Summary
Securing Travel, Protecting People – At the Transportation Security Administration, you will serve in a high-stakes environment to safeguard the American way of life. In cities across the country, you would secure airports, seaports, railroads, highways, and/or public transit systems, thus protecting America’s transportation infrastructure and ensuring freedom of movement for people and commerce. For additional information about our agency please: Click Here
Learn more about this agency
Responsibilities
This Accountant position is located in the Chief Finance Office, Financial Management Division, Cost Analysis and Research Branch, Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Duties include but are not limited to:
- Work closely with the program offices, National Finance Center (NFC), and Department of State (DoS) contacts to reconcile and analyze unfunded leave accrual balances. Verify agency payroll is accurately recorded for financial reporting and works with internal and external stakeholders to solve payroll related issues.
- Ensure payroll transactions and other accounting events are processed in accordance with the United States Standard General Leger (USSGL) and may act as a contributing specialist, project lead for projects and/or programs related activities.
- Recommend modifications or improvements for payroll related accounting transactions, policies, and financial systems. Partner with the stakeholders to provide guidance and recommendations for payroll related transactions.
- Ensure the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) shared service providers (United States Coast Guard (USCG), Finance Center (FINCEN)) provide TSA with full operational support for the newly migrated core accounting system. Ensure USCG provide quality financial data and accounting operations support in support of the payroll transactions.
- Review and determine appropriate effectiveness for accurate payroll transactions. Work with Department of Homeland Security (DHS) headquarters, internal and external stakeholders to coordinate the accuracy of payroll data.
This position is also being announced through Public (US Citizen) procedures under Announcement #HQ-CFO-21-823807-P. Candidates who wish to be considered under both Public (US Citizens) and Government-Wide procedures must apply to both announcements.
Travel Required
Not required
Supervisory status
No
Promotion Potential
I
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- You must possess U.S. Citizenship or be a U.S. National.
- You must have reached the minimum age (18) at the time of application.
- You must complete a favorable Background Investigation (BI).
- Selective Service registration is required.
- See additional “Conditions of Employment” and “Other Information” section
- You must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret Clearance.
Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for DHS to share your application with others in DHS for similar positions.
Any offers of employment made pursuant to this announcement will be consistent with all applicable authorities, including Presidential Memoranda, Executive Orders, interpretive U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) guidance, and Office of Management and Budget plans and policies concerning hiring. These authorities are subject to change.
Qualifications
Applicants must first meet the Basic Requirements listed below:
A. Education: A degree in 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 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. NOTE TO ALL CANDIDATES: A copy of your college transcript, list of college courses designating semester or quarter hours earned, or proof of CPA or CIA certification is required. The education generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
AND
In addition to the Basic Requirements,
Qualifications:
Specialized Experience: To qualify for the SV-I Pay Band(equivalent to GS-13), you must have one year of specialized experience at the SV-H or GS-12 in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private sector. Specialized experience is defined as experience that has equipped you with the knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Specialized experience is defined as:
- Experience reviewing and applying federal rules and regulations that affect payroll accounting related transactions AND;
- Experience utilizing accounting or federal financial reporting systems (i.e., National Finance Center (NFC), Interior Business Center (IBC)) to reconcile and/or analyze payroll data AND;
- Experience applying accounting methodologies and techniques for agency-wide payroll transactions and systems in order to support payroll services.
Note: For positions requiring positive education requirements, or if you are using education to meet all or part of the qualification requirements, you MUST submit a copy of your transcripts or an itemized list of college courses from an accredited college or university, which includes equivalent information from the transcript (course title, semester/quarter hours, and grade/degree earned) in your resume. The information must be provided with the application by the closing date of the announcement. If selected, the applicant must supply a transcript or certification of degree.
NOTE: Credit for experience is given based on a 40-hour workweek. Part-time experience is credited on a part-time ratio, i.e., working 20 hours per week for two months equals one month of experience. No additional credit is given for overtime.
National Service Experience (i.e., volunteer experience): 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
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.
Resumes must include the following:
- Narrative description of duties with start and end dates (including the month and year) for work experience.
- State the number of hours worked in a position (i.e. full-time or part-time). If part-time, state the total number of hours worked per week.
- Performance level (i.e. band or grade)
You must meet the qualification requirements for this position no later than the closing date of the vacancy announcement.
Education
See Qualification Requirements.
Additional information
Eligibility to apply for other Federal positions: TSA is an Excepted Service agency exempt from most of Title 5 United States Code, including regulations which apply to displaced Federal employees (CTAP/ICTAP) of other agencies, and employment with TSA does not confer “Competitive Status” that generally results from selection and service in Competitive Service agencies. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has established an Interchange Agreement, which allows most permanent TSA employees to apply and be considered for vacancies in Competitive Service agencies. Information from OPM on this or other Interchange Agreements is available at: http://www.opm.gov .
To ensure the accomplishment of our mission, DHS requires every employee to be reliable and trustworthy. To meet those standards, all selected applicants must undergo and successfully pass a background investigation as a condition of placement into this position.
DHS uses E-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify including your rights and responsibilities.
If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment , and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application, prior to entry on duty. False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment, dismissal after beginning work, fine, or imprisonment.
TSA employees who are absent for the purpose of performing military duty may apply for any vacancies announced in their absence.
It is the policy of the Government not to deny employment simply because an individual has been unemployed or has had financial difficulties that have arisen through no fault of the individual. Information about an individual’s employment experience will be used only to determine the person’s qualifications and to assess his or her relative level of knowledge, skills, and abilities. Although an individual’s personal conduct may be relevant in any employment decision, including conduct during periods of unemployment or evidence of dishonesty in handling financial matters, financial difficulty that has arisen through no fault of the individual will generally not itself be the basis of an unfavorable suitability or fitness determination. For more information, click here .
Permanent Change of Station (PCS) expenses are not authorized.
Relocation expenses are not authorized.
More than one position may be filled from this announcement.
If you are entering TSA employment on an appointment without time limitations, you must serve a basic trial period unless you have already met the requirement.
TSA policy requires verification of Selective Service registration for male applicants born after 12/31/59. For more information click here .
View common definitions of terms found in this announcement.
How You Will Be Evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
You will be evaluated based on a comparison of the position requirements against the quality and extent of the experience and/or related education as reflected in your resume and supporting documentation. You are encouraged to ensure work experiences clearly show possession of the competencies required for this position. We will compare your resume and supporting documentation to your responses on the assessment questionnaire. If, after reviewing your resume and any supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have rated yourself higher than is supported by your application materials, your category placement may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job.
Candidates will be rated and ranked using Category Grouping procedures. Under Category Grouping, candidates will be rated and ranked into one of three categories:
Best-Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrate high proficiency in all of the critical competencies as determined by the job analysis.
Well-Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrates acceptable proficiency in all of the critical competencies as determined by the job analysis.
Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrate basic proficiency in most of the critical competencies as determined by the job analysis.
If you are best qualified, you may be referred to the hiring manager for consideration and may be called for an interview.
Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies that are relevant to the duties of this position and must be fully supported by information in your resume:
- Knowledge of payroll accounting theories, practices, concepts, principles, methods, and techniques sufficient to coordinate/oversee calculations of funded payroll accrual for each pay period including calculating unfunded leave accrual on a monthly basis.
- Knowledge and skill in technical and moderately complex financial reporting systems and operations sufficient to ensure quality financial, financial systems, and accounting operations support services to TSA business operations.
- Knowledge of substantial and technical cost accounting concepts and principles, advanced quantitative and qualitative analytical techniques to analyze, examine, and interpret accounting data, records and reports, and analyze accounting data to determine the effectiveness /efficiency of operations for use in executing performance measurements.
- Advanced skill in oral communication sufficient to deliver clear and convincing technical presentations, explain program concepts and technical requirements to audiences, work closely with the program offices, NFC, and DOS contacts to reconcile and analyze, and verify agency payroll is properly and accurately recorded for financial reporting.
- Advanced skill in written communication sufficient to write in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing manner for the intended audience, and review and determine the appropriate performance measurement data to highlight the effectiveness/efficiency of operations, work with Department of Homeland Security (DHS) headquarters, components, and other agencies to coordinate cost management data or ongoing projects.
To preview questions please click here .
Background checks and security clearance
Security clearance
Secret
Drug test required
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Credentialing , Suitability/Fitness
Required Documents
In addition to a resume and the assessment questions, you must submit copies of any of the following documents if you are applying based on current or former Federal Government Status, Veterans’ Preference or eligible Veterans’ Service (a veteran who was honorably discharged from the armed forces after completing at least three (3) years of continuous active duty service), or education or a combination of education and experience:
SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action – Current TSA employees are not required to submit an SF-50 to support eligibility for Status consideration.
If you are not a current TSA employee: you must submit your most recent Notification of Personnel Action SF-50 (or equivalent document) to support your eligibility for Status consideration.
NOTE: An award SF-50 (i.e. cash or time off award) does not indicate grade or level (i.e. pay band) or tenure to determine your eligibility for this position and will not be accepted.
DD-214 – If you are claiming Veterans’ Preference or eligible Veterans’ Service, provide a copy of your DD-214 (Member Copy 4), Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, or other appropriate documentation to prove your entitlement and to provide verification of an Honorable Discharge.
SF-15 and VA Letter – If you are claiming Veterans’ Preference based upon a Compensable Disability, Widow or Spouse Entitlement, or as a Purple Heart recipient, you must submit your DD-214 or other proof of entitlement; an SF-15, and the required proof of disability, i.e., Department of Veterans Affairs letter dated 1991 or later.
Individuals with Disabilities (IWD) Letter – In order to be eligible for employment through TSA’s Individuals With Disabilities Appointing Authority, documentation of the disability is required. Such documentation is used to verify that the individual being hired is indeed a person with an intellectual disability, severe physical disability, or psychiatric disability. This documentation must be provided with your application before an individual can be hired. Documentation of eligibility for employment under this hiring authority can be obtained from a licensed medical professional (e.g., a physician or other medical professional certified by a state, the District of Columbia, or a U.S. territory to practice medicine); a licensed vocational rehabilitation specialist (i.e., state or private); or any Federal agency, state agency, or agency of the District of Columbia or a U.S. territory that issues or provides disability benefits.
Transcripts – If you are qualifying based on education OR if there are mandatory education requirements listed under the Qualifications and Evaluations section, you MUST submit a copy of your college transcript(s) with your application. If selected, an official/sealed college transcript(s) will be required to verify education prior to employment.
If you do not submit required documentation described in this job opportunity announcement, your application will be deemed incomplete and you will be ineligible for further consideration for this vacancy.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education .
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.