Federal

Accountant

Missile Defense Agency ยท Department of Defense
๐Ÿ“ Redstone Arsenal, Alabama NH-4 $130,987 - $197,200/yr
Posted: Mar 12, 2026 Deadline: Mar 18, 2026 (Closed days left)

About This Position

This position is part of the Department of Defense (DoD), Missile Defense Agency (MDA). The incumbent will be responsible for serving as an Accountant for Director for Strategy, Plans, & Resources Salary Ranges are the following unless statutory/regulatory rates prevail. For the Redstone Arsenal, AL Location: $130,987 to $197,200 For the Fort Belvoir, VA and/or Dahlgren Location: $143,913 to $197,200

Qualifications

You may qualify at the NH -04 Broadband Level, if you fulfill the following qualifications: A. One year of specialized experience equivalent to the NH-03/GS-13 grade level in the Federal service as listed below and must meet 3 of the 5 specialized experience listed below to be qualified: Experience with utilizing the Defense Agencies Initiative (DAI) financial system to conduct complex financial analysis, including multi-year fund reconciliation, trend analysis, and performance measurement. Experience with DAI during financial statement audits, including leading efforts to provide evidence, validating data integrity, developing corrective action plans, and performing root cause analysis on accounting discrepancies.

Experience managing the complete financial lifecycle of complex, high-value, and sensitive Foreign Military Sales cases, including performing intricate financial reconciliations between funding, obligations, and expenditures using systems like the Defense Security Assistance Management System (DSAMS). Experience with serving as the primary point of contact for independent public auditors and government oversight bodies (e.g., DoD Inspector General), including developing the overall audit response strategy and managing the submission of audit evidence. Experience with directing the evaluation and testing of internal controls over financial reporting in compliance with OMB Circular A-123, including identifying control deficiencies and overseeing the implementation of Corrective Action Plans (CAPs); applying expert knowledge of Federal accounting standards (e.g., SFFAS) and GAAP to analyze complex accounting issues and lead the preparation of audited year-end financial statements 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.

In addition to meeting qualifications, your application package must reflect the applicable experience to meet the Individual Occupational Requirements for the 0510, series as listed below: 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.") OR B. 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: Twenty-four semester hours in accounting or auditing courses of appropriate type and quality.

This can include up to 6 hours of business law; A 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.

NOTE: Failure to provide transcripts will result in you being rated ineligible for this position. All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement.

Major Duties

This is a Direct Hire Authority (DHA) solicitation utilizing the DHA for Acq Demo Business and Technical Management to recruit and appoint qualified candidates to positions in the competitive service.

This position is being filled under AcqDemo Direct Hiring Authority (DHA) for non-acquisition positions involving 51% or more of time in direct support of acquisition positions within Business and Technical Management Professional Career path. As a Accountant at the NH-0510-4 broadband level, some of your typical work assignments may include: Develops fiscal and financial management policies, standards, and guidelines for the Agency and for ensuring the accuracy and timeliness of financial statements. Provides expert advice to management covering a broad range of policies and requirements established by higher authorities.

Performs studies and analyses of accounting operations, Information Technology business management systems deployment, preparation of financial statements, financial reports, audit findings and other fiscal data needed for all phases of the Planning, Programming and Budgeting System. Designs, develops, implements, and ensures competent operation of improved financial management systems. Works with Defense Finance and Accounting Service, Indianapolis and other stakeholders to validate integrity of agency financial transactions.

Provides narrative and statistical material and ensures the accuracy and availability of background information. Monitors trends in financial performance; identifies deviations from plans and initiates remedial actions. Analyzes and evaluates financial transactions for accuracy and timeliness.

Designs, develops, implements, and ensures competent operation of feeder system reconciliations. Performs transaction research and reconciliations. Serves as primary audit liaison for financial statement audits performing tasks to support audit readiness, response, and remediation.

Education

Substitution of education may not be used in lieu of specialized experience for this grade level. All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement. GRADUATE EDUCATION: One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours that your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study.

Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study. FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that 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: https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html

How You Will Be Evaluated

We will review your resume and supporting documents, to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. We will evaluate each applicant who meets the basic qualifications on the information provided and evaluate your relevant work experiences as it relates to fundamental competencies, identified below, required for this position. Traditional rating and ranking of applications does not apply to this vacancy.

Your application (resume and supporting documentation) will be evaluated to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications required as listed on the announcement under qualification requirements. Veterans Preference: If you are entitled to veterans preference, you should indicate the type of veterans' preference you are claiming on your resume.

Your veterans' preference entitlement will be verified by the employing agency. For information on entitlement see http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/vetpref/index.aspx Appointment of Military Spouses (5 CFR 315.612) (NonComp Mil Sp): To receive this preference, you must choose to apply using the " Appointment of Military Spouses (5 CFR 315.612) (NonComp Mil Sp)" eligibility. If you are claiming Military Spouse eligibility and are determined to be Well Qualified (score of 85 or above) for the position, you will be referred to the hiring manager.

Information and required documentation for claiming Military Spouse eligibility may be found at the General Applicant Information and Definitions link below.

Additional Information

Other Notes: FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT: Selectee or incumbent must be able to obtain the appropriate certification level for their position. This is a Financial Management Level 3 Certified position. IAW Public Law 112-81 and DoD Policy the incumbent shall comply with the requirements of DoD FM Certification program within the allotted timeframe.

Only experience and education obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered. RE-EMPLOYED ANNUITANT: This position DOES NOT meet criteria for re-employed annuitant. The DoD criteria for hiring Re-employed Annuitants can be found at: https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/issuances/140025/1400.25-V300.pdf.

All applicants must meet qualifications and eligibility criteria by the closing date of the announcement. Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see Who Needs to Register | Selective Service System : Selective Service System (sss.gov))

How to Apply

To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.

The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date to receive consideration. To begin, click Apply Online to access an online application.

Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents.

You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account or you may need to create a new account.

You will be taken to an online application.

Complete the online application, verify the required documentation, and submit the application.

NOTE: Resumes up to a total of two pages will be accepted. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration.

You will receive an email notification when your application has been received for the announcement. To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account, https://www.usajobs.gov, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Application Status page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and your responses submitted to the online application.

Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. To preview the questionnaire, please go to https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12902697 Please review the General Application Information and Definitions at: https://www.dla.mil/Portals/104/Documents/Careers/downloads/DoDGenAppInfo%2012-1-2020.pdf?ver=ECNbdsHtGilTd3OENN4A0Q%3d%3d

Required Documents

The documents you are required to submit vary based on the authority you are using to apply (i.e., applying as a veteran, applying as a current permanent Federal employee, applying as a reinstatement, etc.).

Your complete application includes your COMPLETE resume, your responses to the online questionnaire, and documents which prove your eligibility to apply. If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further. The following documents are REQUIRED 1.

Your resume: All applicants are required to submit a resume limited to two (2) pages showing all relevant experience.

Your resume must address your qualifications for the position, and it may not exceed two (2) pages.

Your 2-page (or less) resume must be in PDF format, with no smaller than a 0.5" margin and no smaller than a 10-point font. If you submit a resume that exceeds the two-page limit and/or does not meet the margin or font limitations stated herein, you will immediately be deemed ineligible for this position and will be removed from further consideration. Must include the work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment, and duties performed.

The resume and required supporting documentation should provide the minimum qualifications and relevant experience for the announced position. If multiple resumes are submitted by an applicant, only the last resume submitted will be reviewed for qualifications and referred for selection consideration, if eligible. The resume must not be more than 5MB and should be saved and uploaded as a PDF to maintain formatting and number of pages.

We also accept GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, TXT, PDF, ODT or Word (DOC or DOCX). We do not accept PDF portfolio files. We recommend using a font like Lato, if available. Other widely available options are Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open San Source Sans Pro, Roboto or Noro Sans.

Additional guidance on writing a federal resume can be found at: USAJOBS Help Center - How do I write a resume for a federal job? The resume builder can help you create a resume using these recommendations and uses the information in your USAJOBS profile to help you get started.

  1. Transcripts: This position has a degree or education requirement so you are required to submit a copy of your transcript. We accept unofficial transcripts, as long as they contain your name, the name of the school, the date and degree that was awarded, and the list of classes and credits earned.
  2. SF50 It is recommended that all current and former civilian Federal employees submit a copy of your MOST RECENT SF50 (Notification of Personnel Action) showing your tenure, grade and step, salary, and type of position occupied (i.e., Excepted or Competitive); or similar Notification of Personnel Action documentation, i.e., Transcript of Service, Form 1150, etc. PLEASE REVIEW THE BELOW LINK FOR OTHER SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS needed for proof of eligibility: https://www.dla.mil/Portals/104/Documents/Careers/downloads/DODCustomersRequiredSupportingDocumentation.pdf?

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the salary for the Accountant position at Missile Defense Agency?
The salary range for this position is $130,987 - $197,200/yr. This is a NH-4 position on the General Schedule pay scale. Actual pay may vary based on locality adjustments.
Where is the Accountant job located?
This position is located in Redstone Arsenal, Alabama. This is an on-site position.
What qualifications do I need?
You may qualify at the NH -04 Broadband Level, if you fulfill the following qualifications: A. One year of specialized experience equivalent to the NH-03/GS-13 grade level in the Federal service as listed below and must meet 3 of the 5 specialized experience listed below to be qualified: Experience with utilizing the Defense Agencies Initiative ...
How do I apply for this position?
Apply through USAJobs.gov by clicking the 'Apply on USAJobs' button. You'll need a USAJobs account, a federal-style resume, and supporting documents. The deadline is Mar 18, 2026.
Is a security clearance required?
Yes, a Secret clearance is required.
What does NH-4 mean?
NH-4 refers to the General Schedule grade level. Higher grades require more experience and offer higher pay. Visit our GS Pay Scale page for full salary tables by grade and locality.
What benefits do federal employees receive?
Federal employees receive comprehensive benefits including health insurance (FEHB), retirement through FERS, Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) with government matching, paid annual and sick leave, paid parental leave, life insurance, and student loan repayment programs.