Auditor (Performance)
About This Position
By law, this Office of Inspector General has continued oversight responsibility for United States funded foreign assistance activities across multiple agencies, to include the Millennium Challenge Corporation, the Inter-American Foundation, the U.S. African Development Foundation, USAID and the Department of State. Responsibilities may also include oversight of and/or oversight coordination for foreign assistance programs with other interagency partners throughout the U.S. Government.
Qualifications
You are encouraged to read the entire announcement before you submit your application package.
Your application may not receive full consideration if you do not follow the instructions as outlined.
Applicants must meet all the required qualification and educational requirements below. Auditing Series, 0511 - Individual Occupational Requirements Basic Requirements for Performance Auditors A. Degree: auditing; or a degree in a related field such as business administration, finance, public administration, or accounting.
OR
B. Combination of education and experience: at least 4 years of experience in Performance Auditing, or an equivalent combination of performance auditing experience, college-level education, and training that provided professional auditing knowledge. The applicant's background must also include one of the following: 1. A certificate as a Certified Internal Auditor or a Certified Public Accountant, obtained through written examination; or
- Completion of the requirements for a degree that included substantial coursework in auditing or accounting, e.g., 15 semester hours. Individuals with degrees in international affairs or policy, international development, regional or area studies, public policy or evaluation, journalism with an international focus, security policy, and similar degrees are encouraged to apply if they meet the requirements.
In addition to the mandatory education requirements specified in this announcement, applicants must have specialized experience and/or directly related education in the amounts shown below: Specialized Experience:GS-09: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-07 level in the Federal service, or the equivalent to in the private sector which includes: (1) assisting with reviewing program data and comparing it to policies, procedures, or other program criteria; (2) researching laws, regulations, policies, and procedures; and (3) collecting and analyzing qualitative and quantitative information from various sources to develop conclusions and write informational reports OR, 2 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree. GS-11: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-09 level in the Federal service, or the equivalent to in the private sector which includes: (1) participating in the planning, preparation, and execution of performance audits in accordance with GAGAS; (2) planning, developing, and/or modifying techniques and methods, conducting analyses, and interpreting the results for an audit; and (3) developing specific and unique audit plans corresponding to operating programs and/or control systems with generalized and/or nonspecific guidelines. OR 3 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D.
OR
equivalent doctoral degree. GS-12: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 level in the Federal service, or the equivalent to in the private sector which includes: (1) planning, preparing, and executing complex performance audits in accordance with GAGAS; (2) interpreting complex policies and regulations in support of audits; and (3) developing methods and procedures to resolve problem areas identified during audits. GS-13: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 level in the Federal service, or the equivalent to in the private sector which includes: (1) leading teams in planning, executing, and reporting of complex performance audits in accordance with GAGAS; (2) leading the development of methods and procedures to resolve problem areas identified during audits; (3) assigning team members tasks and reviewing work products for compliance with GAGAS and OIG audit policies and procedures; (4) using advanced written and oral communication techniques to effectively present findings, recommend, negotiate solutions; and (5) managing relationships with internal stakeholders and external officials.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 relevant to the position's duties to be filled, including volunteer experience.
NOTE: Applicants must meet time-in-grade requirements, by the closing date of this announcement. Time-in-grade documentation: If you are applying for a higher grade and your SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you meet the 1-year time-in-grade requirement so you will need to provide an SF-50 which clearly demonstrates you meet the time-in-grade requirements (examples of appropriate SF-50s include Promotions, Within-grade Grade/Range Increases, and SF-50s with an effective date more than one year old). CTAP/ICTAP candidates will be referred to the selecting official if they are found well qualified.
Well-qualified means an eligible employee who possesses the knowledge, skills, and abilities that clearly exceed the position's minimum requirements. A well-qualified employee must meet the qualification and eligibility requirements of the position, including any medical qualifications, suitability, and minimum education and experience requirements, meet all selective factors (where applicable); meet quality ranking factors and are assigned a score of 85 or higher; be physically qualified with reasonable accommodation to perform the essential duties of the position; meet any special qualifying U.S. OPM-approved conditions; AND be able to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry without additional training.A well-qualified candidate will not necessarily meet the definition of highly or best qualified when evaluated against other candidates who apply for a particular position.
Selecting officials will document the job-related reason(s) for qualification determinations in the absence of selective and quality ranking factors.
Major Duties
As an Auditor (Performance), you will: Conduct high quality performance audits in compliance with Generally Accepted Government Auditing Standards (GAGAS), professional audit standards, and OIG audit policies and procedures. Research and prepare proposals for performance audits. Review and evaluate descriptive, financial, and statistical reports and program data using quantitative and qualitative research methods and techniques, such as sampling, questionnaires, interviews, and analyses of computer-processed data to assess the effectiveness of programs or operations in meeting established goals and metrics Identify and apply relevant laws, regulations, policies, guidance, and other criteria.
Communicate with agency representatives and internal stakeholders to acquire and/or disseminate information. Brief team leaders, audit managers, and senior leaders on the progress and results of audits. Prepare and maintain audit working papers, such as analytical summaries and documentation of interviews, in accordance with GAGAS.
Work with team members to identify relevant facts, determine if evidence collected is sufficient and appropriate to support findings and results, and link those findings to appropriate audit recommendations. Assist senior staff in a full range of analytical steps, from planning and designing the audit through implementing the audit, to reporting results orally and in writing. Participate in interviews with agency officials, program implementers, and recipients to collect information and present findings, conclusions, and recommendations.
Education
You must submit a legible copy of your unofficial college transcript. The college transcript must demonstrate the degree awarded. You will be required to provide the official college transcript(s) to verify educational qualifications, if selected.
How You Will Be Evaluated
We use a multi-step process to review and evaluate applicants: You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this announcement. Evaluation will be based on your application materials (such as your resume and supporting documents), your responses to the application questionnaire, and the results of all required assessments. As part of the application process, you must answer a minimum qualification question addressing whether you meet the specialized experience required for this position, as described in this announcement.
SME Resume Review Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) will review your resume to determine whether you meet the required specialized experience. SME Prescreen Interview You may be asked to attend an interview with one or more Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to verify information and competencies noted in your resume. SME Structured Interview You may be invited to participate in a structured interview with one or more SMEs to assess the required competencies for the position.
Written Communication SampleAfter the structured panel discussion, you will be asked to prepare a written communication document based on a selected topic. The scored occupational questionnaire will evaluate you on the following competencies: Accountability Arithmetic/Mathematical Reasoning Attention to Detail Critical Thinking Decision Making Flexibility Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Learning Oral/ Written Communication Performance Auditing Problem Solving Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis Reasoning Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork Teamwork and Collaboration It is the Government's policy not to deny employment simply because an individual has been unemployed or has had financial difficulties that have arisen through no fault of the individual. USAID will use information about an individual's employment experience only to determine their qualifications and assess their relative level of knowledge, skills, and abilities.
Although an individual's conduct may be relevant in any employment decision, including behavior during periods of unemployment or evidence of dishonesty in handling financial matters, financial difficulty that has arisen through no fault of the individual will generally not be the basis of an unfavorable suitability or fitness determination.
Additional Information
This is a position with the Office of Inspector General (OIG), characterized by excellence and professionalism, and responsible for assisting the OIG in its efforts to increase accountability and promote good stewardship of foreign assistance funds. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the OIG maintains international investigative and audit offices throughout the world with offices in Pretoria, South Africa; San Salvador, El Salvador; Tel Aviv, Israel; Bangkok, Thailand and Kyiv, Ukraine OIG is centrally located in downtown Washington, D.C. Time-in-grade requirements must be met by the closing date.
This means that you must have served at least 52 weeks at the next grade level (or equivalent) below the grade advertised on this vacancy announcement. USAID is an independent Federal Government agency that receives overall foreign policy guidance from the Secretary of State. With headquarters in the District of Columbia, we operate in more than 100 countries worldwide, playing an active and critical role in the promotion of U.S. foreign policy interests.
When crisis strikes, when rights are repressed, when hunger, disease, and poverty rob people of opportunity, USAID acts on behalf of the American people to help expand the reach of prosperity and dignity to the world's most vulnerable people. USAID employees and contractors must commit to maintaining a workplace free of sexual misconduct, including harassment, exploitation, and abuse, and adhere to USAID's Counter-Trafficking in Persons Code of Conduct. For information on the effort to counter all forms of human trafficking, including the procurement of commercial sex acts and the use of forced labor, visit http://www.state.gov/g/tip.
For more information about USAID, visit http://www.usaid.gov. This announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. These are Testing Designated Positions (TDP's) under the Agency's approved Drug-Free Work Place Program.
All applicants selected for this position will be subject to random drug testing once they begin working for the Agency. Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer is required. Moving and relocation expenses are not authorized.
Mythbuster on Federal Hiring Policies: https://hru.gov/Studio_Recruitment/tools/Mythbuster_on_Federal_Hiring_Policies.pdf. EEO Policy: EEO Policy Statement. Veterans' Information: Veterans Information.
Telework: https://www.telework.gov/. Selective Service Registration: http://www.sss.gov/. Reasonable Accommodation Policy: USAID is committed to equal employment opportunity; therefore, reasonable accommodations are available to applicants and employees with disabilities.
If you need an accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the Reasonable Accommodation Division in the Office of Civil Rights at [email protected]. Reasonable accommodation decisions are made on a case-by-case basis. To learn more about the Reasonable Accommodation Division, please visit our website at: https://www.usaid.gov/careers/reasonableaccommodations.
How to Apply
The following instructions outline our application process.
You must complete this online application process and submit any applicable required documents by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement. If applying online poses an extreme hardship, you must contact the human resources office no later than two business days before the closing date of this vacancy announcement. Our Office will provide an alternative application method upon approval of the hardship notification.
After the advertisement has closed, we will not grant requests to apply via alternative plans. Please note, we must receive all required documents by the closing date via online or alternative methods. We will determine your eligibility and qualifications based solely on the material received by the closing date.
Step 1 - Review the Job Announcement (https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12966534) Before you apply, we suggest you review the entire job announcement. Pay close attention to the Major Duties section and the How You Will Be Evaluated section, where you will see the areas upon which an HR Specialist or Subject Matter Expert will evaluate your application and a link for previewing online questions. Step 2 - Create or Upload a resume with USAJOBS (www.usajobs.gov) Create or upload a resume in USAJOBS.
You may wish to customize your resume to ensure it supports your responses to the online questions and addresses the Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section of the job announcement. For resume tips, click here.-Although you must enter your Social Security Number (SSN) for USAJOBS, we will only see the last four digits for identification purposes. Step 3 - Apply Online Click the "Apply Online" button on this announcement and then select the resume you wish to submit with your application.
You will be redirected to the OPM's USA Staffing website to complete the application process. Step 4 - Answer the Online Questions and Submit Your Online Application If this is your first time on OPM's USA Staffing website, the system will prompt you to register by answering questions about your eligibility for Federal employment. Select "Take me to the assessment" and click on the "Next" button to answer the job-specific questions. The system will save these responses and take you back to the main screen so that you can answer the job-specific questions.
You must answer all the questions and click the "Finish" button. Step 5 - Review and Confirm Your Submission You will now have the option to upload a document or print fax cover sheets for documents (see Step 6 for details). Once you click "Done," you will see a summary of your application for your review, and you may also print a copy for your records.
When you click "Finish" at the bottom of the page, our system will then direct you back to USAJOBS, where you can confirm that you correctly submitted your application, and you can track your application status. Step 6 - Submit Documents You can submit any applicable required or optional documents (see below) by document upload, fax, or e-mail. Whichever method you choose, please include the job announcement number with your records.
To protect your privacy, we encourage you to remove your SSN from any documents that you submit. Document Upload: You may upload documents in one of two ways: Once you finish answering the questions in the job announcement, the system will prompt you to upload your document(s) to your application.
You will be given a choice to either upload the document as part of the application process or select a copy that you've already loaded on USAJOBS.
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You can upload a document to an existing application by logging into your USAJOBS account profile.
Click on "My Applications" and search for the vacancy. Once you've located the vacancy, click on the vacancy and select "Apply Online." Move through your existing application to the Documents page and select upload to add a document to your application. Be sure to review your complete application for confirmation that you uploaded the document.
Required Documents
Resume showing relevant experience. CTAP; ICTAP Eligibles: Must submit a copy of the appropriate documentation such as a reduction-in-force (RIF) separation notice, an SF-50 reflecting your RIF separation, or a notice of proposed removal for declining a direct reassign or transfer of function to another commuting area. If this position requires proof of higher education, or you are qualifying based on education, you must include a copy of your transcript (unofficial or official) or a list of courses that includes the following information: name of accredited institution, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned.
Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. Please refer to http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/policy/ApplicationOfStds-04.asp for more information. Please be advised that an official transcript will be required if you are selected for the position.
Current Federal Employees: A most recent copy of your SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action); your document must reflect grade, step, tenure code "1" (Career) or "2" (Career-Conditional), and type of position occupied. Veterans' documentation, if requesting consideration under any Veterans' hiring eligibilities (veterans' preference and Veterans Employment Opportunities Act). If seeking eligibility based on any other special hiring authority (e.g., disabled veteran, Schedule A, special hiring programs).
Peace Corps letter, if applicable.