This Position Is Located in the Resource Management Division of the United States Property

70754000

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70754000

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a. INTRODUCTION:

This position is located in the Resource Management Division of the United States Property and Fiscal Office (USPFO). The purpose of this position is to perform duties necessary to accomplish the full range of military, technician and voucher exam (travel and commercial accounts) pay actions with afull understanding of the accounting and budget processes to determine the affect on the accounting and budget reports.

The position provides assistance on matters pertaining to pay entitlements policies, procedures, rules, programs and operations to the Comptroller/Financial Manager (FM), Human Resources Office (HRO), Military Personnel Office (MILPO), Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS), supported Army National Guard (ARNG) units and technician employees. Provide disbursement information to Program Managers (PM), travelers, vendors, Purchasing and Contracting Office (P&C), receiving activities, financial institutions, and the transportation office. The position specializes in all areas within the Resource Management Division to accomplish all entitlement functions in support of programs essential to the State or Territory’s Army National Guard daily operations, deployments, training, and readiness missions.

b. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

(1) Performs account audits involving retroactive payment problems. Obtains information, accomplishes corrective action with regard to pay computer system limits, and performs manual accounting of adjustments, if transactions are not automated. Coordinates with multiple Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) policy branches and personnel at DFAS Cleveland, DFAS Denver, DFAS Indianapolis, National Guard Bureau (NGB) and Active Army Finance Offices (Ft. Riley Kansas, Ft. CarsonColorado, etc.) to resolve payment issues.

(2) Makes adjustments to entitlements when updates to information cause discrepancies on various accounts such as Traveler’s Profile, Vendor Pay Account, and the Master Military Pay Account (MMPA). Determines which transactions are automated and what must be modified and updated due to system changes and multiple account updates. Obtains proper supporting documents and forms needed to determine accurate entitlements by contacting various units, other directorates, and individuals and family members. Prioritizes release of correction actions to DFAS in order to meet production schedule deadlines and control the balance of overpayments and underpayments so the payee is not negatively impacted. Composes clear concise remarks on pay advice.

(3) Conducts in-depth reviews of debts on accounts to actions previously processed and interprets results to accurately determine if corrective actions are necessary. Refers debt cases to proper policy branches, provides analysis and suggested corrections that cannot be performed at field level, verifies corrective actions and determines when problems are resolved and cases are ready to be closed.

(4) Issues Unit Preliminary Listing (UPL) and Active Duty Master Listing (ADML) to unit(s) to initiate positive reporting of Unit Annual Training (AT) pay. Validates personnel data with documentation provided by unit(s) and makes changes to pay transactions to ensure current information is used to determine accurate pay entitlements for AT. Coordinates with unit(s) to delete or add individuals to the ADML, and to adjust tours of duty to accommodate Leave Without Pay (LWOP) status due to emergency absences. Controls timeliness of payments with regard to DFAS payment schedules and minimizes overpayments through contact with DFAS, units and individual soldiers. Verifies mileage payments upon receipt of Travel Vouchers,on Defense Joint Military Pay System (DJMS) to avoid overpayments. Reconciles ADML with final certification documents and establishes proper actions on pay accounts if overpayments or underpayments are found.

(5) Analyzes Personnel Transaction Registers using the Standard Installation/Division Personnel System (SIDPERS) Query Screens and MMPAs to ensure erroneous transactions do not occur as erroneous transactions may be automatically created when SIDPERS personnel process actions. Identifies inconsistencies between personnel data and transactions flowing from SIDPERS to the Military Pay Section via the Personnel Transaction Register. Incumbent modifies personnel transactions and releases them to DFAS to reflect the original intent of the personnel action.

(6) Prioritizes release of transactions with regard to DJMS Reserve Component/Active Component (RC/AC) Production Schedule(s) while determining the timing of related actions without negatively affecting the soldier’s pay accounts. Analyzes reports to determine discrepancies and necessary actions. Initiates corrective actions and utilizes information found on reports to develop procedures and processes that will eliminate or minimize future pay problems. Briefs supervisors and provides viable solutions if trends are noted regarding rejects from specific units or transactions.

(7) Conducts unit level Soldier Readiness Processing (SRP) during pre-mobilization, reviews orders to identify entitlements, provides guidance to soldiers to properly complete documents required for mobilization(MOB) entitlements. Provides each soldier with a summary of entitlements for duty status and duty station to assist and counsel soldiers in preparing a financial plan while mobilized. Coordinates with MOB stations regarding delayed transactions and missing documents to ensure each account is established with the proper entitlements prior to leaving MOB stations for duty stations. Records history of MOB payroll actions throughout unit mobilization tour by noting changes on MOB cover sheet regarding missing documents, reasons for entitlements that were not established, additional actions taken during tour to correct entitlements and any contacts made during the period of mobilization, to ensure a proper audit trail in casefuture actions are required. Reviews pay accounts and takes actions if status changes require adjustments. Verifies that each account is reviewed for correct Release From Active Duty (REFRAD) date. Performs comparisons of Leave Master Records (LMR) with documents provided by units or MOB sites and determines if adjustment actions are required. Establishes debts or entitlements for overpayments or underpayments as determined by final analysis of accounts upon return from deployment. Initiates and/or reviews contingency travel vouchers and supporting documents prior to submission to DFAS.

(8) Provides customer support to military and technician personnel, vendors and Federal and state agencies. Resolves disputes and provides expert technical guidance on entitlements and payment procedures by researching historical claims and entitlement regulations. Provides support to individuals, organizations, and vendors regarding preparation and processing of forms such as Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH), Family Separation Allowance (FSA), Application for Do It Yourself Move and Counseling Checklist, and Receiving Reports, etc.

(9) Coordinates technician pay procedures between the Human Resources Office (HRO) and timekeepers. Ensures that new accounts are established with proper information to pay correct salary according to Standard Form Notification of Personnel Action prepared by Human Resource Office (HRO). Establishes addresses, Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT), tax information, allotments, etc. as submitted by the individual through HRO. Contacts timekeepers to ensure that first pay cycle is submitted. Maintains a historical audit trail of each payroll and advises timekeepers regarding proper leave codes when unusual circumstances apply such as State/Federal Emergency Duty, donated leave, dual status compensation, etc. Establishes new technician pay accounts using documents acquired from HRO to ensure that each technician account reflects the proper entitlements. Adjusts procedures to accommodate inconsistencies between HRO and the technician pay system in order to ensure timely adjustments to pay accounts and accurate accounting of leave, allotments, etc. Monitors time and attendance submissions for technicians and civilians to ensure all employees time and attendance is reported. Identifies and makes corrections from reports generated by Defense Civilian Pay Systems (DCPS) such as the Invalid Transactions Reports and Conversion of Hours Reports. Uses multiple systems unique to and associated with financial management for processing initial and corrective pay actions, and for analysis of transactions recorded on reports. Incumbent receives, controls and processes documents from individuals, units, divisions, and directorates. Determines the best course of action to resolve pay issues based on research and coordination of findings. Conducts training for new timekeepers and certifiers to include DCPS access authorizations. Initiates Remedy tickets, refers cases to proper policy branches, provides analysis and suggests corrections that cannot be performed at field level. Verifies corrective actions and determines when problems are resolved and cases can be closed. Incumbent performs dual-compensation audits by reconciling the Outstanding Leave Reports and the Joint Service Software (JSS) Manday Reports.

(10) Processes student loan payments to financial institutions on behalf of soldiers in the National Guard. Accesses Stanfins Redesign Phase 1 (SRD1) online and initiates payments upon request by the Incentive Coordinator. Initiates payments using a complex combination of codes and specific information provided. Issues tuition assistance payments to individuals and institutions of higher education using the Commercial Accounts Processing System (CAPS) and information provided by the Incentive Coordinator. Ensures payments undergo an in-house audit prior to release of funds, and post-payment reports are analyzed to reconcile payments with requests to complete the process.

(11) Accesses the 5 Year Tax History to assist soldiers with tax-related inquiries. Analyzes data from the MMPA, Leave and Earnings Statements (LES)’s, attendance reporting documents, and Combat Zone Tax Exclusion (CZTE) references. Identifies errors and coordinates with the appropriate DFAS center to provide the corrected information via Case Management System (CMS) cases providing analysis and viable solutions if field corrections are not possible. Extracts and validates data from CAPS and Integrated Automated Travel System (IATS) and prepares monthly, quarterly, and annual tax reports for vendor and travel pay as required. This includes Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Forms, Treasury Department (TD) Forms W2 and IRS Forms.

(12) Processes, verifies, and audits pay actions utilizing previous fiscal law cases, General Accounting Office (GAO) rulings and Comptroller General (CG) decisions as guidelines. Performs follow-up on outstanding actions as required.

(13) Possesses the ability to positively interact with others to explain actions taken with respect to entitlements, payments, collections and outstanding debts.

(14) Performs other duties as assigned.

c. FACTOR DISCUSSION:

Factor 1 - Knowledge Required by the Position:

--Comprehensive knowledge of a multitude of integrated automated financial systems to perform complicated evaluations of pay actions and to troubleshoot problem disbursements to determine correct methods to input processing and/or systems procedures and to adapt procedures for complicated, unique situations when routine approaches will not resolve the problems.

--Knowledge of the interrelationships of various automated systems applications and methods used to resolve unique and unusual problems.

--Knowledge of computer systems, document processing, and the effects of transactions on existing records to modify automated processes in existing accounts while protecting the integrity of the historical data.

--Knowledge of fiscal law, accounting and payment principles/procedures, contingency operations, financial management systems, pay and travel entitlements, National Guard structure, reporting requirements, analysis techniques, controls, budgeting principles, procedures, management principles and controls, visual, oral and written presentation techniques and National Guard missions.

--Knowledge of accounting and budgeting functional areas and their relationships to other automated systems.

--Knowledge of commercial contract payment processing, receiving and invoicing procedures to compute commercial vendor payments.

Factor 2 - Supervisory Controls:

The Supervisory Financial Technician sets broad objectives, priorities and deadlines and provides any special oral or written instructions concerning new assignments, changes in regulations, procedures and policies. Incumbent uses own initiative in accordance with established regulations and procedures without supervisory guidance. Completed work is normally reviewed/evaluated in terms of overall objectives, technical soundness and adherence to policies. Incumbent is a subject matter expert working complex issues with limited guidance.

Factor 3 – Guidelines:

Procedures and instructions are normally readily available and are generally applicable to work. Guidelines include Department of Defense (DoD) pay regulations, manuals, pay charts and tax tables, automated systems, and precedent cases; however, because of the intricate nature of the various systems, periodic changes, new and complicated procedures, and interpretation of new presidential orders and congressional mandates that do not clearly relate the guidelines above to the processing of pay and pay-related actions, the employee must frequently rely on experienced judgment and exhaustive research.

The employee uses judgement when complicated problems arise and is expected to identify sources of information, make working assumptions and adjust local procedures accordingly. This includes using DFAS guidelines that continue to be insufficient, transmittals that are lost or misdirected, and supervisors and action officers that are often changed. The employee must be vigilant in recognizing, adjusting/analyzing and recommending more efficient pay processing procedures when significant deviations from normal procedures are apparent, or audits or requests are made from outside agencies or persons. Gathers and organizes all information and independently analyzes and resolves the issues.

Factor 4 – Complexity:

The work involves performing all phases of pay actions, from receipt and verification of source documents to submission for payment creation, which impacts all areas of the Resource Management Division and requires the employee to understand and also perform accounting and budget support in making decisions, devising solutions, and taking appropriate actions to ensure correctness.

The employee decides and conducts comprehensive reviews and analysis of payment/collection actions posted against individual accounts requiring research of current, historical and source data for current accounts, out-of-service claims, waivers, remission of debts, and traveler per-diem requests for actual expense in excess of 150%.

The work involves completing a variety of actions associated with the in-processing and out-processing of soldiers including Active Guard Reserve (AGR), mobilization (MOB), Reserve Component (RC), and Inactive National Guard (ING) and the employee determines the entitlements to many different types of pay and allowances, making adjustments to pay accounts and responding to inquiries regarding all aspects of pay accounts.

Through substantial research of those regulations and laws, the employee assesses each individual situation and interprets data gathered to select the methods and procedures necessary to determine a viable course of action as resolutions vary based on the circumstances of each individual case.

The employee must consider the interrelationship of complex pay actions, determine the impact of a current pay action on past and future actions and ensure that individuals are paid accurately and timely.