ACCOUNTANT (Senior Forensic Accountant)
About This Position
This position is in the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) Bureau of Consumer Protection (BCP), Division of Litigation Technology & Analysis (DLTA or Division). The Division plays a central role in the investigation and litigation of consumer protection matters. The applicant serves as a Senior Forensic Accountant responsible for conducting complex financial investigations involving large sums of money and vast numbers of complex financial arrangements and transactions.
Qualifications
To qualify for the Accountant / Senior Forensic Accountant you must meet the positive education requirement. Minimum Education 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 four (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.
In addition to meeting the education requirement, to qualify for an Accountant/ Senior Forensic Accountant at the GS-15 level, you must meet the following requirements: You must demonstrate in your resume at least one (1) year of qualifying experience equivalent to at least the GS-14 level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector, performing the following types of tasks: independently planning, coordinating, and leading complex financial investigations; conducting in-depth forensic examination or analysis of complex financial records and producing detailed financial reports and presentations; and researching, analyzing, and processing information related to accounting transactions to ensure completeness and accuracy of data. 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.
Major Duties
The employee will serve as a Senior Forensic Accountant and perform the following duties: Serves as a senior forensic accountant and authority in the identification, examination, and analysis of financial data in consumer protection investigations and law enforcement actions. Plans, coordinates, and leads complex financial investigations. Reviews the nature of allegations being analyzed and identifies the data required for analysis.
Utilizes various computer applications such as Comprehensive Financial Investigative Solution (CFIS) and Microsoft Excel to review and interpret implications of a vast number and variety of financial transactions. Reconstructs and interprets financial records to calculate the amount of consumer harm, identify available assets, and track the movement of funds. Provides advice on accounting and financial practices as well as forensic accounting techniques.
Recommends alternative methods to address issues encountered and ensures that methods comply with all appropriate procedures and laws. Conducts ability to pay analysis for companies and individuals and provides advice to support monetary settlements. Develops new forensic accounting techniques applicable to various financial investigations.
Compiles complex financial findings to prepare in-depth financial investigative reports, declarations, and exhibits. Develops and provides forensic accounting presentations and briefings. Testifies in judicial proceedings.
Serves as a resource for FTC attorneys and investigators and conducts training in the fundamentals of forensic accounting and analysis. Performs other duties as assigned.
Education
This position has an education requirement.
You must submit a copy of your transcripts (or a list of your courses including titles, credit hours completed and grades). Unofficial transcripts will be accepted in the application package; however, official transcripts will be required prior to receiving an official offer. 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: https://www.ed.gov/about/initiatives/international-affairs/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications.
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 found 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, 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. Performance Appraisals: In the evaluation process, due weight will be given to job related experience, education, training, incentive awards and performance appraisals.
Applicants must have a performance rating of at least the equivalent of fully successful to be eligible for promotion or placement.
Applicants may provide a copy of a performance appraisal of record dated within the last 18 months. If the applicant is unable to provide a performance appraisal of record dated within the last 18 months, the applicant may provide a written explanation as to why.
Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics): Accounting Operations Mastery of accounting and financial management theories, concepts, principles, and practices sufficient to serve as a senior accountant advising senior officials. Comprehensive knowledge of financial software programs and databases. Advanced skill in communicating financial and complex information in a clear and understandable format. Advanced skill in collecting and organizing data, analyzing information, and preparing reports.
Additional Information
Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA): To be eligible for a VEOA appointment under Merit Promotion procedures, you must be a preference eligible or a Veteran separated after 3 years or more of continuous active service performed under honorable conditions. Career Transition Assistance Programs: These programs apply to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: (1) meet Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) eligibility criteria; (2) be rated well-qualified for the position with a score of 87 or above; and, (3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility.
For more information visit: ICTAP/CTAP Non-competitive Appointment Authorities: For more information on non-competitive appointment authority eligibility requirements: - Persons with Disabilities-Schedule A - Special Hiring Authorities for Veterans - Special Hiring Authority for Certain Military Spouses - Other Special Appointment Authorities
How to Apply
To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section above. A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. To begin, click Apply to access the online application.
You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package.
You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted.
Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position.
Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application. To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated.
For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/. To preview the Assessment Questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12983033.
Required Documents
To apply for this position, you must submit a complete application package which includes: 1.
Your resume showing work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment and duties performed.
- Other supporting documents: - Cover Letter, optional - College transcripts- REQUIRED - Most recent SF-50, "Notification of Personnel Action" showing you are/were in the competitive service and the highest grade or promotion potential held (if applying as a status candidate with current or former Federal Service) - Most recent Performance Appraisal, if applicable - DD-214, SF-15 Form and VA letter, or certification of expected discharge or release from active duty from Veterans for consideration under Veteran hiring authorities - Noncompetitive appointment authority documentation, if applicable - Career Transition Assistance Program/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program Documentation, if applicable (e.g. Certification of Expected Separation, Reduction-In-Force Separation Notice, or Notice of Proposed Removal; SF-50 that documents the RIF separation action; and most recent performance appraisal.) FEDERAL APPLICANTS: You must submit SF-50(s) that verify your highest competitive grade, full performance level, and eligibility as a federal applicant.
DO NOT submit an award SF-50 as these often do not verify grade or eligibility. For consideration for a promotion, Box 4 of the SF-50 must show a date that is at least 52 weeks prior to the job announcement closing. We recommend submitting your last promotion SF-50 or within-grade increase SF-50.
Pay adjustment raise SF-50s for the current year will not support the 52 weeks' time-in-grade requirements. https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/service/SF-50/ - Schedule A- In order to receive consideration under the Schedule A authority, you must provide a certification of job readiness printed on a medical professional's letterhead and signed. For more information, please visit USAJOBS Individuals with Disabilities (https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/individuals-with-disabilities/)