Financial Program Specialist (Financial Specialist)

Bureau of Prisons/Federal Prison System • Tucson, AZ

3d

About The Position

The Financial Program Specialist is responsible for accurate and timely financial data output from the Financial Management Information System (FMIS) and provides administrative assistance to the department. The position serves as, or assists, the institution Certifying Officer, with primary responsibility for approving and certifying payments. The specialist monitors and reviews the processing of obligations for accuracy and timeliness, analyzes obligation documents to determine payment voucher validity and proper obligation classification, and conducts formal and informal training for accounting technicians on policy, regulations, and laws related to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.

Like all correctional institution employees, the incumbent is responsible for maintaining institutional security. Correctional responsibilities take precedence over other duties and are performed regularly and on a recurring basis.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship is required.
• Meet the applicable GL-07 or GL-09 qualification requirements through education, specialized experience, or a combination of education and experience.
• For GL-07 education qualification: one year of graduate-level education or superior academic achievement.
• For GL-09 education qualification: a related master's or equivalent graduate degree, two full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, or a related LL.B. or J.D.
• For GL-07 or GL-09 experience qualification: at least one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the next lower grade level.
• GL-07 qualifying experience may include reconciling subsidiary and general ledger accounts, developing accounting spreadsheets, classifying financial transactions, reviewing obligation reports for fund control, or resolving ledger discrepancies.
• GL-09 qualifying experience may include knowledge of accounting and budgeting principles and practices, federal financial reporting standards, accounting and budgeting techniques and procedures, and appropriation laws as they apply to federal obligations and payments.
• For a combination qualification, education and experience must demonstrate the qualifications needed to perform the position's major duties.
• If relying on education, provide legible transcripts that identify the school, student, degree, and award date if applicable; education must be from an appropriately accredited institution.
• Applicants qualifying through superior academic achievement must provide a transcript and meet the specified class-standing, grade-point-average, or recognized honor-society criteria.
• Appointment is subject to satisfactory completion of pre-employment screening and a panel interview, urinalysis, physical, and background investigation.
• Applicants must satisfactorily pass National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and credit-check screening.
• Applicants not currently working in an institution must complete a qualification inquiry regarding misdemeanor domestic-violence convictions to determine firearm authorization.
• Successful completion of the three-week Introduction to Correctional Techniques course at Glynco, Georgia is required.
• A maximum entry age of 36 applies to original appointment to a Bureau of Prisons institution position, subject to stated exceptions for prior federal law-enforcement coverage and certain preference-eligible veterans.

Responsibilities

• Ensure accurate and timely output of financial data from the Financial Management Information System (FMIS).
• Provide administrative assistance to the department.
• Serve as or assist the institution Certifying Officer, with primary responsibility for approving and certifying payments.
• Monitor and review the processing of obligations for accuracy and timeliness.
• Analyze obligation documents to determine payment voucher validity and proper classification of obligations.
• Conduct formal and informal training for accounting technicians on policy, regulations, and applicable laws related to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.
• Help maintain the security of the institution; correctional responsibilities take precedence over other duties and are performed regularly.

Benefits

• Federal employees and their families have access to a comprehensive benefits package; specific benefits depend on position type and should be confirmed with the hiring agency.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level