Financial Analyst

Duties

This position is located in the Architect of the Capitol (AOC), Office of the Chief Operating Officer, Office of the Chief Financial Officer, Accounting and Finance Division, Accounting Branch. As a generalist, duties will encompass all areas of financial management, accounting, budget and automated systems.

Major Duties

ACCOUNTING OPERATIONS (25%)

Prepares and processes vouchers, verifies fund availability to cover obligations, enters vouchers for payment and verifies that payment vouchers are properly processed. With oversight of the supervisor and/or senior analysts, processes first level voucher approvals as assigned. Receives and analyzes vouchers including disapproving items on invoices involving a moderately difficult degree of complexity. Conducts invoice processing including examining, verifying, checking for proper approval and keying invoices.

With a limited amount of guidance from supervisor and/or senior analysts, performs research and analysis as needed to resolve problems encountered during voucher/invoice processing and in response to requests for assistance from internal and external customers. Corresponds with Jurisdiction and Acquisition and Material Management Division to resolve problems with invoices and vendor payments.

With some guidance from supervisor and/or senior analysts as needed, compiles statistical data and prepares reports. Verifies accounting invoices are valid, correct and vendor invoices and payments are correctly processed. Prepares financial documents and runs reports such as training, approvals, disbursement schedules, etc.

ACCOUNTING SYSTEMS (25%)

Processes and documents moderately complex accounting transactions with guidance from the supervisor and/or senior analysts as needed. Recommends solutions to correct accounting discrepancies; supervisor will review more complex items for adequacy/appropriateness of the recommendations. Ensures accounting actions are completed on time and accurate. With some guidance in instances of more complex problems/analyses, performs analysis of appropriation account histories to identify and resolve transaction discrepancies and related issues. Verifies accounting data in ledgers and automated systems.

Identifies accounting system issues and corresponds with financial systems and information technology personnel as needed to report issues. Provides supporting documentation to demonstrate system issues encountered. With oversight from supervisor and/or senior analysts, tests system fixes and upgrades to ensure issues are resolved and upgrades provide the necessary functionality.

Receives and processes help desk tickets to address system issues and requests for assistance with financial systems. Participates in user acceptance testing with financial systems personnel as needed.

ACCOUNTING ANALYSIS (25%)

Performs account maintenance and reconciliation. Provides recommendations related to maintenance, control and reconciliation of accounting transactions and records for multiple appropriation accounts. Reviews and maintains the moderately difficult accounting transactions, drilling down to United States Standard General Ledger (USSGL) account detail in researching accounts and general ledger transactions. Researches and determines cause of discrepancies and initiates necessary adjustments.

Performs account closeout and prepares financial documents. Closes accounts and prepares financial reports applying different and unrelated accounting procedures and techniques in support of various accounting functions. Ensures the timely preparation of monthly budgetary and proprietary reports in the Government-wide Treasury Account Symbol Adjusted Trial Balance System (GTAS), addressing and resolving edit errors with correspondence and follows up as needed. Submits monthly SF224 Statements of Transactions and reconciles Funds Balance with Treasury (FBWT).

Reviews quarterly accounting reports and related footnotes to facilitate the submission of the AOC’s annual Performance and Accountability Report.

BUDGET ANALYSIS, FORMULATION AND EXECUTION (25%)

With oversight from senior budget analysts, participates in formulation of budget estimates in support of program objectives, including compiling historical data and program data to aid in the compilation of the budget. Issues Funding Authorization Documents (FADs); FADs will be confirmed by senior analysts prior to issuance.

Conducts comparative analyses to examine trends. Compiles funding data and cost information to assist in the preparation of financial status reports. Monitors program execution and reports findings to senior budget analysts. Facilitates submission of prior year budgetary data in the Office of Management and Budget MAX system; with guidance, addresses any edit errors and/or analyst questions relating to the execution data reported.

Reviews budget policy and statutes to ensure compliance with laws and regulations.

Qualifications

You must meet the United States Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) qualification requirements (including specialized experience and/or educational requirements) for the advertised position. You must meet all eligibility and qualifications requirements by the closing date of the job announcement. Additional information on the qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualifications Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions. It is available for your review on the OPM web site.

Specialized experience: is experience that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level.

Qualifying experience for the GS-7 level includes one year of specialized experience at least equivalent to the GS-5. Specialized experience is defined as applying knowledge of accounting systems, policies and procedures for the examination, verification and maintenance of accounts and financial data; validating, monitoring and maintaining financial transactions and records; researching discrepancies and making adjustments.

You may substitute education for experience for this position. Your education must consist of at least one full year of graduate education or superior academic achievement. Must be related to the duties of the position.

Education

You may substitute education for experience for this position. Your education must consist of at least one full year of graduate education or superior academic achievement (SAA). Must be related to the duties of the position.

You qualify for the GS-7 level if you meet one of the following SAA criteria in a qualifying field of study.

1. CLASS STANDING – You were in the upper third of the graduating class in your college, university, or major subdivision (e.g., College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration) based on completed courses.

2. GRADE-POINT AVERAGE (G.P.A.) –

3. You have a grade-point average of 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 as recorded on your official transcript, or as computed based either on 4 years of education or on the courses you completed during the last 2 years of your curriculum.

4. You have a grade-point average of 3.5 or higher (out of a possible 4.0) in the required courses you completed in your major field or the required courses you completed in your major field during the last 2 years of your curriculum.

Note: You should round your grade-point average to one decimal place. For example, 2.95 would be rounded to 3.0 and 2.94 would round to 2.9.