Graduate Accountant Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Summary
This vacancy is for an Accountant (Recent Graduate) position located in the Direct Investment Division at the Bureau of Economic Analysis.
This Job Opportunity Announcement may be used to fill other Accountant (Recent Graduate), ZA-0510-2, FPL ZA-3 positions within the Bureau of Economic Analysis in the same geographical location with the same qualifications and specialized experience.
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Duties
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• Interprets accounting principles (including U.S. GAAP and IFRS).
• Collect survey data and research multinational companies to validate reported data.
• Communicate and collaborate with colleagues or survey respondents to seek answers, share information, and respond to queries under strict deadlines.

Requirements
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Conditions of employment

• Applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
• This announcement will close at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the date the first 100 applicants are received or on June 22, 2026, whichever comes first.
• You must be a U.S. Citizen.
• You must successfully complete a background investigation.
• Registered for Selective Service if applicable. (www.sss.gov)
• You Must sign a Pathways Agreement.
• This position is in the excepted service.
• Relocation expenses may not be paid.
• This is a non-bargaining unit position.
• A probationary period may be required. If non-competitively converted, the time spent as a Recent Graduate will count towards the probationary period.
• This position may be eligible for telework; additional criteria will be required (e.g., supervisory approval).

Qualifications
MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:
Basic Entry Requirements for All Grade Levels: You must be a Recent College Graduates from qualifying institutions within two years of degree or certification (Veterans precluded by their military service obligation, will have up to six years to apply).
Students with a transcript with a degree confer date on or before June 30, 2026, will be considered for the Recent Graduate Program. Graduation/expected graduation date MUST be indicated on your resume.
MINIMUM EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS:
Individual Occupational Requirements

1. 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
2. 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 Certified Public Accountant or a Certified Internal Auditor, 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-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.

AND
Specialized Experience: For the Band 2 (GS-07), you must have one year of experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the Band 1 (GS-05) in the Federal service. Experience for this position includes evaluating and interpreting accounting and economic information to ensure data quality; identifying data discrepancies and irregularities; collecting and analyzing data from survey forms to determine consistency, completeness and compliance with reporting requirements; communicating with respondent companies to obtain survey responses and correct errors on survey forms.
OR
Education: 1 year of graduate-level education or superior academic achievement
NOTE: To show proof of meeting the Basic Entry Requirements, all applicants MUST submit a copy of their college transcripts. See the Required Documents section for more information.
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.
After you submit this application, you will receive an e-mail informing you that a USA Hire assessment is required. You will have 48 hours from the closing date of this announcement, 07/06/2026, to complete the assessment as this assessment is part of your application.
Additional information
The Bureau of Economic Analysis is seeking bright, innovative, results-oriented individuals to join our Recent Graduates Program (RGP). The Recent Graduate Program is a one-year program that targets individuals who have recently graduated from qualifying educational institutions or programs. Successful applicants will be placed in a dynamic, one-year career development program. Throughout the program, you will participate in formal training, job assignments and receive a mentor to develop competencies applicable to the Bureau of Economic Analysis's mission and needs. These positions are at the band I/II/III entry levels, with an opportunity for permanent appointment upon successful completion of the program.
To be eligible for conversion to a permanent or term position, Recent Graduates must:

• Successfully completed at least 1-year of continuous service in addition to all requirements of the Program.
• Demonstrate successful job performance.
• Meet the Office of Personnel Management's qualifications for the position to which the Recent Graduate will be converted.

In accordance with Executive Order 14170, applicants are encouraged to respond to four short, free-response, essay questions in the questionnaire. Answer to these questions is not scored or rated. Your answers will be reviewed by the hiring manager and agency leadership if you are referred for selection consideration.
Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.
Recent Graduates and their supervisors must sign Pathways Agreements setting forth expectations for the program.
To find additional information regarding the Pathways Recent Graduate Program, please visit the following website: Pathways Recent Graduate Program
The Department of Commerce provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the Human Resources Office. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be on a case-by-case basis. TTY users can contact the Human Resources Office via the Federal Relay Service, 1-800-877-8339.
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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.
Benefits
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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.