operational problems and trends; and develop alternatives or solutions to resolve conflicting goals and objectives. Ability to monitor the resolution of problem areas and correction of deficiencies identified. As technology and methodology changes, ability to develop and/or modify review methods and techniques. Financial Management Certification Requirements: Members of the financial management workforce are required to participate in the Financial Management Certification Program; therefore, achieving certification is a condition of employment. Members of the financial management workforce must achieve the appropriate certification level for their positions within 2 years of notification of applicable certification requirements or the period of any extension. The financial management certification program supports the professional development of the financial management workforce and provides a framework for a standard body of knowledge across all DoD financial business programs. The financial management certification requirements will vary for positions dependent on the complexity and responsibility of the positions' financial management supervisory and non-supervisory business programs. Financial management certification requirements are in the conditions of employment and notes in the position description. Supervisors of financial management coded positions coordinate with the component administrator and component certification authority to determine financial management certification requirements of employees occupying financial management coded positions. PART-TIME OR UNPAID EXPERIENCE: Credit will be given for appropriate unpaid and or part-time work. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week. VOLUNTEER WORK EXPERIENCE: Refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service Programs (i.e., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student and social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge and skills that