Summary This position is located in the Architect of the Capitol (AOC), Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO), Accounting and Finance Division, Accounting Branch, Accounting Operations Section. Financial Management Specialist provides analysis of policies and procedures and account maintenance and reconciliations as well as travel authorization and entitlement processing and invoice/payment transaction processing. Responsibilities As a Financial Management Specialist work includes providing customer service on financial management transactions to the AOC jurisdictions and associated contractors and vendors, as well as to perform special projects needed by management within the AOC Office of the Chief Financial Officer. Analysis of Policies and Procedures and Account Maintenance and Reconciliations Analyzes discrepancies and performs reconciliations for items identified in the course of processing transactions. Responds to customer inquiries by performing in-depth research utilizing IPP, FMS, Purchase Order data and related regulations and fiscal law. Reviews existing financial policies, procedures, guidelines and systems that encompass the agency's financial management program. Includes the analysis, interpretation and evaluation of trends and measurements which indicate the level of integrity, efficiency and effectiveness of the agency's financial operations. Designs, administers, plans, implements and coordinates on-going financial management projects. Provides financial system education and training to Accounting Branch and other AOC personnel to enhance agency use of the data generated from such financial systems. Resolves financial management problems and discrepancies under the general guidance of the supervisor and/or lead financial management specialist. Provides assistance in the analysis, review and resolution of financial issues. Travel Authorization and Entitlement Processing Receives, reviews and routes AOC travel authorization requests and local and long-distance requests for reimbursement. Applies AOC travel policy guide contained on the AOC intranet, General Services Administration (GSA) per diem tables and Federal Travel Regulations (FTR) posted on the internet. Receives and reviews travel authorization requests, performing validations, confirming proper approvals and supporting documentation to justify the travel. Maintains the AOC travel card. Validates charges, reconcile credit card and resolves discrepancies with CATO travel office. Invoice/Payment Transaction Processing Uses various automated systems and manual processes in the processing/approval of vendor invoices for payment. Utilizes Treasury Invoice Processing Platform (IPP) and AOC’s Financial Management System (FMS) and may expand to additional systems. Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative (COTRs) or Contracting Officers (COs) review and approve the items/services were received. Validates accuracy of vendor submitted data in IPP to FMS purchase order data by applying various methods such as: Performs critical reviews of invoice details to ascertain the nature of the goods/service performed and compares to the detail descriptions contained in the Purchase Order to validate what is being paid for is what AOC received. Reviews and applies any special guidance from the COTR provided in their notes fields in IPP or via separate correspondence, taking care first to assess the validity of such guidance, considering such references as AOC Contracting and Accounting policies posted on the AOC intranet site; basic concepts of fiscal law, as gleaned from mandatory Appropriations Law training, which is a recurring requirement of all AOC employees involved in payment processing; and referencing Time, Purpose and Amount. Supports the Certifying Officer when assessing vouchers for payment by evaluating the reasonableness of funding citations (Time, Purpose and Amount) and object class codes (types of goods/services purchased) using references such as Title 31 of the U.S. Code, Money and Finance, Subtitle II, Chapter 11, Object Class tables in Office of Management and Budget Circular A-11 and FMS. Resolves errors working with Vendors, COTRs and COs by effecting corrections such as rejecting invoices for corrected billings; referring questions to the Office of General Counsel as necessary; approving Intragovernmental Payment Transactions. Customer Service, Communication and Collaboration Responds to both internal AOC customers and external vendors/contractors by answering inquiries verbally or in writing in a clear and concise manner. Conducts in-person quarterly meetings at assigned jurisdictions’ sites, which may include providing PowerPoint briefings to train staff on general accounting or financial management issues. Maintains a positive work relationship with customers by explaining AOC accounting and financial management policies and procedures and personally demonstrates how to apply them to accomplish the work. Performs other related duties as assigned. Requirements Conditions of Employment Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication. You must be able to pass a drug test. You must meet the definition of specialized experience. “To be employed by the Architect of the Capitol in a paid position, an individual must meet one of the categories below: A citizen of the United States; A person who is lawfully admitted for permanent residence and is seeking citizenship as outlined in 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)(B); A person who is admitted as a refugee under 8 U.S.C. 1157 or is granted asylum under 8 U.S.C. 1158 and has filed a declaration of intention to become a lawful permanent resident and then a citizen when eligible; A person who owes allegiance to the United States (nationals of American Samoa, Swains Island, and the Northern Mariana Islands, and nationals who meet other requirements described in 8 U.S.C. 1408); or A person who is currently an officer or employee of the Government of the United States.” 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 at http://www.opm.gov/qualifications. Specialized Experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position and is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. To be creditable, an applicant's one full year of specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level. To qualify at the GS-11 level, your resume must clearly demonstrate that you have one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience comparable in difficulty and responsibility to at least the GS-09 level in the federal service. Examples of qualifying experience include the following types of tasks performed on a regular and recurring basis: Researching, analyzing, and processing information related to financial transactions to ensure accuracy. Maintaining travel management software and management of federal funds regarding travel and reimbursing personnel. Using financial management systems to input, adjust, and analyze financial data and reports. Analyzing and evaluating reports and data from financial systems to identify issues and discrepancies. Developing, maintaining, and recommending improvements to procedures and processes for procurements/contracts and other administrative and financial programs. OR Have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or at least 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree. To be qualifying, the higher-level graduate education must be in a major field of study in Accounting, auditing or other field of study with course work directly related to the work of this position. OR Have an equivalent combination of the above specialized experience AND higher level graduate education that meets 100% of the qualification requirements for this position. Education Additional Information Welcome Veterans. The Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) gives veterans' preference rights in the legislative branch to certain veterans as applied by the Congressional Accountability Act. Veterans' preference is applied on this vacancy announcement. If you are a veteran and have been separated under honorable conditions, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 or other proof of eligibility; SF-15, if applicable; and Department of Veterans Affairs documentation of disability, if applicable. For more information, please visit http://www.opm.gov/veterans/html/vetguide.asp#6. If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System. If you are exempt from registration under Selective Service Law, you must provide appropriate proof of exemption. Please visit the Selective Service System website for more information. DRUG TESTING: The Architect of the Capitol (AOC) is a Drug Free Workplace. As part of the AOC’s suitability assessment, a candidate tentatively selected for a position who is not currently an AOC employee is required to submit to screening for illegal drug use. Satisfactory completion of a drug test is a condition of employment with the Agency. A candidate must test negative prior to being eligible for appointment into a position. We will schedule, provide and cover the cost for the drug test. The selectee(s) under the vacancy announcement for this position is subject to a criminal record check by the U.S. Capitol Police and satisfactory adjudication to be eligible for employment at the Architect of the Capitol. The Architect of the Capitol is an E-VERIFY Participant. E-VERIFY is an Internet-based system that compares information from an employee's Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, to data from U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Social Security Administration records to confirm employment authorization in the United States. If you are selected for this position, the documentation that you present for purposes of completing the DHS Form I-9 will be verified through the DHS "E-VERIFY" electronic system. For more information on E-Verify, please visit http://www.dhs.gov/files/programs/gc_1185221678150.shtm The Architect of the Capitol is an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information and/or disability. This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. Moving expenses are not authorized. Relocation expenses are not authorized. Probationary Period - A newly appointed selectee is subject to the completion of a one-year trial/probationary period, regardless of whether or not a trial/probationary period has been completed previously with the Architect of the Capitol or another Federal agency. This vacancy announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies in any of the jurisdictions of the Architect of the Capitol. All application materials become the property of the Architect of the Capitol.