Financial Management Specialist - DIRECT HIRE/SME
About This Position
This position is established to provide budget and financial management and program performance activities relating to the programs and operations of USMMA. The employee provides senior-level advice relative to financial management. The employee independently performs assignments requiring the application of fundamental principles, concepts, techniques, and guidance relative to financial management.
Qualifications
To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, you must meet the specialized experience requirements. To qualify for the Grade 13, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-12, it must include: Experience in managing and overseeing financial operations across multiple funding sources, including reviewing and approving funding availability and expenditures to ensure compliance with federal regulations, policies, and financial plans; and analyzing accounting and cost data to ensure accuracy, proper execution, and effective stewardship of funds. Experience in providing financial analysis and advisory services to leadership, including evaluating budget performance, identifying variances, developing forecasts, and recommending resource reallocations; and preparing and presenting comprehensive financial reports and briefings to support strategic decision-making.
Experience in developing and improving budgeting processes, financial policies, and performance frameworks, including assessing program and operational effectiveness from a financial perspective and collaborating with stakeholders to strengthen forecasting, enhance internal controls, and align financial management with organizational goals and performance metrics. KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas: Financial Management: Knowledge of financial management principles, practices, and systems, including budgeting, accounting, funds control, and internal controls to ensure proper stewardship of federal funds and compliance with fiscal law and regulations. - Financial Analysis: Ability to analyze financial data, evaluate budget execution, identify trends and variances, and develop forecast and recommendations to support organizational decision-making and resource allocation. - Planning and Evaluating: Ability to assess program effectiveness and efficiency, develop and improve budgeting and financial processes, and integrate financial data with performance metrics to support strategic goals and continuous improvement. For all types of consideration, 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. For additional information about applying to Federal positions, please click on the following link: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-policies/#url=e4 All applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
Major Duties
The Financial Management Specialist: Assists in providing leadership in Academy financial management initiatives, including USMMA management and accountability requirements of OMB Circular A-123; Academy responses to Government Accounting Office (GAO0 recommendations; and other management challenges. Certifies funds availability and evaluate obligations to ensure that they are appropriate and consistent with authorization and regulations providing recommendations to management on potential funds, surpluses, deficits, and realignments. Serves as Funds Control Officer (FCO) for USMMA accounts.
Provides comprehensive reviews of operating and cost accounting functions requiring the application of professional financial and accounting principles, theories, concepts, and practices to the USMMA financial management program, including Appropriated, Non-Appropriated Funds Instrumentality (NAFI), and Gift and Bequest Funds. Recommends standards, criteria, and procedures for preparing budget estimates, developing, and issuing apportionments, allotting funds, and meeting requirements for reporting in support of financial management of federal funds. Provides expert guidance on maintenance of internal control of available funds for the USMMA.
Reviews and monitors USMMA program performance effectiveness and efficiency working with Academy management and program staff to assess how program budgets are developed, justified, and executed; and develops recommendations for improved budget formulation, performance justification and presentation, policies, and procedures. The ideal candidate is a senior federal financial management professional with combined advanced analytical and financial-systems skills with a track record of integrating performance measures into budget formulation, leading internal-control improvements, and delivering concise, decision-quality briefings to senior leaders. A strong collaborator and change agent building consensus across program and administrative partners to implement process improvements and ensure timely, compliant budget execution.
Conditions of Employment
CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT: As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance the organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
SELECTIVE SERVICE: Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for the Selective Service. PROBATIONARY PERIOD: Applicants may be required to successfully complete a one-year probationary period (unless already completed).
How You Will Be Evaluated
DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE: PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume/application does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s).
Your resume must contain sufficiently detailed information upon which to make a qualification determination. Please ensure that your resume contains specific information such as position titles, beginning and ending dates of employment for each position, average number of hours worked per week, and if the position is/was in the Federal government, you should provide the position series and grade level. All applicants: For this announcement, applicants may be reviewed to determine if they meet the basic qualifications for this position, specifically the educational requirements.
Applications that are verified to meet the basic qualifications may be referred to the selecting official.
Applicants will not be rated or ranked. Veteran's Preference does NOT apply. Please ensure that your work history provides enough details to support your answers.
You may preview questions for this vacancy.
Additional Information
The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits the Department of Transportation and its Operating Administrations from requesting an applicant's criminal history record before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201 certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance to Compete Act.
Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint to the Department of Transportation by email at, [email protected]. To learn more, please visit our page at: The Fair Chance to Compete Act | US Department of Transportation This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if similar vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate. Qualified CTAP/ICTAP candidates receive priority and will be referred to the hiring manager.
How to Apply
You must submit a complete application package (including resume, vacancy questions and supporting documents) no later than 11:59 pm (EST) on the closing date of the announcement. To begin, click the "Apply Online" button on the job announcement posting.
Follow the directions to register, submit all required documents and complete the assessment questionnaire.
You may review your saved application(s) at https://help.usajobs.gov/ If you are having difficulty applying online, please contact the DOT Automated Staffing Office via email at: [email protected]
Required Documents
RESUME: In accordance with the OPM memorandum titled Merit Hiring Plan, dated May 29, 2025, resumes with a maximum of two (2) pages in length will be accepted as part of your application. These should be legible and in a readable font size. A determination of your eligibility and/or qualifications will be based only on those two (2) pages.
Your resume MUST contain specific information that can be used to make a qualification determination, including employment beginning and ending dates for each position, whether employment is Full-time or Part-time, or average number of hours worked per week, and position titles. If the position is/was in the Federal government, you will need to provide the position series and grade level. The resume should show relevant experience and education, as well as support the required specialized experience.
For assistance with the resume builder, please visit: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to DISPLACED EMPLOYEES: If requesting consideration under the Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or Interagency CTAP program (ICTAP), you must meet the standards for this vacancy and provide all of the following documents: your most recent performance appraisal, the proof of eligibility letter from the Agency, and your most current SF-50, displaying current series and grade. Displaced employees may be eligible for ICTAP or CTAP priority consideration. For more information, please review the OPM Employee's Guide to Career Transition.
Failure to submit any of the required documents by the closing date of the vacancy will result in your removal from consideration for this position. Please review your application prior to final submission and ensure you have submitted all appropriate documents. Uploading documents to USA Jobs does NOT ensure inclusion with your application to our system.
You must verify that the documents are in the system with your application prior to final submission.