Accounting Officer

Summary

The VA San Diego Health Care System is recruiting for one (1) Accounting Officer in the Financial Resources Management Service in San Diego, CA. The incumbent is responsible for the complete accounting program, including planning, adapting, reviewing accounting systems, analyzing and evaluating current and past performance and interpreting effects of transactions with regard to the following appropriations in medical care, education & training, and financial management systems.

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Duties

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Duties include but not limited to:

• Validate Data; e.g. analyze current and/or required accounting procedures to design new or improved processes. Validate current processes with respect to regulatory requirements.
• Reconcile Accounts; e.g. prepares justifications for internal controls and quality assurance reviews of existing and proposed accounting processes. Identifies accounting problems and develops accounting procedures; resolves technical problems in executing a computerized, integrated accounting system.
• Design and/or Refines Accounting Procedures; e.g. oversees the development of technical data, estimates, statistics, suggestions, and other information in determining which goals, objectives, methods and procedures are used to produce work products.
• Evaluate Accounting Procedures; e.g. reviews and approves reports, decisions, case documents, contracts, or other action documents to assure that they accurately reflect the policies and position of the organization and the views of the agency.
• Prepare Instructions; e.g. prepares instructions and guidance in the implementation and operation of accounting procedures/programs.
• Staffing and Resources; e.g. plans, organizes, directs, coordinates and reviews the work involved in carrying out the mission and function of the Accounting Section.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Preferred Experience: Supervising, leading, coaching, and evaluating accounting or fiscal staff; setting work priorities; managing workload; addressing performance concerns; and building a collaborative, accountable team. Directing complex accounting operations, including general-ledger maintenance, account analysis, reconciliations, adjusting entries, financial reporting, and timely resolution of material or recurring discrepancies. Applying Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, federal accounting standards, appropriations law, and agency financial policies to ensure accurate, complete, and compliant financial operations. Designing, implementing, monitoring, or improving internal controls; identifying control weaknesses and financial risks; and developing corrective-action plans in response to audit findings or operational issues. Preparing, reviewing, or approving financial statements, management reports, audit-support packages, and other financial analyses used by executive leaders to make operational decisions. Managing accounting activities within Veterans Health Administration. Interpreting complex laws, regulations, policy guidance, and financial directives, then translating them into clear procedures and practical guidance for staff and organizational leaders. Coordinating successfully with budget, payroll, acquisition, program, human resources, and audit stakeholders to resolve cross-functional financial issues. Using enterprise financial and reporting systems, advanced spreadsheet tools, and data-analysis methods to improve accuracy, timeliness, transparency, and workflow efficiency. Demonstrating sound judgment, integrity, customer service, and the ability to communicate complex financial matters clearly to both technical and nontechnical audiences.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 0800-1630 PST

Telework: Not Authorized

Virtual: Duty Location of San Diego VAMC is preferred. Will consider a highly qualified applicant for a virtual duty location. A virtual final job offer is contingent on the selected candidate living within 50 miles of a VA Medical Center, VA facility or VA-leased space; and must receive approval to work at a VA Medical Center, VA facility or VA-leased space. Virtual Work eligibility is for current VA employees that are already subject to the return to the in-person work mandate in their current position.

Position Description/PD#: Accounting Officer / PD10946O

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized

Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• Subject to background/security investigation
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements ( Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period or trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

Time-In-Grade Requirement : Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-11. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.

• Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-11 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience includes but not limited to: Provide day-to-day decisions i.e. complex accounting transactions, consult on solution of management problems and to provide alternatives through sound application of professional knowledge of the accounting system. Collaborate with program managers in developing accounting data structure and in the planning, coordination, direction of meetings and telephone conferences associated with accounting closeouts or reorganization events.
• Individual Occupational Requirements (IOR): In addition to the above Specialized Experience, you must also meet one of the following IORs.
  • 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.")
  • 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.

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:

• Accountability
• Customer Service
• Decisiveness
• Flexibility
• Interpersonal Skills
• Problem Solving
• Resilience

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; religions; 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.

Note : A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

Physical Requirements: This work is principally sedentary.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at

Education

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit:

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave : Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

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.

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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.

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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.