Accounting Technician

About the role

This position is located in the Department of Homeland Security, United States Coast Guard, United States Coast Academy, New London, CT.

What you will do

• The primary purpose of this position is to perform work in the accounting and technical part of accounting systems, policies, and procedures in such areas as accounts examination, verification, and maintenance of accounts and accounting data.
• Being a Coast Guard civilian makes you a valuable member of the Coast Guard team.
• Typical work assignments include: Using applied formulas to test and evaluate detailed and summary accounts for equality and accuracy.
• Training other accounting technicians with follow-up techniques used to correct and process work into the system.
• Reviewing efficiency of clerical/technical process and compliance with procedures and making recommendations for improvement.
• Reviewing unique or complex problems encountered by self or other technicians in reconciling accounts.
• Preparing drafts of memoranda or letters responding to inquiries.
• Reviewing complex and unusual documents to verify accounting data and mathematical accuracy.

Requirements

• All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.
• Key Requirements: Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• Must be registered or exempt from the Selective Service.
• See *** A one-year probationary period may be required.
• Suitable for Federal employment determined by background investigation.
• Time in Grade requirement must be met by the closing date of the vacancy.

Education

This position does not have a positive education requirement. If you are including education on your resume, report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. See Required Documents section for detail.

FOREIGN EDUCATION: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet Federal qualification requirements if you can show that your foreign education is comparable to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence with your application.

See Recognition of Foreign Qualifications click here

How you will be evaluated

We will review your resume & supporting documentation to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. If you meet the minimum qualifications, your experience, education & training, along with any applicable assessments, will be rated to place you in one of three categories.

The necessary Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities to perform this job are: Arithmetic/Mathematical Reasoning Customer Service Decision Making Flexibility Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Reading Comprehension Self-Management Teamwork To preview the announcement questionnaire, click here: *** Overstating your qualifications &/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration.

Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

If you meet the minimum qualifications, you will be placed in one of the following categories: Best-Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position & demonstrate high proficiency in all of the critical competencies, including all Selective Placement Factors (SPF) & appropriate Quality Ranking Factors (QRF) as determined by the job analysis.

Well-Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position & demonstrates acceptable proficiency in all of the critical competencies, including all SPFs & appropriate QRFs as determined by the job analysis.

Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position & demonstrate basic proficiency in most of the critical competencies, including all SPFs & appropriate QRFs as determined by the job analysis. If you are best qualified, you may be referred to the hiring manager for consideration & may be called for an interview.

Veterans: Qualified veterans who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10% are listed in the best-qualified category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level, or higher. (This position is not considered scientific/professional.).

Other 10-point preference eligibles & veterans with 5-point preference who meet the eligibility & qualification requirements are placed above non-preference eligibles within the category in which they qualify. View information on veterans' preference. Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) & Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) documentation.

CTAP & ICTAP Eligibles: CTAP candidates will be eligible for selection priority if it is determined that they have exceeded the minimum qualifications for the position.

If you are a Federal employee in the competitive service & your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority for this position. Individuals must be well-qualified. Information about CTAP & ICTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website

Documents you must provide

• Limit your resume to no more than two pages.
• The USAJOBS database will not allow an applicant to submit an application that includes a resume over two pages.
• You will not be considered for this vacancy if your resume is illegible/unreadable.
• Resume showing relevant work/volunteer experience, education, and training.
• Include start and end dates (mm/yy to mm/yy) and number of hours per week worked/volunteered.
• For additional information on your resume, see How to Apply.
• Your responses to any applicable assessments.
• Are you qualifying based on education?
• Submit a copy of your college transcript (unofficial is acceptable) from an accredited institution.
• Once selected and prior to appointment, applicants must provide an official college transcript.
• Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet Federal qualification requirements if you can show that your foreign education is comparable to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States.
• In order to receive this credit, you must submit evidence of equivalency as provided by a credentialling evaluation service.
• It is your responsibility to provide such evidence with your application.
• See Recognition of Foreign Qualifications Veterans' preference documentation (All DD-214s MUST be a signed, legible copy showing character of service and lost time, typically Member 4 or Service copy), SF-15 & VA letter, if applicable.
• NOTE: The revised Oct 2013 SF-15 is the latest copy & all others are not usable.
• Please see Feds Hire Vets for detail.
• Veterans claiming 5 point veterans' preference must submit DD214(s) as detailed above.
• 30% Disabled Veterans must submit their DD-214(s) as detailed above, & VA Disability Letter with percentage of disability OR documentation of disability determination from a branch of the Armed Forces which reflects a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more.
• Other 10 point Preference Eligibles must submit DD-214(s) as detailed above, & provide documentation of 10 point preference described on the back of the SF-15.
• If you are a current active duty military member who does not have a DD214 & is claiming eligibility under the Veterans Opportunity to Work (VOW) Act, you must submit certification from the Armed Forces indicating you will be discharged/released from active duty under honorable conditions within 120 days from the date you submit your certification as part of your application for this announcement.
• See the "How to Apply" section of this announcement for information on specific requirements for VOW certifications.
• Political Appointees: OPM must authorize employment offers for former or current Political Appointees.
• If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C or Non-Career SES employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information.
• Submit proof of your former or current status, such as your SF-50.
• CTAP & ICTAP applicants MUST submit documentation verifying your eligibility.
• This includes a copy of your agency notice, a copy of your most recent performance rating, most recent SF-50-Notification of Personnel Action noting your current position, grade level and duty location, and documentation from your agency showing your current promotion potential.
• View information about CTAP/ICTAP eligibility on OPM's Career Transition Resources website.
• Any other supporting documentation required for verification as described in the announcement.

What to expect next

Once you submit your application, we will assess your experience and training, identify the best-qualified applicants, and refer those applications to the hiring manager for further consideration and interviews. We will notify you by email after each of these steps has been completed. Your status will also be updated on USAJOBS throughout the process.

To check your status, log on to your USAJOBS account, click on "Application Status," and then click "More Information." We expect to make a job offer within 60 days after the deadline for applications. If you are selected, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation. View more information on applying for federal employment.

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 Personnel Management guidance and U.S. Office of Management and Budget plans and policies concerning hiring. These authorities are subject to change.

Recruitment incentives may be authorized.

Additional information

Applicants will be required to complete questions contained on the Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) at the time a tentative job offer is made.

Certain responses on the form could pose a problem with suitability for employment determinations. If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete/make updates to the OF-306 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, or imprisonment. Due weight will be given to performance appraisals and incentive awards in merit promotion selection decisions in accordance with 5 CFR 335.103(b)(3).

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 at click here Moving expenses will not be paid. All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit.

The Department of Homeland Security encourages persons with disabilities to apply, to include persons with intellectual, severe physical or psychiatric disabilities, as defined by 5 CFR § 213.3102(u), and/or Disabled Veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30 percent or more as defined by 5 CFR § 315.707.

Veterans, Peace Corps/VISTA volunteers, and persons with disabilities possess a wealth of unique talents, experiences, and competencies that can be invaluable to the DHS mission. If you are a member of one of these groups, you may not have to compete with the public for federal jobs.

To determine your eligibility for non-competitive appointment and to understand the required documentation, click on the links above or contact the Servicing Human Resources Office listed at the bottom of this announcement.

More than 1 selection may be made from this announcement if additional identical vacancies in the same title, series, grade, and unit occur within 45 days from the date the certificate was issued. If you need a reasonable accommodation for the application and hiring process, please contact ***.

Decisions on granting reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. Visit Reasonable Accommodation