Accountant

Summary

The primary purpose of the position is to perform the full range of professional accounting work requiring the application of sound accounting principles, theories, concepts and procedures. Serves as the point-of-contact and subject matter expert for accounting reports and reconciliations.

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Duties

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Major duties include, but are not limited to the following:

• Administers accounting systems designed to track, reconcile, and report on appropriations for which the agency has legislative oversight responsibility.
• Analyzes and verifies all financial reports prepared in the accounting section prior to their release to management to ensure the results attained meet all accounting requirements.
• Reviews the work of Accounting Technicians to assure accuracy and conformity to policy and procedures, instructing them when necessary on proper methods and assigns projects/tasks to be accomplished.
• Utilizes a large body of guidelines, regulations and statutory requirements to identify such accounting problems as: inadequate maintenance of fund control, inaccurate records and reports of costing data, and lack of documentary evidence to support the performance of regulatory reconciliations.

Work Schedule: Monday to Friday, 7:30am to 4:00pm

Telework: AdHoc

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Accountant / PD00339-O

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not 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

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 08/13/2026.

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-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09. 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.

Preferred Experience: Prepares, reviews, and reconciles financial records, ensuring accuracy of appropriated fund accounts, cost centers, budgets, and general ledger activity. Performs financial analysis and provides accounting guidance to RCS and VA leadership, identifying discrepancies and ensuring compliance with accounting standards, VA policy, and Federal regulations. Assists in developing, monitoring, and executing the annual budget, analyzing resource utilization, and preparing reports on funds, obligations, and expenditures. Conducts internal control reviews and supports audit readiness by assessing compliance, preparing documentation, and recommending improvements to strengthen financial processes. Provides customer service to internal and external stakeholders by responding to inquiries, explaining accounting procedures, and using automated financial systems to manage and validate transactions.

Individual Occupational Requirements (IOR) Basic Requirement:

• 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."); (TRANSCRIPT(S) REQUIRED to validate basic requirement) . OR;
• 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. (Transcript(s) Required to validate basic requirement)

***In addition to meeting the IOR (Basic Requirement), you must also meet the minimum qualifications below to qualify for this position*** You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:

You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:

• Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-09 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to:
• Knowledge to analyze accounting systems analytical techniques to solve a variety of accounting problems.
• Knowledge and skills to maintain an accounting system.
• Advises management on regulatory requirements, financial policies, the interpretation of data.
• Knowledge of program improvement through analysis of program operations and monthly reports.
• Skills in providing staff direction and guidance in the development and implementation on of procedures of an automated accounting system.
• Develop policies with respect to accounting program.
• Skills to develop and monitor local accounting internal control program OR,

• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have:
• Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree; or
• 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree; or
• LLM. if related. OR,
  • (Transcript with a degree confer date MUST BE submitted, if using any part of education to qualify for this position)
• . OR,
• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and graduate education.

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

• Accountability
• Accounting
• Arithmetic/Mathematical Reasoning
• Attention to Detail
• Customer Service
• Decision Making
• Flexibility
• Integrity/Honesty
• Interpersonal Skills
• Learning
• Problem Solving
• Reasoning
• Self-Management
• Stress Tolerance
• Teamwork
• Technical Competence
• Veteran and Customer Focus

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: The position has no physical demands.

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.