0500
(0520-01XX) ACCOUNTING CLERK--LEVEL 5
(0525-31XX) ACCOUNTING TECHNICIAN--LEVEL 6
(0525-32XX) ACCOUNTING TECHNICIAN (COST ASCERT.)--LEVEL 6
(0590-02XX) EMPLOYEE ACCOUNTS CLERK--LEVEL 5
(0590-01XX) TIME AND ATTENDANCE CLERK--LEVEL 5
(0590-2012) TIME AND ATTENDANCE CLERK--LEVEL 5
DOCUMENT DATE: November 30, 1987
FUNCTION:
Accounting Clerk: Performs clerical accounting tasks or statistical computing and calculating machine operations in the accounting office.
Accounting Technician:
Situation 1--Serves as an accounting technician and assumes responsibility for the proper completion of a designated major segment of accounting work in a large post office where the positions of Manager, Budget and Cost Analysis and Manager, Accounting and Reporting Systems have been authorized.
Situation 2--Serves as assistant to the postmaster in performing accounting and clerical duties involved in the preparation, maintenance, and consolidation of accounts and related reports in a post office having 125-149 employees, one or more reporting units, in addition to those in the main office, at least 9,485 revenue units, and no supervisor in support services.
Accounting Technician (Cost Ascertainment): Examines cost ascertainment sample data submitted by post offices and prepares it for processing at a postal data center or headquarters.
Employee Accounts Clerk: Examines and maintains various employee accounts, such as payroll, retirement, bond, tax, insurance, leave, and service accounts.
Time and Attendance Clerk: Ascertains the number of hours worked and absent by each of a group of employees, distributes these hours among the significant categories of time and leave to which they are chargeable, and totals these data for reporting purposes; responsible for providing information to employees on rules, regulations, and policies concerning leave and pay matters; maintains assignment cards; makes studies relating to time and attendance.
DESCRIPTION OF WORK:
See the Standard Position Descriptions for the Occupation Codes given above.
REQUIREMENTS:
This section is composed of Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) which are required to satisfactorily perform the tasks of the position. Applicants must demonstrate that they possess a sufficient level of each KSA, to include at least minimum competency for senior-qualified positions to enable them to perform these tasks satisfactorily. Applicants demonstrate these levels by describing examples of experience, education, or training, any of which may be non-postal. Ratings are based on the demonstration of the level of possession of each of the KSAs. Failure to demonstrate any KSA is disqualifying.
B-10. Ability to maintain records and prepare reports.
B-14. Ability to interpret instructions.
B-22. Ability to perform basic arithmetic computations.
B-39. Ability to use office machines such as calculator, adding machine, duplicating machine, or any other office equipment as appropriate to the position.
Special
Applicants must have progressively responsible experience in (1) accounting, payroll, claims examining, accounting machine operating, or other fiscal or accounting work with documents and records pertaining to a single phase or number of phases of financial activities; (2) maintaining or examining records for the issuance, collection, safekeeping, or disbursing of money and securities, including such records as cost, time, payroll expenses, revenues, expenditures, appropriations, revolving funds, working capital, trust funds, or other fiscal records; or (3) other related work which would provide skill and knowledge of specialized accounting methods, techniques, practices, and procedures.
For positions at level 6, at least six months of the specialized experience must be directly related to the work to be performed.
Directly related specialized experience is defined as experience gained in the same function or area of accounting work such as payroll, accounting, claims examining, disbursing, etc. These requirements for directly related experience will ordinarily apply. However, the requirement may be waived under certain circumstances, e.g., for individuals under consideration for promotion in the relatively few instances where it can be clearly shown that:
Despite the lack of directly related experience, the applicant's background gives positive evidence of possession to a superior degree the essential skills and abilities needed for the position;
The applicant has had experience that has provided a general familiarity with the work of the specialization of function for which being considered; and
The overall evaluation of the applicant's background provides strong evidence that the applicant can successfully perform the higher grade work without prolonged training.
EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS:
Except for the substitution of education provided for below, applicants must have had the kind and amount of experience shown in the following:
Total Experience |
Grand Experience |
Specialized |
|
Level |
(years) |
(years) |
(years) |
5 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
6 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
For positions at any grade, the required amount of experience will not in itself be accepted as proof of qualification. The applicant's record of experience and training must show the ability to perform the duties of the position.
Successful completion of a full 4-year high school course which included credits in commercial or business subjects such as general business education, business arithmetic, and office practices, may be substituted for one year of general experience.
For a maximum of three years of the required experience (one year of general plus one year of specialized), study successfully completed in a resident school or institution may be substituted as follows:
For general experience only:
Study completed in a college, university, or junior college above high school level may be substituted on the basis of one-half academic year of study for six months of experience.
Full-time study completed in a business or secretarial school or other comparable institution above the high school level may be substituted on the basis of one-half academic year of study for six months of experience, provided such subjects as business English, office machines, filing and indexing, office practices, business mathematics, bookkeeping or accounting were studies. No credit will be allowed for training which has been obtained only or primarily in the basic skills of shorthand or typing or refresher courses.
For one year of specialized experience only:
Study successfully completed in a resident school above the high school level may be substituted at the rate of one-half academic year of study for six months of specialized experience, provided such study included a minimum of six semester hours, or the equivalent, per year in accounting, business administration, or closely related subjects.
A full 4-year course of the type of study described in the above paragraph may be substituted for a maximum of three years of the required experience (two years of general, plus one year of specialized experience) and is fully qualified for level 6.
Proportionate credit may be granted for courses of study above the high school level offered by correspondence by a school approved by the National Home Study Council. Persons who plan to take such courses should submit a request to the Regional Director, Human Resources for evaluation of the courses as to acceptability and comparability in academic value with resident college or technical accounting school courses.
EXAMINATION REQUIREMENTS:
Normally, Postal Service Test 741 is required for level 6 positions. The test may be waived when the applicant has demonstrated the ability, interest, and capability to perform the work of the position to be filled. These qualities may be demonstrated, for example, under one or more of the following conditions:
Directly related specialized experience for level 6, not more than one level below the level of the position to be filled.
The applicant has completed education above the high school level:
Which may be substituted in full for one year of specialized experience;
Which included completion of at least 12 semester hours, or equivalent, in accounting subjects; or
Which included two years of study in a business school, junior or senior college, and was awarded a certificate in accounting.
Certification by an official who is supervising the work, directly or indirectly, that the applicant has the ability, interest, and capability to perform the duties of the position.
Other evaluation techniques, such as supervisory appraisals, personal observations, interviews, also will be used when filling accounting positions.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
Applicant must be physically able to efficiently perform the duties of the position.
ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS:
Applicants must be physically able to perform efficiently the duties of the position. Vision of 20/40 (Snellen) in one eye and ability to read without strain printed material the size of typewritten characters are required. Corrective lenses are permitted. Ability to distinguish basic colors and shades is desirable. Ability to hear the conversational voice is required; hearing aids are permitted.