Accounting Officer

Summary

The United States Capitol Police (USCP) safeguards the Congress, Members of Congress, employees, visitors, and Congressional buildings and grounds from crime, disruption, and terrorism. We protect and secure Congress so it can fulfill its constitutional and legislative responsibilities in a safe, secure and open environment.

Duties

This position serves as the Accounting Officer.  The primary purpose of this role is to provide strategic financial leadership, driving the administration, modernization, and evaluation of all accounting policies, systems, and programs within USCP. Beyond managing core compliance, audit resolution, and financial reporting, the Accounting Officer acts as an analytical catalyst—upskilling the financial team, driving system innovation, and aligning financial architecture with overarching organizational goals.

Strategic Leadership & Analytical Governance

• Authoritative Strategic Guidance: Serves as a senior expert advisor to executive leadership and the Director of the Office of Financial Management, translating complex accounting data into actionable insights to guide organizational strategy and program evaluation.
• Integrated Budget & Financial Strategy: Partners with budget experts across USCP to integrate budgeting and accounting frameworks, evaluating funding allocations, program resources, and long-term financial health.
• Modernization & Cost-Benefit Analysis: Proactively identifies, tests, and applies emerging financial theories, automation tools, and technologies. Conducts rigorous cost-benefit analyses to evaluate system upgrades, replace legacy infrastructure, and optimize agency-wide financial operations.

Team Leadership, Coaching & Talent Upskilling

• Mentorship & Capacity Building: Directs, coaches, and mentors accounting staff, fostering a culture of continuous learning, strategic thinking, and analytical excellence.
• Targeted Upskilling & Training: Assesses skill gaps within the division and implements structured training programs to modernize staff capabilities—specifically in data analytics, new system adoption, and advanced financial risk management.
• Performance Elevation: Empowers team members to move beyond transactional processing into consultative, analytical roles that directly support program managers across USCP.

Financial Systems Modernization & Infrastructure

• Systems Architecture Modernization: Plans, directs, and leads the migration and maintenance of modern, fully integrated, and cloud-ready accounting systems to meet evolving internal and external financial information needs.
• Regulatory & Statutory Compliance: Interprets complex new legislation, standards, and regulatory mandates, leading the technical adaptation of financial systems to ensure total compliance without sacrificing operational efficiency.

Internal Controls, Reporting & Operational Oversight

• Advanced Financial Reporting: Overseas the execution, reconciliation, and certification of all fiscal activities. Develops advanced reporting frameworks to deliver real-time visibility into USCP’s financial standing.
• Audit Resolution & Governance: Manages audit follow-ups and resolutions related to financial statements, establishing robust internal control procedures to mitigate financial, operational, and reporting risks.
• Policy & Procedure Enhancement: Establishes formal financial control procedures, governance models, and policies that ensure consistency, transparency, and accountability across all USCP financial operations.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

You must be a U.S. citizen. Successful completion of a background investigation is required. Must complete a one-year probationary period. Telework Eligible According to Agency Policy. This position is internal to U.S.C.P.

Qualifications

In order to qualify, you must meet the education and/or experience requirements described below.

Applicants qualifying for the CP-13/GS-13 level includes one year (52-weeks) specialized experience at the CP-12/GS-14 level.  Specialized experience is defined as experience:  1) Researching and applying the theories, concepts, principles, and practices of accounting and financial management to problems that are new or novel where various needs must be met to achieve a sufficient or optimal outcome; 2) Planning, directing and coordinating the financial accounting operations; 3) Performing in-depth analysis and reconciliations of a variety of integrated accounts within and across systems; and 4) Ability to plan, analyze, and determined cost/benefit relationships and coordinate a wide variety of functions, operations, and administrative systems. 

All eligibility requirements must be met by the closing date of the vacancy announcement.

(Information on Qualification & Education is located at the following link: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/)

Education

A. 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 B. 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: 1. Twenty-four semester hours in accounting or auditing courses of appropriate type and quality. This can include up to 6 hours of business law. 2. A certificate as a Certified Public Accountant or a Certified Government Financial Manager , obtained through written examination; or 3. 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 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 non-conformance to the requirement of 24 semester hours in accounting, the applicant's education, training and experience fully meet the specified requirements.

Additional information

Additional Conditions of Employment with the USCP: As per the Congressional Accountability Act (CAA) and the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act of 2019, criminal history information will only be collected following a qualifications review and after a tentative offer of employment has been made. A criminal history does not automatically exclude an applicant from employment with the USCP. Criminal History Check -- Must successfully pass a comprehensive criminal history check of the past 10 years if offered employment. A criminal history check will be performed on applicants who accept an offer of employment. Credit Check -- Must successfully pass a credit check. Applicants must not be in default or delinquent on any Federal guaranteed student loans. Applicants must demonstrate a competent financial history. Financial delinquency including collection accounts, liens, repossessions, or garnishments may be a basis for disqualification. Selective Service Registration -- Male applicants must provide verification of registration with the Selective Service System or must verify exemption from the Selective Service System registration because of age or military status. Female applicants are exempt from Selective Service System registration. https://www.sss.gov/verify/ Fingerprint Check -- Applicants' fingerprints will be submitted to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for a check of their criminal history record. Background Investigation -- Must successfully complete all components of the USCP full field background investigation. There are few automatic grounds for rejection in the USCP background investigation process. Issues of misconduct, such as illegal drug use, arrests, or convictions, may not be automatically disqualifying. However, deliberate misstatements, omissions, or intentionally withholding required information at any phase of the hiring process will result in a candidate's disqualification regardless of the nature or reason for the misstatement or omission. The primary reason candidates fail a background investigation is due to deliberately withholding or omitting material facts. Providing false and/or misleading information may be grounds for removal from the application and selection process.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.