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Position Title
Financial Analyst
Agency
Office of the Secretary of Defense
Announcement Number
ST-12062046-23-SED Opens in new window
Open Period
Thursday, August 10, 2023 to Friday, August 25, 2023
For preview purposes only. To apply, please return to the USAJOBS announcement and click the Apply button.
Eligibilities
1. Do you claim Veterans’ Preference? (limit characters)
2.
  • Are you a current or former political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee? Submit a copy of your applicable SF-50, along with a statement that provides the following information regarding your most recent political appointment:
  •  
    • Position title;
    • Type of appointment (Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES, or Presidential Appointee);
    • Agency; and,
    • Beginning and ending dates of appointment.
  •  
(limit characters)
3. You are eligible for this hiring category if you are currently employed on a permanent appointment in the competitive service with a federal agency.

Supporting documentation: You are required to submit acceptable documentation of your appointment eligibility, by submitting a copy of your last or most recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, (block 24 must be a "1" or "2" AND block 34 must be a"1").

NOTE:  If you are serviced by WHS you are not required to submit an SF-50.
*If you are currently working on a temporary or term appointment, or are serving on active duty in the U.S. military service, you are NOT eligible for this hiring category.
*If you are currently working for a private sector company performing work related to a contract with a federal agency, you are NOT eligible for this hiring category.
(limit characters)
4. You are eligible for this hiring category if you are a spouse of a member of the Armed Forces serving on active duty who has permanent change of station (PCS) orders (not for training).
  • Limited to the geographic area as specified in the PCS orders. This includes the surrounding area which people reasonably can be expected to travel daily to and from work.
  • Must relocate with the service member to be eligible.
  • Must be currently located in the commuting area to be authorized preference.
Supporting documentation: You are required to submit acceptable documentation of your eligibility for Military Spouse Preference which includes:

Documents required to be submitted with Application for Military Spouse Preference Eligible:
(NOTE: DoD agencies may require additional documentation. Please refer to the announcement to ensure that all required documentation is submitted with your application. It is highly recommended that you save all these documents to your USAJOBS account in order to facilitate applying to multiple positions.)

Military Spouses with prior Federal work experience:
  • Narrative resume
  • PCS orders
  • Marriage certificate or license
  • SF-50s, if applicable (e.g., LWOP, highest grade held, overseas appointments, etc.)
  • Documentation of performance rating of record (dated within the last 12 months), if applicable
  • Signed self-certification checklist
  • Veteran's preference documentation (e.g., DD-214, VA letter, Statement of Service), if applicable
  • Transcripts, if applicable
Military Spouses without prior Federal work experience:
  • Narrative resume
  • PCS orders
  • Marriage certificate or license
  • Signed self-certification checklist
  • Veterans' preference documentation (e.g. DD 214, VA letter, Statement of Service), if applicable
  • Transcripts, if applicable
(limit characters)
5. You are eligible for this hiring category if you have completed 52 weeks in an appropriated fund position, performed under a local hire appointment overseas. Work must have been performed during the time the family member was accompanying a sponsor, officially assigned to an overseas area and the eligible family member must have received a fully successful or better (or equivalent) performance rating. Creditable service may have been under more than one appointment and need not be continuous.

An individual must have been a family member at the time s/he met the overseas service requirement, but does not need to be a family member at the time of non-competitive appointment in the United States. A family member is a spouse or unmarried child under the age of 23.

Any law, Executive Order, or regulation that disqualifies an applicant for appointment in the competitive service also disqualifies the applicant for appointment under E.O. 12721.

An individual is eligible for temporary, term, or career-conditional appointment(s) under E.O. 12721 for a period of 3 years following the date of return from the overseas to the United States to resume residence.

Supporting documentation: You are required to submit acceptable documentation of your eligibility for E.O. 12721 which may include: A copy of your last or most recent SF-50, "Notice of Personnel Action," reflecting 52 weeks of creditable service or 26 weeks of creditable service if the sponsor's tour was curtailed.

For more information visit the Department of State website: http://E.O. 12721
(limit characters)
6. Are you a current or former federal employee displaced from a position in a federal agency other than the agency hiring for this position?

If yes, confirm:
• you are located in the same local commuting area of the vacancy
• your grade is equivalent to or above the grade level of the vacancy or has greater promotion potential than the grade level of the vacancy
• your last performance rating of record is at least fully successful or the equivalent.

You will be required to submit supporting documentation to validate your claim of ICTAP eligibility such as a Reduction in Force (RIF) separation notice or a Proposed Removal/Separation notice, copy of your latest Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50), and most recent performance appraisal showing a rating of record that is at least fully successful or equivalent.  For more information, review https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/federal-employees/
(limit characters)
7. You are eligible for this hiring category, if you are: 
  • A current non-appropriated fund (NAF); OR 
  • Other Interchange Agreement eligible employee; AND 
  • served continuously for at least one year under a permanent appointment; OR 
  • Former Interchange Agreement eligible (e.g., NAF) employee who served under an appointment described above, and was involuntarily separated within the past year without personal cause (i.e., not because of unacceptable conduct or performance).
(limit characters)
8. Are you eligible under this authority for appointment?
• Current or former Land Management Agency employee (i.e. the Forest Service of the Department of Agriculture; the Bureau of Land Management of the Department of the Interior; the National Park Service of the Department of the Interior; the Fish and Wildlife Service of the Department of the Interior; the Bureau of Indian Affairs of the Department of the Interior; or the Bureau of Reclamation of the Department of the Interior); and
• Who currently are or formerly were under time-limited competitive appointments at certain land management agencies.

Current land management agency appointees:
must have initially been hired under competitive examining procedures to the time-limited appointment,
must have served under 1 or more time-limited appointments by a land management agency for a period totaling more than 24 months without a break in service of 2 or more years, and
must have performed at an acceptable level during each period of service.

Former land management agency employees:
must have initially been hired under competitive examining procedures to the time-limited appointment,
must have served under 1 or more time-limited appointments by a land management agency for a total period of more than 24 months without a break in service of 2 or more years,
must have performed at an acceptable level throughout the service period(s),
must apply for a position covered by these provisions within 2 years after their most recent date of separation, and
must have been separated, with respect to their most recent separation, for reasons other than misconduct or performance.

Supporting documentation: You are required to submit acceptable proof of your appointment eligibility by submitting a copy of your most recent SF-50 (block 24 must be a "0" or "3" AND block 34 must be a"1"), Notification of Personnel Action, documenting your Land Management eligibility for a competitive service appointment AND performance rating showing you have performed at an acceptable level.
(limit characters)
9. You are eligible for this hiring category if you:
  •  Are a spouse of a member of the Armed Forces serving on active duty who has permanent change of station (PCS) orders (not for training).
  •  Limited to a maximum of 2 years from the date of the orders for the PCS.
  •  Limited to the geographic area as specified in the PCS orders. This includes the surrounding area which people reasonably can be expected to travel daily to and from work.
  • Must relocate with the service member to be eligible.; OR
  • Are a spouse of a 100 percent disabled service member injured while on active duty; OR
  • Are the un-remarried widow or widower of a service member who was killed while performing active duty.
Supporting documentation: You are required to submit acceptable documentation of your eligibility for E.O. 13473 which may include:
  • the service member's permanent change of station orders, including a statement authorizing the spouse to accompany the member to the permanent duty station, the specific location to which the member is assigned, reassigned, or transferred to permanent change of station orders, and the effective date of the permanent change of station;
  • verification of the marriage to the service member (i.e., a marriage license or other legal documentation verifying marriage);
  • verification of the member's 100 percent disability; and/or
  • verification of the member's death while on active duty.
Additionally, you may need to submit a Standard Form-15 (SF-15), an Application for 10-Point Veterans' Preference, and applicable supporting documents as noted on the form.

To obtain a copy of SF-15, go to:http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/SF15.pdf 

***Eligibility for EO 13473 does not require permanent change of station orders with dependents authorized listed. You are required to provide orders that reflect the sponsor's duty location is within the commuting area of the vacancy.
(limit characters)
10. The Washington Headquarters Service (WHS) is currently operating under an approved reengineered Priority Placement Program (PPP) pilot for all positions in its serviced workforce.  This pilot is application based and current PPP registrants who are registered for activity codes 293A and 295A are required to apply to the job announcement via USAJobs in order to exercise their priority placement status.  This pilot permits priority candidates to be assessed with other competitive applicants.  Anyone claiming priority status must provide a copy of their PPP registration and supporting documentation (e.g. RIF notice, Certification of Expected Separation) at the time of application to verify priority placement and eligibility. Are you claiming priority consideration under the WHS, PPP Pilot? (limit characters)
11. Were you formerly employed as a federal civilian on a permanent competitive appointment but are not currently a permanent competitive federal employee? 

If eligible, submit a copy of your separation Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 or equivalent personnel action form reflecting your permanent, competitive status. 
• Your separation Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (or equivalent personnel action form) must reflect career or career-conditional (Tenure 1 or 2) AND
• Your separation Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (or equivalent personnel action form) must reflect your status was in the competitive service (Position Occupied is 1).

NOTE:  If you are serviced by WHS you are not required to submit an SF-50.
 
(limit characters)
12. You are required to submit proof of your eligibility. Examples of special appointment authority include appointment of people from Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, Commissioned Corps of the Public Health Service, General Accounting Office, Panama Canal Commission, Peace Corps, Postal Career Service/Postal Rate Commission, Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), VISTA/ACTION Volunteers, Schedule A 5 CFR 213.3102 (u), etc. You are required to provide acceptable documentation of your appointment eligibility, by submitting a copy of proof of employment, from the appropriate agency, on official letterhead, with your complete application. (limit characters)
13. Are you a veteran whose discharge was under honorable conditions AND you:
• served three or more years of continuous active duty service in the military (NOTE: if released shortly before completing a 3-year tour, you are considered to meet the eligibility) OR
• a preference eligible veteran

If eligible, submit a copy of your latest Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, DD-214 (copy indicating character of service) or other proof of your service which includes character of service. If currently on active duty and within 120 days of separation, in lieu of a DD-214, submit certification from your military personnel office verifying retirement/separation date and type/character of discharge.

Note: Current or former Federal employees (i.e., an individual who within the previous 52 weeks held a GS position under nontemporary appointment in the competitive or excepted service in the executive branch) applying under VEOA eligibility will be subject to time-in-grade restrictions IAW 5 CFR 300.604. If applying to a GS position in the competitive service, you are required to provide a SF-50 or SF-50s that show that you have held the next lower grade level of the position to which you are applying for at least one year OR held the same or higher grade level. 

For more information, review https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/veterans/ 
(limit characters)
Assessment 1
Thank you for applying for the Financial Analyst - NH-0501-04 with the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Under Secretary of Defense for Research & Engineering. (limit characters)
1. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Select the one statement that best describes the experience that you possess that demonstrates your ability to perform the work of a Financial Analyst NH-IV pay band or equivalent grade level (GS-14/15) in the Federal Service or equivalent private or public sector.
(limit characters)
This position has Conditions of Employment that must be obtained prior to your start date and maintained for the duration of this employment.
(limit characters)
Select “Yes” or “No” to the following question(s). (limit characters)
2. This position requires you to pass screening for illegal drug use prior to appointment and subsequent periodic screening thereafter. Are you willing to meet the drug testing requirements? (limit characters)
3. This position requires you to obtain and maintain a SECRET security clearance. Are you willing to meet the security clearance requirements? (limit characters)
4. This position requires 10% travel. Are you willing to accept this requirement? (limit characters)
5. This position requires you to submit a Financial Disclosure upon appointment. Are you willing to submit a Financial Disclosure? (limit characters)
6. This is a Critical Acquisition Position. In accordance with the Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act this position requires a Business Financial Management, Practitioner acquisition certification. The selectee must execute, as a condition of appointment, a written agreement to remain in Federal service in the position for at least three years. In signing such agreement, the employee does not forfeit any employment rights, nor does such an agreement alter any other terms or conditions of employment. The incumbent has 60 months to achieve this certification." Are you willing to accept the requirements? (limit characters)
7. In accordance with Department of Defense (DoD) Instruction 1300.26, "Operation of the DoD Financial Management Certification Program(DFMCP)," this position requires a Level 3 Certification under the DoD Financial Management (FM) Certification Program. If he or she is not already assigned this certification at this level, the incumbent of this position must obtain this certification within two (2) years of entry on duty into this FM position. Once certified, the incumbent must meet the continuing education training requirement as outlined in DoDI 1300.26. FM workforce members may also present and maintain one of the following five professional certifications to meet any of the three DFMCP certification levels: (1) Certified Defense Financial Manager (CDFM) (Continuing education required: 80 hours every 2 years); (2) Certified Government Financial Manager (CGFM) Continuing education required: 80 hours every 2 years; (3) Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) Continuing education required: 120 hours every 3 years; (4) Certified Management Accountant (CMA) Continuing education required: 30 hours every year; (5) Certified Public Accountant (CPA) Continuing education required: 120 hours every 3 years. To satisfy the DFMCP certification requirement using one of the five professional certifications listed above, FM workforce members must be in an active and current status.

Are you willing to accept this requirement?
(limit characters)
In this part you will respond to questions about your experience as it relates to the position for which you are applying. Carefully review the level descriptions (A to E) listed below. For each task question, choose the level description that best describes your experience and/or training. Your responses must be fully supported within the text of your resume. Failure to properly identify your experience may result in the lowering of your overall score and/or your disqualification for this position.
(limit characters)
For each item, select the one response that most accurately describes your current level of experience and capability using the scale below. (limit characters)
8. Develops strategic plans designed to acquire and implement efficient solutions to address complex financial requirements. (limit characters)
9. Conducts financial management evaluations of Agency level issues to support management decision-making. (limit characters)
10. Engages in strategic planning for program input to develop the Program Objective Memorandum. (limit characters)
11. Presents information both orally and in writing to management officials and assist in the resolution of different viewpoints regarding key financial matters. (limit characters)
12. Analyzes and compares cost benefits, cost projections, budgetary trade offs, fiscal strategies, and programmatic factors to produce fully justified options that can be presented to higher levels of management for use in defending fiscal
decisions.
(limit characters)
13. Researches and determines or recommends appropriate actions or interpretation of issues impacting the organization. (limit characters)
14. Applies knowledge of pertinent laws, regulations, policies, and precedents affecting the use of the program and related support resources (people, money, or equipment) in the areas studies. (limit characters)
15. Interprets and assesses the impact of new and revised Congressional legislation on Agency budget formulation and execution. (limit characters)
16. Contributes to the development of acquisition approaches and national-level strategic concepts and strategic planning, to include the National Defense Strategy, and other high-level strategy, policy, and planning documents. (limit characters)
17. Applies knowledge of DoD contracting procedures and operations, and experience as a Contracting Officer's Representative (limit characters)
18. Serves as the primary Financial Management divisional representative for the Directorate mission programmatic management process. (limit characters)
19. Analyzes data to prepare financial budget and cost estimates, develop alternatives and funding requirements, and make recommendations to resolve financial/funding problems. (limit characters)
20. Advises senior leadership on policies and priorities within the agency and their impact on program operations.
(limit characters)
21. Represents the organization on working groups, steering groups, or other meetings, conferences, seminars, etc. (limit characters)
22. Determines the scope of the analysis required, the type and amount of data required, and the interdisciplinary input required. (limit characters)
23. Prepares and presents high-level briefings of conclusions, many being highly subjective and not readily susceptible to verification until actual operational situations are encountered. (limit characters)
24. Coordinates and/or participating on special financial projects or studies. (limit characters)
25. Communicates effectively, both orally and in writing, on complex financial issues in response to congressional actions(e.g., development of Congressional appeals or briefs). (limit characters)
26. Works with the contacts to achieve a common understanding of the problem while negotiating a compromise or developing a suitable problem resolution alternative.

(limit characters)
27. Coordinates with other organization action officers, managers and customers as appropriate to maintain situational awareness of financial service operations. (limit characters)
Select “Yes” or “No” to the following question(s). (limit characters)
28. INTEGRITY CERTIFICATION:

Your ratings in this questionnaire are subject to evaluation and verification based on the documents you submitted. Please take this opportunity to review your responses to ensure their accuracy. By agreeing to the statement below, you are confirming that you: 1) understand this warning; 2) have reviewed your responses to this questionnaire for accuracy; and 3) have verified that your responses accurately describe your current level of experience and capability as reflected in your resume. Do you certify the accuracy of your responses?
(limit characters)