
Accountant
Bonneville Power Administration
Portland, ORFull-time$115–149K/yrPosted today
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At a glance
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Job overview
This senior accountant position in Bonneville Power Administration’s General Accounting organization independently plans and conducts complex accounting activities. The role prepares financial reports, provides technical guidance on difficult accounting issues and new standards, analyzes general ledger accounts and internal controls, and advises agency leaders and business units. It also coordinates cross-agency accounting projects and maintains relationships with governmental, utility, and financial stakeholders.
Skills & qualifications
Skills
Qualifications
Full job description
Summary
This position is in the General Accounting (FRG) organization and its subordinate offices of Finance (F), Bonneville Power Administration (BPA). The purpose of this position is to serve as a senior accountant responsible for independently planning and conducting a variety of complex and unique accounting activities and assignments.
Duties
About the Position - Portland This position is located in Portland, OR which boasts huge spans of amazing trees, foliage, landscape, and everywhere you look you can appreciate beautiful greenery! It is known as the most bike-friendly city in America, has a train system that greets you at the airport spanning across the city, and is home to the Portland International Rose Garden, the oldest in the country! Portland is the one place where you will find lively festivals, energetic music, mouthwatering food, and for you basketball fans, the Portland Trail Blazers are a 7 minute walk from the HQs building! There is always something new to experience in this eco-friendly town! As an Accountant, you will: Write financial reports (e.g., balance sheet, income statement, statement of cash flows) by using advanced knowledge of data systems and structures as well as accounting concepts and standards, particularly those promulgated by the FASB. Research, design, develop, publish and provide technical guidance on particularly difficult, unique or complex accounting issues or new accounting standards to support Federal financial statements. Perform analysis, monitor, and review of general ledger accounts. Prepare and review journal entries for month-end and year-end closings. Provide expert accounting theory analysis, technical advice, guidance, and recommendations to the business units, organizations, Chief Financial Officer's office, executive management and other management groups, and external agencies. Coordinate accounting implementations and projects involving cross-agency work teams and interaction with other governmental and utility entities. Maintain continuing relationships with management and technical staff within the agency, the Department of Energy, the Office of Management and Budget, the Corps of Engineers, the Bureau of Reclamation, the U.S. Treasury, utility industry specialists, peer Power Marketing Administrations, Tennessee Valley Authority, the financial community, service provider representatives, and other stakeholders on relevant accounting matters. Review and analyze internal control over financial reporting to identify management control weaknesses, and areas needing improvement. Requirements
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. When you apply you will be asked a series of questions to determine your eligibility for employment and your qualification for this position specifically. You must answer all of these questions completely and truthfully. Key Requirements: You must be a United States Citizen. This employer participates in the e-Verify program. Males must abide by Selective Service registration requirements. You will be required to report in person to the official duty location. Conditions of Employment: Selectee will be required to complete the Office of Government Ethics Standard of Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OFGE450e) within 30 days of employment and annually. Qualifications
BASIC REQUIREMENTS: 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: Twenty-four semester hours in accounting or auditing courses of appropriate type and quality. This can include up to 6 hours of business law; 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. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS A qualified candidate's resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-12) in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as: 1) Analyzing laws, regulations, contracts, or accounting standards (such as GAAP, FASB, or FERC) to ensure statutory and regulatory financial compliance; 2) Performing technical accounting evaluations in one or more complex areas (e.g., regulated entities, asset retirement obligations, complex capitalizations, fair value, derivatives, or contingencies); and 3) Formulating and recommending solutions, policies, procedures, or system improvements to resolve complex accounting and financial reporting issues. "Experience" refers to paid and unpaid experience. Examples of qualifying unpaid experience may include: volunteer work done through National Service programs (such as Peace Corps and AmeriCorps); as well as work for other community-based philanthropic and social organizations. 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. Time-in-Grade: Current Federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement to receive consideration. CTAP candidates: To be considered "well qualified" you must meet all of the requirements as described in this section. You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
Education
This vacancy has a positive education requirement. In order to be rated as qualified, you must provide copies of your college transcripts. Education must be obtained from an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. See Department of Education Accreditation Search to verify school accreditation. Foreign education must be reviewed by an organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For special instructions pertaining to foreign education and a list of organizations that can evaluate foreign education, see the Department of Education website. DO NOT email or mail in any of your application documents. Documents will not be accepted outside of the online application system. Failure to provide copies of your college transcripts may result in a rating of "Ineligible". How You Will Be Evaluated
Once the announcement closes, we will conduct a review of your application package to verify your eligibility and qualifications. If you are found qualified, your application will move forward to additional phases of the review process. Minimum Qualifications: Once the application process is complete, the Human Resources Offices or Subject Matter Expert (SME) will review your two-page resume and supporting documentation to determine whether you meet the minimum job qualifications. Selection will be based on skills and competencies, not educational credentials or self-reported experience. Merit Promotion & VEOA Procedures: If you are minimally qualified for this job, your will be assessed and evaluated to determine if you are a best qualified candidate. Federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements and current employees must have at least a fully successful or equivalent performance rating to receive consideration. Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics): Accountability Arithmetic/Mathematical Reasoning Attention to Detail Customer Service Decision Making Flexibility Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Learning Reasoning Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork Career Transition Assistance Programs: To receive selection priority for this position, you must: 1) meet the eligibility criteria; and 2) be rated "well-qualified", which is defined as having a score of 85 or better. You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date (11/13/2026) of this announcement. To preview the Assessment Questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13101917 USAHire: To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. The USA Hire Assessment includes a cut score. USA Hire cut scores are based on the minimum level of proficiency required to perform the job for a specific series and grade. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment. The cut score is set at a government-wide level and not at the agency or individual vacancy level for USA Hire standard assessments. In accordance with 5 CFR 300.201(a), the U.S. Office of Personnel Management does not release testing and examination materials, scoring criteria including the specific cut score requirements, or other information used solely to determine individual qualifications, so as not to compromise the objectivity of the testing process. Other Information
EEO Policy: USAJOBS Help Center | Equal employment opportunity policy Reasonable Accommodation Policy: Employees or applicants may request Reasonable Accommodation (RA) for assistance, when applying or competing for a job or performing a job due to their medical condition or to exercise their religious beliefs. If you need reasonable accommodation in the application or selection process, please contact the Staffing Specialist listed on this vacancy announcement. USAJOBS Help Center | Reasonable accommodation policy Reasonable Accommodation for USAHire: 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 reasonable accommodation in your online application. Requests for Reasonable Accommodations for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for Reasonable Accommodation must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for Reasonable Accommodations 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. 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 Reasonable Accommodation, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here. Veterans Information: USAJOBS Help Center - Veterans Veterans and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. Telework: https://www.opm.gov/telework/ Selective Service Registration: http://www.sss.gov/ - Who must register: https://www.sss.gov/faq/#who-needs-to-register BPA strives to ensure a safe and positive work environment. We also understand the importance of work/life balance and offer a variety of programs and policies designed to create more flexible, responsive work environments supportive of commitments to community, home and family members. BPA also supports employees' overall wellness through its Be Well program, which helps employees adopt healthier lifestyles and feel better about their work/life balance. The program supports five key areas of life: career, community, financial, physical and social.?
How this job compares
Set against the 3,444 open Accountant jobs on Olive Jobs, counted November 4, 2026.
- Pay
- This posting$115–149K/yr
- US median$76–100K/yr1,018 salary ranges
This range's midpoint, $132K, is 50% above the US median midpoint ($88K) — in the top quarter of Accountant salary ranges across the US.
- Openings
- Olive Jobs lists 22 open Accountant jobs in Oregon and 3,444 across the US. 4% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
- Hiring the most in Oregon
- Hoffman Construction Company3 open
- Amazon2 open
- Aston Carter2 open
- Experience
- This posting asks for at least 1 year of experience — less than three in four Accountant postings that state a minimum ask for (median 3 years, across 2,268 postings).
- Education
- 1,851 of the 3,444 open Accountant jobs (54%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.
Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on November 4, 2026. Pay medians are the middle values of the low ends and of the high ends of postings that list both ends of a range in the same cadence (a yearly salary or an hourly rate); a range's midpoint is halfway between its ends. Pay and experience figures resting on fewer than 20 postings are left out.
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