Summary This position is in Region 9, Mission Support Division, Financial Management Branch, Accounting Section. About Region 9 This is an office-centered position*--you must physically report to the duty station stated in this announcement on a regular basis. *EPA offers work-from-home and work schedule flexibilities as described in the Benefits section. Responsibilities At the entry level of this position, you will: Serve as a professional accountant applying a wide variety of established accounting and financial rules. Provide technical advice and assistance on accounting transactions. Utilize knowledge of accounting internal controls and auditing standards to carry out accounting functions. Prepare financial schedules, statements and reports. When entering a Federal job at a grade level lower than the highest promotion potential level, you may be promoted to more complex duties and work more independently, as your career progresses. NOTE: Career ladder promotions are not automatic, and all eligibility and qualifications requirements must be met in order to progress to the next grade level. You will spend less than 25% of your work time on contracts, grants/cooperative agreements, and/or interagency agreements. One or more positions may be filled (in the organization advertised and/or in other organizations), if appropriate to the position. Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. citizen. You must submit a resume and required documents--see How to Apply section. If you are selected, a written participant agreement must be signed. EPA and non-EPA applicants must submit transcripts/course listings. Position has education requirements--see Qualifications/Education section. This position is designated as Moderate Risk and requires a background investigation. Unless an appropriate background investigation is already on record with the Office of Personnel Management, you must undergo a background investigation. All conditions of the pre-employment security process must be met before an official letter of employment can be issued with a report for duty date. If you are selected, the entire period served under the Recent Graduates program will be a trial period. #LI-Onsite Qualifications NOTE: You must meet qualification requirements, including any requirements described in the Education section, by the closing date of this announcement. NOTE: You must meet qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement. To qualify for the GS-07 level, you need to have at least one year of full-time experience equivalent to the GS-05 level defined as assisting in validating, maintaining, and/or processing accounting data or transactions in accordance with policies, procedures, and regulations. - OR 1 full year of graduate level education or superior academic achievement (Superior Academic Achievement Definition) degree in an academic discipline related to this position - OR an equivalent combination of education and experience. NOTE: 1 year of full-time undergraduate study is 30 semester or 45 quarter hours. 1 year of full-time graduate education is the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study; if that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours is considered 1 year of full-time study. Your answers to the online assessment will be used to evaluate your competencies in the following areas: Knowledge of accounting principles, practices, methods, and techniques. Ability to utilize automated accounting systems. Skill in analyzing financial data. Skill in oral communication. Knowledge of an organization’s internal control regulations, procedures, policies, and precedents to carry out accounting functions. Ability to apply auditing principles and procedures to respond to audit related information requests. Ability to prepare financial schedules, statement or reports. Skill in written communication. 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. *If you have part-time work experience, read this: EPA Announcement Policies and Procedures. Education In addition to the eligibility requirements for the Recent Graduates program, you must meet the following basic requirements in order to qualify for this position: You must have a bachelor’s or higher degree from an accredited or pre-accredited college or university in accounting and/or auditing; or a related field such as business administration, finance, or public administration with 24 semester hours in accounting and/or auditing (up to 6 hours in business law counts toward these hours); OR a combination of education and experience with 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; your background must also include one of the following: 1) 24 hours in accounting or auditing courses which can include up to 6 hours of business law; 2) certificate as Certified Public Accountant or Certified Internal Auditor; or 3) completion of a degree that included substantial course work in accounting or auditing, e.g., 15 hours, provided that: you have successfully worked at the full-performance level in accounting, auditing, or a related field, e.g., valuation engineering or financial institution examining; a panel of at least two higher level professional accountants or auditors has determined that you have 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 above; and except for literal nonconformance to the requirement of 24 hours in accounting, your education, training, and experience fully meet the specified requirements. For information about accreditation requirements, visit EPA Announcement Policies and Procedures. Additional Information This position is in the Pathways Recent Graduates Program, which provides individuals who have completed a qualifying associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, professional, doctorate, vocational, or technical degree or certificate with an entry-level developmental experience with the potential to lead to a career in the Federal government. Upon successful completion of the program, you may be noncompetitively converted to a term or permanent position without further competition. For more information, see USAJOBS Information Sheet. ATTENTION VETERANS: If you are a veteran (as defined in 5 USC 2108) who due to military service obligations was precluded from applying to the Recent Graduates Program during any portion of the 2-year eligibility period (described in the “This job is open to/Clarification from the agency” section above), you have a full 2-year period of eligibility upon your release/discharge from active duty. In no event, however, may your eligibility period extend beyond 6 years from the date you completed the requirements for a qualifying degree or qualify career or technical education program. Except in special circumstances, those new to the federal government will be hired at the starting salary (step 1) of the applicable grade range listed in the Overview section. EPA participates in E-Verify. E-Verify is an Internet based system operated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in partnership with the Social Security Administration (SSA) that enables participating employers to electronically verify the employment eligibility of their newly hired employees. For additional information: EPA Announcement Policies and Procedures. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are core values at EPA. Our excellence can only be fully realized by staff who share our commitment to these values. Successful candidates are committed to advancing equity and inclusion in the Agency’s workplace and mission. We encourage applications from candidates with a variety of personal experiences, values, and worldviews that arise from differences of culture and circumstance. At EPA, diversity is a vital element in bringing a balance of perspectives to bear on every challenge we face. We are committed to creating a diverse workforce because we know that the individual strengths and abilities of our employees make us a stronger organization. The more inclusive our employee base is, the greater the variety of ideas that are generated, and the more representative we are of the nation we serve. To learn more about how EPA values and supports our diverse workforce, visit Equal Opportunity Employment at EPA. If you are selected, travel, transportation, and relocation expenses will not be paid by EPA. Any travel, transportation, and relocation expenses associated with reporting to work in this position will be your responsibility. This position is in the bargaining unit.