Summary This position is located in the United States Department of Agriculture, Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO), ACFO for Financial Operations, Transparency and Accountability Reporting Division. Incumbent will serve as a subject matter expert and consultant to Department management officials on business process controls and information technology security requirements, and component agencies' compliance as relates to the Department's internal control policies and procedures. . Responsibilities Reviews and interprets the Digital Accountability and Transparency Act (DATA Act) to ensure the agency is in compliance with government-wide standards. Researches, evaluates and recommends options on issues that affect the department’s financial management activities. Ensures data standards for financial management and accounting systems are properly formatted and consistent with and implement applicable accounting principles in accordance with the DATA Act. Serve as subject matter expert and consultant to Department leadership on modifications and improvements to financial management and internal control systems. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including time-in-grade restrictions, specialized experience and/or education, as defined below. 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.") OR 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; or3) 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. Transcripts must be provided at the time of application. Specialized Experience: To qualify for the GS-13: Have at least one year of specialized experience, equivalent to the GS-12 level in Federal Service or equivalent responsibility in the private sector/pay systems that equipped me with the particular competencies to successfully perform as a Systems Accountant: Such experience includes: 1. Interpreting accounting, financial and information security policies, regulations, guidance and legislation; 2) Utilizing financial systems to analyze and classify financial events; 3) Interpreting financial data to determine the appropriate course of action to ensure compliance with regulatory guidance; and 4) Conducting audits or reviews of business processes and IT systems to assess the adequacy of internal controls and compliance with standards, procedures and Federal law; and 5) Applying IT principles, concepts and practices sufficient to assess and evaluate general computer controls. Time in grade: Merit promotion applicants must meet applicable time-in­-grade requirements to be considered eligible. Applicants must have on year of specialized experience at the next lower grade to be considered for the higher grade (e.g. one year at the GS-12 grade level for consideration for the GS-13 grade level). 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 and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. 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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html. Education See Qualifications Section for educational requirements. Additional Information This position is not included in the bargaining unit. This position may require occasional travel. Incumbent may perform other duties as assigned. This position may be eligible to telework up to four days per week, based upon the duties of the position. This position may also be eligible for flexible work arrangements as determined by agency policy and any applicable collective bargaining agreements. Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): Visit the OPM website for information on how to apply as a CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP candidates must be rated and determined to be well qualified (or above) based on an evaluation of the competencies listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section. When assessed through a score-based category rating method, CTAP/ICTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100. Veterans who are preference eligible or who have been separated from the armed forces under honorable conditions after three years or more of continuous active service are eligible for consideration under the Veteran's Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA). Farm Service Agency (FSA) County Employees: Permanent County employees without prior Federal tenure who are selected for a Civil Service position under Public Law 105-277 will be given a career-conditional appointment and must serve a 1-year probationary period. Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA) provides current or former temporary or term employees of federal land management agencies opportunity to compete for permanent competitive service positions. Individuals must have more than 24 months of service without a break between appointments of two or more years. Service must be in the competitive service and have been at a successful level of performance or better. Refer to PUBLIC LAW 114-47-AUG. 7, 2015 for more information.