FINANCIAL SERVICES TECHNICIAN

About the role

THIS IS A NATIONAL GUARD TITLE 32 EXCEPTED SERVICE POSITION.

This National Guard position is for a Financial Services Technician, Position Description Number D1986000 and is located in the Property and Fiscal Office (USPFO) Pay and Exam Branch of the Vermont Army National Guard.

This vacancy is also advertised as a Permanent Title 5 Excepted Service position under vacancy announcement VT-13112156-AR-26-69: ***

What you will do

• The purpose of this position is to provide analysis, validation, processing and correction of financial transactions and issues/problems involving the full range of financial services.
• Incumbent uses complete understanding of inter-related systems and processes across multiple functional areas and their interoperability to ensure the validity and accuracy of all disbursements, collections, and adjustments related to financial records.
• MAJOR DUTIES: 1) Performs broad-in-depth financial analysis of inter-related accounting, logistics and computer file systems concerning pay, accounts payable, and various travel entitlements, using multiple procedures, processes and techniques to evaluate alternatives and arrive at decisions, conclusions and recommendations.
• Analyzes diverse financial management technical methods, techniques, precedent cases, and procedures to resolve an extensive range of difficult financial technical issues or problems.
• 2) Performs in-depth analysis, complicated pay, travel, and accounts payable issues involving substantial corrective action and/or complicated adjustments and resolves issues, including assessing unusual circumstances or conditions.
• Utilizes experience and judgment, rather than guides, to fill in gaps, identify sources of information, and make working suppositions about what transpired to decide approaches, and resolve specific problems.
• Develops variations in approaches to fit specific problems or deals with incomplete, unreliable or conflicting data in the process of work performance in order to validate transactions and resolve inconsistencies.
• 3) Analyzes particular facts of financial transaction problems/issues, verifies and evaluates data; obtains additional information to reconcile discrepancies or inconsistencies; and applies pertinent fiscal laws, regulations, precedent decisions, and procedures to determine appropriate action for resolution.
• Performs research regarding many different and unrelated processes and methods relating to financial transactions for analysis of complex and unusual financial transactions.
• Analyzes results, applies personal initiative and judgment to make recommendations, which may result in changing guidelines affecting internal, state, and National Guard Bureau (NGB) level processes and procedures.
• 4) Analyzes and resolves tax processing problems based on soldier inquiries or internal control audits/reviews, ranging from Permanent Change of Station (PCS) issues and combat tax exclusion pay to refunds of erroneous tax collections.
• Ensures complex tax issues involving tax documents, Do It Yourself (DITY) moves, and Relocation Income Tax Allowance (RITA) payments are accomplished accurately and timely.
• 5) Interprets data to identify problems, determines nature of the problem or issue, decides approaches to use to resolve issues, and recommends solutions for systemic changes to enhance operations.
• Uses independent judgment to reconstruct incomplete files, devise more efficient methods for procedural processing, gather and organize information for inquiries, or resolve problems referred by others.
• Interprets user requirements in designing new ad hoc reports or modifications to standard financial and management systems, resulting from regulatory, system, or force structure changes.
• 6) Researches, interprets, analyzes, and applies regulations, policies, procedures and legal decisions to work and/or resolve complex financial issues/problems.
• Uses public law; fiscal law; Department of Defense (DoD), Department of the Army (DA), Forces Command (FORSCOM), NGB, and Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) regulations; Standing Operating Procedures; Comptroller General Decisions; and policies and issuances to execute the full range of financial and commercial services.
• 7) Performs or conducts research, investigates and solves problems involving reconciliations of discrepancies (Electronic Funds Transfer rejects, pay/personnel/travel mismatches) to identify, analyze and provide solutions regarding multiple entitlements, payments to personnel in various duty statuses and assorted payments to commercial vendors, including computation of interest due.
• Sorts complicated factual information and applies a variety of financial methods to resolve issues.
• (8) Performs complicated actions to solve problems associated with processing actions regarding multiple pay, travel, and accounts payable financial systems.
• Incumbent uses related financial regulations and rulings covering diverse types of transactions to function as the technical authority for resolving an extensive range of financial issues or problems. **REFER TO PD FOR FULL LISTING OF DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

Education

You must provide transcripts or other documentation to support your Educational claims.

To receive credit for Education, you must provide documentation of proof that you meet the Education requirements for this position.

Substitution of Education for Specialized Experience: Completed undergraduate or graduate education, the awarded college degree should be in one of, or a combination of the following disciplines: accounting, business, finance, economics, math, statistics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, or organizational management.

The applicant's educational degree study program or military or civilian academic courses may substitute for some specialized experience. Financial Management Certification Requirements: The certification will not be used as a mandatory requirement in DoD hiring systems.

A member who is not certified may still qualify for a position that requires DoD financial management certification as a condition of employment. The most qualified individual will be selected for a position.

Members of the financial management workforce are required to participate in the Financial Management Certification Program; therefore, achieving certification is a condition of employment.

Members of the financial management workforce must achieve the appropriate certification level for their positions within 2 years of notification of applicable certification requirements or the period of any extension.

The financial management certification program supports the professional development of the financial management workforce and provides a framework for a standard body of knowledge across all DoD financial business programs.

The financial management certification requirements will vary for positions dependent on the complexity and responsibility of the positions' financial management supervisory and non-supervisory business programs. Financial management certification requirements are in the conditions of employment and notes in the position description.

Supervisors of financial management coded positions coordinate with the component administrator and component certification authority to determine financial management certification requirements of employees occupying financial management coded positions.

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications (particularly positions with a positive education requirement.) Therefore, applicants must report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Verify School accreditation. All education claimed by applicants will be verified by the appointing agency accordingly.

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: ***

How you will be evaluated

Once the announcement has closed, your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine if you meet the qualifications listed on this announcement. If you are minimally qualified, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses on the assessment questionnaire to determine your level of experience.

If you rate yourself higher than is supported by your application package, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this position. If you are found to be among the top qualified candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics): -Comprehensive knowledge of and skill of computer master file systems, the interrelationship of various financial systems applications and the effects of those applications on existing records to modify normal automated processes while protecting historical data.

Knowledge of how these modifications relate to payments, contract modifications, accessions, separations, collections, disbursements, garnishments, electronic fund transfer changes, and out of service debts or other actions involving complicated adjustments.

Skill in determining appropriate travel entitlements for multiple duty statuses and situations including TOY, local travel, PCS and ITA's.

Knowledge of tax regulations, systems, and processes involving tax documents, DITY payments, and RITA payments. -Comprehensive knowledge of and skill in determining appropriate payments to vendors by applying Prompt Payment Act, tax law, contract law, account code structure, invoice processes, and Grants and Cooperative Agreement regulations. -Knowledge of fact finding, investigative and problem solving techniques involving reconciliations of discrepancies (Electronic Funds Transfer rejects, pay/personnel/travel mismatches and pay timeliness) that identify, analyze and recommend solutions regarding financial services, multiple entitlements, and payments to personnel in various duty statuses and commercial vendors which may include computation of interest due. -Knowledge and skill in applying principles and practices involving data protected under the Privacy Act.

Knowledge and skills regarding records management. -Knowledge and skill of auditing procedures in order to analyze the full range of pay, travel, and accounts payable pay authorizations and entitlements to determine compliance with multiple laws, regulations, policies and issuances. -Knowledge of the organizational structure, functions, policies, and processes of the state's National Guard, to include relationships to state entities under DSCA operations. -Knowledge of training techniques and program instruction regarding the full range of financial transactions.

Knowledge and skill in providing quality and time sensitive customer service techniques. You will be rated on the following core competencies: 1. Attention to Detail 2.

Analysis/Reasoning 3. Self-Management 4. Financial Analysis

Documents you must provide

• To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes: 1.
• Resume: resume must show relevant experience, where you worked, job title, detailed duties and accomplishments written in your own words (Do not plagiarize), employer's name and address, supervisor's name and phone number, starting and ending dates (including Month and Year, e.g., 02/2017, Feb 2017, etc.), hours per week and salary.
• If you are a current Federal employee or previous Federal employee, provide your position title, pay plan, series and grade.
• Your detailed experience should be listed under each job title with starting and ending dates.
• Resume must show applicants name and contact information.
• AGO-VT Form 690-5, Military Experience and Education Resume (All applicants, currently serving in the military, prior-service and civilians MUST complete the name block and military affiliation block of the AGO-VT Form 690-5 and sign and date the form).
• Other supporting documents (as applicable) For current Federal employees: Latest SF 50, Personnel Action.
• Helpful Hints for Applying: - Ensure that your resume contains your full name, address and phone. - Include details about the experience that relates to the position you are applying for. - Be specific and always include Month and Year for the dates of your experience. - Be sure to include your applicable military experience and explain the duties of the MOS/AFSC held.
• In describing your experience, please be clear and specific.
• Please note that if, after reviewing your resume and or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your rating can and will be adjusted to more accurately reflect your abilities, or you may lose consideration for this position.
• If you are using education to qualify for this position or education is a mandatory requirement to meet qualifications, You must submit copies of college transcripts that identify each course, the college or university, semester or quarter hours earned, grade and grade-point received.
• Submitting a certificate or a degree will not suffice.
• You must submit transcripts when required.
• Photocopies are acceptable.
• If you have been or currently are a Federal Civil Service employee, please submit a copy of your last Notification of Personnel Action, Form SF-50 if applicable.

What to expect next

Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. Your application will be evaluated by the Human Resources Office to determine your eligibility for the position. After the evaluation is complete, you will receive another notification regarding the status of your application.

Additional information

NATIONAL GUARD MEMBERSHIP IS REQUIRED: This is a Title 32 excepted service position that requires membership in a compatible military assignment in the National Guard. Selectee will be required to wear the military uniform. Acceptance of an excepted service position constitutes concurrence with these requirements as a condition of employment.

Applicants who are not currently a member of the Vermont Army National Guard must be eligible for immediate membership and employment in the National Guard in the military grade listed in this announcement. If you are not sure you are eligible for military membership, please contact 1-800-GO-GUARD or visit NATIONALGUARD.COM/VT prior to applying for this position.

Vermont Army National Guard personnel who are bonus recipients/student loan repayment program recipients may have their benefits terminated and/or recouped if selected as a Permanent/Indefinite Military Technician. Applicants should contact the VTARNG Incentive Manager to determine any possible termination and/or recoupment actions that may result from accepting this position.

If you are a male applicant who was born after 12/31/1959 and are required to register under the Military Selective Service Act, the Defense Authorization Act of 1986 requires that you be registered or you are not eligible for appointment in this agency (***).