The Smithsonian Institution is the world’s largest museum, education, and research complex, with 21 museums and the National Zoo. This position is located in the Office of Finance and Accounting (OF&A). The Office of Finance and Accounting is responsible for the integrity of SI's internal controls, financial policies and procedures, and the planning, directing and managing of its accounting and financial services programs.
Basic Qualification Requirements: Degree: accounting; or a degree in a related field such as business administration, finance, or public administration that included or was supplemented by 24 semester hours in accounting. The 24 hours may include up to 6 hours of credit in business law. (The term "accounting" means "accounting and/or auditing" in this standard. Similarly, "accountant" should be interpreted, generally, as "accountant and/or auditor.") OR Combination of education and experience: 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. The applicant's background must also include one of the following: Twenty-four semester hours in accounting or auditing courses of appropriate type and quality. This can include up to 6 hours of business law; or A certificate as Certified Public Accountant or a Certified Internal Auditor, obtained through written examination; or Completion of the requirements for a degree that included substantial course work in accounting or auditing, e.g., 15 semester hours, but that does not fully satisfy the 24-semester-hour requirement of paragraph A, provided that (a) the applicant has successfully worked at the full-performance level in accounting, auditing, or a related field, e.g., valuation engineering or financial institution examining; (b) a panel of at least two higher level professional accountants or auditors has determined that the applicant has 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 in paragraph A; and (c) except for literal nonconformance to the requirement of 24 semester hours in accounting, the applicant's education, training, and experience fully meet the specified requirements. You must submit a copy of your unofficial college transcripts, certificate as a Certified Public Accountant or Certified Internal Auditor for verification in order to be considered. In addition to meeting the basic requirements above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the specialized experience as described below: GS-13 Experience: You qualify for this position if you have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 level in the Federal Service. For this position, specialized experience is defined as 1.) providing advice and guidance in theories, principles, practices, laws and regulations applicable to vendor maintenance operations; 2.) providing financial advice to the accounting manager, controller and key staff regarding financial operational issues surrounding vendor maintenance; 3.) reviewing, and maintaining vendor maintenance data in compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and policies including Federal tax regulations and other tax reference publications and 4.) leading diverse teams, providing guidance and support to vendor management team members. 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. Part-time and/or unpaid experience related to this position will be considered to determine the total number of years and months of experience. Be sure to note the number of paid or unpaid hours worked each week. Or a Combination: Education and experience may be combined to meet the basic qualifications. For a full explanation of this option please see the Qualification Standards. Special Instructions for Foreign Education: If you are qualifying by education and/or you have education completed in a foreign college/university described above, it is your responsibility to provide transcripts and proof of U.S. accreditation for foreign study. For instructions on where to fax these documents, see the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.
In this position, you will: Provide technical guidance and direction for the effective and efficient management of daily vendor management to ensure that strategic and operational aspects of payables are closely coordinated with units and supports SI needs. Provide guidance and advice to all SI units and staff levels to ensure vendors are recorded and maintained in compliance with regulations, policies, procedures, and standards. Assess Sl-wide vendor maintenance operations and formulate recommendations for system and business practice improvements. Relative to tax withholding and reporting for non-employee vendors, manages and ensures that SI complies with Internal Revenue Service (IRS) regulations for which severe penalties are assessed in the event of noncompliance. Provide expert financial advice to the Accounting Operations Manager, the Controller, and other key staff throughout SI on the financial and operational issues surrounding vendor maintenance. Develop formal and informal briefings for managers on program and policy impact to include identification of program adjustments, costs and other implications indicated by the implementation of those issuances.