Summary

This position is located in the Farm Credit System Insurance Corporation (FCSIC), Financial Management Division (FMD), in McLean, Virginia. Serves as a Senior Accountant and reports directly to the Chief Financial Officer (CFO). FCSIC utilizes a shared service provider to support financial reporting.

Duties

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Responsible for leading staff and performing professional accounting work that requires the application of accounting theories, concepts, principles, and standards to the internal financial management of the Farm Credit System Insurance Corporation (FCSIC). Provides technical leadership in the design, development, operation, or inspection of accounting and budget systems; the prescription of accounting standards, policies, and requirements; and analysis and interpretation of accounting data, records, and reports. Provides authoritative advice to executive level management, external parties and other staff on policy and operations related to accounting and financial management matters. Leads teams and coordinates resources to accomplish the objectives of complex, high-impact or high-visibility financial management projects or tasks. Specific duties include:

• Developing accounting cost policy, methods, and processes for compliance with applicable legal and regulatory requirements.
• Providing technical leadership in the operation of Agency financial management, systems, and processes. Leads project teams and coordinates resources to accomplish the objectives of highly complex, high impact or high visibility financial management projects or tasks.
• Coordinating all accounting and reporting activities related to development of and publication of the FCSIC financial statements.
• Leading accountant(s) work and manages service providers, analyzing the organization's project cost, receipts and revenues, and cash flows against budget authorizations used by management in implementing programs and accomplishing their organization's mission
• Supporting internal controls by examining documents requesting payment or posting; and reconciling all transactions within the accounting system and subsystems to ensure proper cost reporting.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• Must be a U.S. citizen.
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service.
• Resume and supporting documents (See How to Apply)
• Suitability for Federal employment, as determined by a background investigation.
• May be required to successfully complete a probationary or trial period.
• Submission of a financial disclosure report may be required.

Qualifications

Basic Requirements

1. 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.")OR
2. 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 experiencefully meet the specified requirements.

In addition to the above basic requirement:

You may qualify at the VH-40 (GS-14) grade level if you have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the VH-39 (GS-13) grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped you with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. Some examples of qualifying experience include:

• Directing all activities to prepare audited financial statements and an annual report, including reviewing close schedules, reconciliations, and disclosures; resolving complex issues; and briefing executives and the governing board.
• Overseeing the design and evaluation of internal controls over financial reporting and broader risk management, directing testing activities, approving remediation plans, and reporting management's assurance.
• Leading external audit and regulatory reporting, serving as the primary point of contact with auditors and government finance entities, and resolving complex technical accounting issues.
• Developing and leading accounting policy and technical analysis, including establishing or updating accounting policies and procedures; analyzing complex accounting issues; preparing technical guidance; and advising leadership on the application of accounting principles.
• Directing financial system operations and accounting controls, including oversight of journal entry approvals, reconciliation reviews, budget preparation, system output monitoring, and ensuring that accounting operations produce accurate and timely financial information.

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 Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act of 2019, with some exceptions, prohibits the Farm Credit Administration from requesting an applicant's criminal history record before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. If you apply to this position and are selected, we will not ask about your criminal history before you receive a conditional job offer. If you believe you were asked about your criminal history improperly, visit our website at (Careers) for information on filing a complaint.

Education

ARE YOU USING YOUR EDUCATION TO QUALIFY? You MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Unless otherwise stated: (1) official or unofficial transcripts are acceptable, or (2) you may submit a list with all your courses, grades, semester, year, and credit for the course. All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement.

PASS/FAIL COURSES: If more than 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) were taken on a pass/fail basis, your claim of superior academic achievement must be based upon class standing or membership in an honor society.

GRADUATE EDUCATION: One academic year of graduate education is the number of credits hours your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study.

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: College Accreditation | U.S. Department of Education

Additional information

• If you are a veteran with preference eligibility and are claiming 5-points veterans' preference, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 or other proof of eligibility. If you are claiming 10-point veterans' preference, you must also submit an SF-15, "Application for 10-Point Veterans' Preference" plus the proof required by that form. For more information on veterans' preference visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Veterans.
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service. For more information visit: https://www.sss.gov/verify/. Career Transition Assistance Programs: These programs apply to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed.
• To receive selection priority for this position, you must: (1) meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; (2) be rated well-qualified for the position with a score of 85 or above; and (3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. For more information visit: http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp.
• Only experience and education obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered.
• All FCSIC employees are subject to the conflict of interest laws and Standards of Ethical Conduct imposed upon all employees of the Executive Branch of the Federal Government and may be required to file a Financial Disclosure Report.
• FCSIC's supplemental ethics regulations restrict certain employees concerning their direct or indirect interests in, or connections with, Farm Credit System institutions. These rules also require all employees to obtain approval for outside employment or business activities. Please contact the HR Division for additional information on these rules.
• FCSIC uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees.
• This announcement may be used to fill similar vacancies.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments: https://appsupport.usastaffing.gov/hc/en-us/sections/[redacted]2-Reasonable-Accommodation-Information

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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

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