Accountant (Internal Control)

This Accountant (Internal Control) position is with Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (Department of Homeland Security) in Phoenix, AZ. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is the Nation's risk advisor, working with partners to defend against today's threats and collaborating with industry to build a more secure and resilient infrastructure for the future. The official title of this position is Accountant GS-0510-12/13. Key duties: • This position is located in the Office of the Chief Financial Officer which provides sound decision support in the areas of budget, financial management, and program and economic analysis services. Typical work assignments at the full performance level include, but are not limited to: Serving as the technical authority on internal control matters and is responsible for advising, implementing, coordinating, and overseeing a variety of complex accounting policies and audit-related activities impacting CISA activities or operations. Conducting risk analyses and develops and executes tests of design and operating effectiveness of business process and financial system internal controls. Developing and implementing methods to monitor and measure risk, compliance, and assurance. Understanding applicable laws, regulations, policies, standards and procedures and assess the impact on existing operations, recommending and guiding corrective actions and strategies where conflicts exist. Interpreting accounting policies and assesses the implication on existing operations and corrective actions plans across the Agency. Develop and perform tests of design and operating effectiveness in line with internal control laws and standards to the support the agency's annual Statement of Assurance. Evaluate the likelihood and magnitude of the control deficiency to determine the severity in line with internal control guidance (e.g., significant deficiency, material weakness) Assess an organization's entity-level controls in line with technical guidance and informed by business process and IT assessment results. Utilize knowledge of policies and regulations to implement internal control guidance, including OMB Circular A-123 Appendix A or Sarbanes Oxley Section 404. Develop and perform financial statement and internal control audit procedures in line with auditing standards. Provide financial statement audit expertise, including financial transaction (USSGL)/debit-credit expertise. Evaluate and implement new or modified accounting, audit, and internal control guidance or legislation. Provide technical advice on accounting and auditing theories, practices, techniques, and standards to comply with federal and DHS standards. Design and implement processes, templates, and tools to improve business process and system controls and address internal control deficiencies. Guide business process and system owners to implement recommendations and address control deficiencies. Design and execute a corrective action plan to successfully resolve business process and system internal control significant deficiencies. Develop and manage comprehensive corrective action plans that include root cause analysis and detailed milestones that effectively re-mediate deficiencies identified during internal control testing or external financial audits. Manage the annual financial audit between program offices and the external auditors to ensure timely and accurate audit responses. Author internal control documentation including but not limited to process narratives, flowcharts, and control evaluation matrices that identify internal controls and risks and assess the risks and controls within the process. Prepare written documents that explain or justify decisions, conclusions, findings, and recommendations. Military Spouses and U.S. Foreign Service Spouses Only: This position is remote work and telework eligible consistent with the Agency's telework and remote work program policy. Applicants who live within the local commuting area (i.e., a 50-mile or less radius from Glebe Road, Arlington VA (not driving distance)) are eligible for 100% telework in accordance with agency policy. Qualifications: Do NOT copy and paste the duties, specialized experience, or occupational assessment questionnaire from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position. Your resume must describe your work and experience, in your own words. To be considered minimally qualified for this position, you must demonstrate that you have the required education and experience for the respective grade level in which you are applying. Applicants must demonstrate that they meet the Basic Requirements AND Minimum Qualification requirements as listed below. BASIC REQUIREMENTS: A. Degree: I have a bachelor's or higher degree from an accredited institution that included a major field of study in 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 or 36 quarter hours in accounting. The 24 semester hours or 36 quarter hours may include up to 6 semester hours or 9 quarter hours of credit in business law. (Note: You must attach a copy of your transcripts). OR B. Combination of education and experience: I have a combination of education and experience with 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 AND include one of the following: (1) 24 semester hours or 36 quarter hours in accounting or auditing courses of appropriate type and quality. This can include up to 6 semester hours or 9 quarter 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 or 22.5 quarter hours, but that does not fully satisfy the 24 semester hour or 36 quarter hour requirement of statement A above, provided that (a) I have 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 I have 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 statement A above; and (c) except for literal nonconformance to the requirement of 24 semester hours or 36 quarter hours in accounting, my education, training, and experience fully meet the specified requirements. (Note: You must attach a copy of your transcripts and/or certificate). IN ADDITION TO MEETING THE BASIC REQUIREMENTS ABOVE, YOU MUST ALSO MEET THE FOLLOWING MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: You qualify at the GS-12 grade level, if you have: EXPERIENCE: At least one (1) year of specialized experience at the GS-11 grade level (or equivalent) performing all the following duties: Performing tests of design and operating effectiveness in line with internal control standards; this includes documenting and assessing business processes for internal control activities, risks, accuracy and completeness of data outputs, and general ledger impact; Developing and performing financial statement and internal control audit procedures in line with auditing standards; Identifying entity-level challenges and themes across business process and Information Technology assessments; and Recommending solutions and developing comprehensive corrective action plans that include root cause analysis and detailed milestones that effectively remediate deficiencies identified during internal control testing or external financial audits. You qualify at the GS-13 grade level, if you have: EXPERIENCE: At least one (1) year of specialized experience at the GS-12 grade level (or equivalent) performing all the following duties: Designing and performing internal control tests of design and operating effectiveness in line with internal control and IT standards; this includes documenting and assessing business processes and systems for internal control activities, risks, accuracy and completeness of data outputs, and general ledger impact.; Developing, executing, and detail reviewing financial statement and internal control audit procedures in line with auditing standards; Assessing an organization's entity-level controls in line with technical guidance and informed by business process and IT assessment results; and Developing and implementing comprehensive corrective action plans that include root cause analysis and detailed milestones that effectively re-mediate deficiencies identified during internal control testing or external financial audits. 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. Time-in-Grade Requirements: Under competitive merit promotion procedures, any individual who is currently holding, or who has held within the previous 52 weeks, a General Schedule (GS) position under a non-temporary appointment in the competitive or excepted service, must meet "time-in-grade" requirements (have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade of the grade for which you are applying). NOTE: Current or former GS federal civilian employees, within the previous 52 weeks, applying for a position under the Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA) must meet time-in-grade requirements. Time After Competitive Appointment: By the closing date specified in this job announcement, current Federal civilian employees must wait at least 90 days after their latest non-temporary appointment from a competitive service referral certificate before promotion, transfer, reinstatement, reassignment, or detail. All qualification requirements, including Time-in-Grade, must be met by the closing date of this announcement. Qualification AND Time-in-Grade claims will be subject to verification. View the full announcement and apply on USAJOBS.gov.