Accountant (Operating Accountant - UNICOR)

SummaryWhy work for the Federal Bureau of Prisons?You can have a meaningful career with an agency that truly values a diverse workforce. You will find a diverse workforce employed from entry level jobs to senior management positions. We protect public safety by ensuring federal offenders serve their sentences of imprisonment in facilities that are safe, humane, and provide reentry programming. Employees at correctional facilities perform correctional work regardless of their specific occupation.ResponsibilitiesThis position is located in a branch of the Federal Prison Industries, INC. The employee serves as an Operating Accountant and as such is responsible for the timely and accurate output of all accounting data, technical assistance of field locations, and the development, implementation and maintenance of sophisticated and complex fully-automated financial systems for FPI.Directs and supports accounting operation for FPI with accounting offices at approximately 65 diverse locations throughout the United states by providing Technical Assistance Expertise, and efficient operating procedures to assure accurate and timely accounting information.Monitors FPI accounting reports to ensure the integrity of the accounting systems and the resulting reports depicting the financial status of FPI. Analyzes and evaluates the financial management systems to determine compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements, and ensures that they meet the administrative needs of the Corporation.Along with all other correctional institution employees, incumbent is charged with responsibility for maintaining security of the institution. The staff correctional responsibilities precede all others required by this position and are performed on a regular and recurring basis.RequirementsConditions of EmploymentU.S. Citizenship is Required.See Special Conditions of Employment Section.Selective Service Requirement: http://www.sss.govInteragency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP). The ICTAP provides eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1)this vacancy is within your ICTAP eligibility; 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement; and 3) you are found well qualified for this vacancy. To be well qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and rate equivalent to the Highly Qualified category using established category rating criteria. You must provide proof of eligibility with your application of ICTAP eligibility or a copy of your separation personnel action form. Additional information about ICTAP eligibility is at: Click Here The Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provides eligible surplus and displaced competitive service employees in the Department of Justice with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your Department of Justice component has notified you in writing that you are a surplus or displaced employee eligible for CTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your CTAP eligibility; 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement; and 3) you are found well qualified for this vacancy. To be well qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and rate equivalent to the Highly Qualified category using established category rating criteria. You must provide a copy of your written notification of CTAP eligibility with your application. Additional information about CTAP eligibility is at: Click HereQualificationsTo be considered for the position, you must meet the following qualification requirements: Basic Requirements:A. 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.")ORB. Combination of education and experienceat 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:

Twenty-four semester hours in accounting or auditing courses of appropriate type and quality. This can include up to 6 hours of business law;

Certificate as Certified Public Accountant or a Certified Internal Auditor, obtained through written examination; or

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.

In addition to having the above Basic Requirements, applicants must also meet the following: Education: GS-11: You must have 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree.OR Experience:GS-11 and GS-12: You must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the next lower grade level in federal service. To be creditable, this experience must have equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) to perform successfully the duties of the position, and must typically be in or related to the position to be filled.Some examples of this qualifying experience are: GS-11:  Experience preparing monthly and annual financial statements. Experience evaluating financial information and verifying accounts. Experience researching, interpreting, and applying accounting concepts to derive solutions. GS-12:  Experience in demonstrating the ability to solve problems in program management reporting requirements. Experience in automated financial management system design practices. Experience in demonstrating the knowledge of generally accepted accounting principles, concepts and practices for federal government entities, and such special area as trust and industry specific accounting. Combination of Education and Experience: GS-11 ONLY: You must have a combination of education and experience. This experience must have equipped you with the knowledge, skills, and ability to perform the major duties of this position as described above.Credit will be given for paid and unpaid experience. To receive proper credit, you must show the actual time (such as number of hours worked per week) spent in the activities.Your eligibility for consideration will be based on your responses to the questions in the application.EducationSee Qualifications Section for education requirements, if applicable.ONLY if education is a requirement/substitution for specialized experience, applicant MUST upload legible transcripts as verification of educational requirement. Transcripts MUST be uploaded and electronically linked from USAJOBS at the time you apply and MUST include identifying information to include School Name, Student Name, Degree and Date Awarded (if applicable). All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, Click Here.Foreign Education: For information regarding foreign education requirements, please see Foreign Diploma and Credit Recognition at the U.S. Department of Education website: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications.If you are selected for this position and qualified based on education (i.e. basic education requirement and/or substitution of education), you will be required to provide an OFFICIAL transcript prior to your first day on duty.Additional InformationIn accordance with 5 U.S.C. 3307, a maximum entry age of 36 has been established for initial appointment to a position in a Bureau of Prisons institution. If you are above the maximum entry age and have prior federal law enforcement coverage, you MUST submit an SF-50 to verify prior coverage.Please refer to the Required Documents Section for the appropriate documentation to submit to validate veteran eligibility.Special Conditions of Employment Section:Appointment is subject to satisfactory completion of a pre-employment and panel interview, urinalysis, physical, and background investigation.All applicants are subject to, and must satisfactorily pass all screening requirements in relation to National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and credit check.All applicants not currently working in an institution will be required to complete a qualification inquiry regarding convictions of misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence in order to be authorized to carry a firearm.The Core Value Assessment (CVA) is an in-person assessment that must be facilitated at a Bureau of Prisons Human Resource Servicing office. On the day of the scheduled interview, a CVA will be administered. The applicant assessment must be completed within a 70 minute time period and a passing score must be obtained. Further employment consideration will not be extended if the applicant fails to complete the examination or fails to achieve a passing score.Note: The Core Value Assessment will not be administered to current BOP employees.Successful completion of the "Introduction to Correctional Techniques," three-week training course at Glynco, Georgia is required.Additional selections may be made if vacancies occur within the life of the certificate.