Summary Who may apply: Current, permanent DoD Federal Civilian Employees in the competitive service, eligible Priority Placement Program DoD Military Spouse Preference applicants, and eligible PPP applicants.
This job is open to - Federal employees - Competitive service Current or former competitive service federal employees.
Clarification from the agency This announcement is open to current, permanent DoD Federal Civilian Employees in the competitive service, eligible Priority Placement Program DoD Military Spouse Preference applicants, and eligible PPP applicants.
Duties - Designs, develops, tests, evaluates, implements, reviews and maintains major segments of accounting finance, and reporting systems to meet all applicable federal government requirements and needs of management.
- Ensures that system design, revisions, and modifications comply with sound accounting practices, internal controls are adequate, and that actions are properly documented.
- Applies considerable ingenuity to solve a wide variety of complex systems problems where no clear precedents exist.
- Performs a continuing review and analysis of records, reports, and user comments to identify system and regulatory problems affecting system development, deployment, and operations, and to ensure reliability and accuracy of accounting data.
- Interprets Public Law and applicable Federal government manuals and directives to determine intent and requirements.
- Evaluates or prepares systems change proposals for modification to existing automated systems.
Requirements Conditions of Employment - Must be a U.S. Citizen or National
- Registered for Selective Service (males born after 12-31-1959)
- Suitable for Federal employment
- Time after Competitive Appointment: Candidates must have served 3 months after latest competitive appointment in the Federal service.
- This national security position, which may require access to classified information, requires a favorable suitability review and security clearance as a condition of employment. Failure to maintain security eligibility may result in termination.
- Time in Grade Requirement - see the Qualifications field below for more details.
- Obtain/Maintain Financial Management Certification
- New employees to the Defense Finance and Accounting Service will be required to successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit e-verify.gov.
- Please note, this is NOT a 100% virtual/remote position where work may be performed from any location in the US. This position is eligible for local telework near the duty station of the position, subject to management review and approval.
Qualifications This position has a positive education requirement. To qualify for this position you must meet one of the basic requirements described below: (1) Completion of all requirements for a bachelor's degree in accounting from an accredited college or university; 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. OR (2) Candidates may also qualify through a combination of education and experience: at least 4 years of accounting experience or an equivalent combination of accounting experience, college-level education, and training that provided professional accounting knowledge AND 24 semester hours in accounting/auditing courses, which may include up to 6 hours of business law, OR a certificate as a Certified Public Accountant or Certified Internal Auditor. You need to send proof of education or of certification to be considered for this position. Click here for more information on who must submit documentation at the time of application and what documentation is acceptable: Transcripts and Certifications. In addition to meeting the basic requirement, qualified applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade (GS-11) in the Federal service, which demonstrates the ability to perform the duties of the position. Specialized Experience Defined As: Applying professional knowledge of accounting principles, policies, and procedures in the development, design, revision, and evaluation of automated accounting systems and subsystems to support an assigned area. Examples of qualifying specialized experience: Reviewing and analyzing accounting records and financial reports to assure activities meet operational, legislative, and regulatory requirements; providing support to a diverse group of internal and external customers utilizing knowledge of accounting systems and accounting practices, independently performing accounting work related to the design, development, testing, evaluation and implementation of new and/or modified systems and to participate in the development of accounting policies and procedures, analyzing user requirements, and testing software releases, and solving accounting systems problems in particularly difficult and responsible circumstances. Time-in-Grade: Current or former federal employees who have held a GS position in the preceding 52 weeks, must meet the time in grade requirement. Applicant must have served 52 weeks as a GS-11 or higher grade in Federal Service. You may qualify for consideration if meeting time-in grade, specialized experience, education requirement, 90 days after competitive appointment requirement, and all other qualification requirements within 30 calendar days after the closing date of the announcement, unless otherwise indicated on the announcement.
Education Education is not substitutable for specialized experience at this grade level.
Additional information - In accordance with the DoD 8140 policy series, the position is subject to completing Foundational Qualifications in 9 months and completing Residential Qualification requirements in 12 months.
- The General Schedule (GS) basic pay schedule may vary by geographic locality. To view pay rates in a specific location visit the Office of Personnel Management pay tables at
- Moving expenses may be paid.
- The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 makes certain reimbursements/payments taxable. For information on these changes and the Relocation Income Tax Allowance (RITA), for which some appointees are eligible, click here.
- For positions where relocation is paid (see Location block of vacancy announcement), you can learn more about relocation allowances and entitlements.
- Telework availability will be based upon the mission requirements and supervisory determination.
- We may use this announcement to make a temporary promotion. For some positions, the temporary promotion may be made permanent without further competition.
- Selections are subject to restrictions resulting from the DoD Program for Stability of Civilian Employment.
- A one year probationary or trial period may be required.
- We may use this announcement to fill additional vacancies within 120 days of the closing date.
- This position is Exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act.
- Travel requirement is seldom (1-24%).
- This position iscovered by a bargaining unit.
- Retired Civil Service Employee: Employment of retired Federal employees receiving an annuity is subject to the requirements of the Department of Defense (DoD) policy guidance. (See DoD Instruction 1400.25, Volume 300 here)
- This position requires you to obtain and maintain a Level 2 Certification under the DoD Financial Management (FM) Certification Program as a condition of employment. If you are selected, you will have to obtain this certification within two (2) years of your entry on duty in the position unless you are already in a position that requires a Level 2 Certification in which case you must complete the certification within the original 2-year period. Failure to become certified within the required time-frame may be grounds for removal from the position and/or from Federal service. Information about the DoD FM Certification Program is available at
- The Security Designation will vary and dependent upon position and may require a secret clearance or higher. Employment in this position requires a background investigation which may delay starting date. If you are selected and cannot obtain a favorable security determination within a reasonable period of time due to disclosed/undisclosed background issues, the employment offer may be withdrawn. Individuals selected are required to obtain/maintain a favorable security determination to occupy a sensitive position within the agency as a condition of employment. Failure to maintain eligibility to occupy a sensitive position may result in termination. For more information see the security section of Understanding Vacancy Announcements.
- All applicants are encouraged to apply electronically. If you are unable to apply on-line, you may contact [redacted] for assistance.
- 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. Opens in a new windowLearn 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.
How You Will Be Evaluated You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above. All information included in the resume and Occupational Questionnaire is subject to review and verification. HR will review your resume and supporting documentation to ensure you meet the minimum qualification requirements. Applicants meeting the minimum requirements will be further evaluated based upon information you provided in the Occupational Questionnaire. If a determination is made that the work experience described in your submitted resume does not support your responses to the self-assessment questionnaire, your score may be reduced, and you may lose consideration for this position. If you are already a DFAS employee, you may be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including removal from Federal service, if you are found to have exaggerated, embellished, inflated, mischaracterized, or falsified your resume or qualifications.
- Criminal History Inquiries- For some positions, criminal history inquiries may not take place before you receive a conditional job offer. Please see Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act of 2019 (dfas.mil) for more information on The Fair Chance to Compete Act, exceptions, and DFAS contact information.
The Assessment Questionnaire takes approximately 15 minutes to complete and collects information on your education, training and experience related to the following critical competencies:
- Accounting Analysis
- Communication
- Concepts, Policies, and Principles of Accounting
- Financial Management Systems
- Project Management
You can preview the Assessment Questionnaire here: DFAS recognizes the value of competencies gained through formal education and professional certifications. To ensure that consistent credit is given for these credentials in the selection process, DFAS has developed standard selection criteria to be used when filling positions in professional and administrative series. Selections for professional and administrative positions will be based on four categories of selection criteria: Experience, Other, Education, and Certifications.
- 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. Opens in a new windowLearn 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 As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies. You must provide a complete Application Package which includes: 1. Resume: You are encouraged to choose only ONE method of submitting your resume. (HR will review the resume that the system date stamps as the latest one received and this may not be the resume, which best reflects your qualifications for the job and may result in an ineligible rating.) You may submit your resume by: attaching in your USAJOBS account; uploading in your Application Manager account; OR faxing. For assistance in preparing your resume, take a look at the DFAS Resume Tools. 2. Complete Assessment Questionnaire: Your resume must describe the quality of work in regards to responses to the occupational self-assessment questionnaire as they generate your numerical rating. 3. Other Supporting Documents. The following supporting documents are ONLY required if applicable to your personal qualifications or status. They must be received by the closing date of the announcement 1. Transcripts and/or Certifications: You must submit documentation if you are substituting education for experience. For additional information on acceptable documents or to see if you must submit documentation click here Transcripts and Certifications. Y