Staff Accountant

Summary

The position is located at Portland VA Medical Center, Portland Campus, in Fiscal Service, Accounting section. The incumbent performs technician level work in direct support of budget, accounting, auditing, fiscal, and/or financial management function.

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Duties

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This position involves a multi-grade career ladder. The major duties listed below represent the full performance level of GS-11, however a selection can be made at any of the following grade levels: GS-07, GS-09 OR GS-11. At the GS-07 grade level, you will perform assignments of a more limited scope and with less independence. At the GS-09 grade level, you will progressively acquire the background necessary to perform at the full performance level of GS-11. Promotion is at the discretion of the supervisor and is contingent upon satisfactory performance.

The major duties include but are not limited to:

• Formulates a variety of financial reports; serving as a member of a management team for organizations serviced and recommending the establishment of policies and procedures affecting the accounting system.
• Advises management on regulatory requirements and changing program operations.
• Devises accounting structures and procedures to satisfy regulatory or legislative changes.
• Assists management in applying financial data and recommending alternatives to resolve difficult problems, reconciling cash, accounts receivable. accounts payable, and other general ledger accounts; correcting all differences between the subsidiary ledger balances and the control account balances in the general ledger.
• Provides accounting information and guidance to program officials; developing a segment of an automated accounting system.
• Prepares procedural instructions for the development or implementation of automated accounting systems, reviewing. analyzing, and validating domestic and/or foreign business industry financial and statistical data.
• Uses appropriate costing methodologies to recognize, determine. accumulate and report costs of activities on a regular basis for management information purposes.
• Prepare cos1 analysis for various areas in the Medical Center by analyzing buying and selling agreements to ensure the VA recoups all costs.
• Assists in performing financial audits, analysis, and evaluations of the financial operations and related procedures as part of the Fiscal Service Quality Assurance System, which includes Accounting, Employee Accounts, Agent Cashier, Voucher Audit, General Post Funds, Real Property and Patient Funds.
• Assists in the preparation, analysis, and submission of a variety of financial statements, reports and audits to local management, VACO management. and other agencies or organizations which includes the Annual Report of Real Property, Annual Report of Depreciation, and other recurring and non-recurring reports and audits.
• Assist in verifying, analyzing and/or reconciling a very large number of computer generated reports which includes, but not limited to, RCS-JO Trial Balance, RPO 820 Control Point Listing, RPO 821 Operating Ledger Update Listing, RPO 82S Analysis of Reimbursable Earning and Collections, RPO 826 Status of Funds, RPO 827 CALM Monthly Journal, RPO 830 Listing of Cost and FTEE, RPO 83I Listing of Modifications and Deletions, RPO 860 Accounting Reconciliations, RPO 861 Reconciliations of Reimbursable Earnings, RPO 865 Reconciliations of General Ledger Accounts, RPO 885a Obligation by Subaccount, RPO 887 Obligation by Control Point, Cost Center, and Subaccount, and Interoffice General Ledger Accounts.
• In the absence of the Chief. Accounting, incumbent will coordinate workload activities and provide guidance on technical issues.

Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level.

Work Schedule: Monday through Friday; 7:30am - 4:00pm PST

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Staff Accountant/ PD21539A, PD20241A, and PD20240A

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
• To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required.
• 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 dentification 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, 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 time-in-grade and specialized experience requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement, 06/05/2026.

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 within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.

• For a GS-07 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05.
• For a GS-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07.
• 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.

Basic Requirement: All applicants must meet one of the following requirements;

1. 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,
2. 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; OR
   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:
      
      
      1. (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;
      2. (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
      3. (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.

In addition to meeting one of the Basic Requirements, applicants must also meet the grade specific requirements listed below:

Specialized Experience GS-07: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade, GS-05, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples typically include: applying accounting principles, theories, and concepts; understanding cost accounting and auditing principles, processes, and procedures; extracting data to conduct complex analyses and interpretations from accounting systems; and analyzing subsystems in accordance with generally accepted accounting procedures as well as federal laws, rules, and regulations to meet the requirements of local programs or to solve a variety of accounting problems. OR,

• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. Please see Education section for requirements; OR,
• Applicants may qualify based on superior academic achievement: Applicants must be in the upper third of their graduating class; OR have a GPA of 3.0 or higher; OR be a member of an Association of College Honor Societies. Please see Education section for requirements; OR,
• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. Please see Education section for requirements.

Specialized Experience GS-09: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade, GS-07, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples typically include: applying accounting principles, theories, and concepts; utilizing cost accounting and auditing processes; extracting data to conduct complex analyses and interpretations from accounting systems; analyzing subsystems in accordance with generally accepted accounting procedures, federal laws, rules, and regulations to meet the requirements of local programs or to solve a variety of accounting problems; and assisting computer programmers in the development, modification, or analysis of automated systems as they relate to current automated systems and functional accounting requirements. OR,

• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. Please see Education section for requirements; OR,
• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. Please see Education section for requirements.

Specialized Experience GS-11: 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 typically include: applying advanced accounting principles, theories, and concepts; utilizing cost accounting and auditing principles, processes, and procedures; extracting and analyzing complex data from accounting systems to support responsible decision-making; providing expert analysis of subsystems in accordance with generally accepted accounting procedures, federal laws, rules, and regulations to fulfill requirements of local programs and resolve diverse accounting challenges; collaborating with computer programmers on the development, modification, or analysis of automated systems to ensure alignment with functional accounting requirements; and staying current on policies and regulations such as Comptroller General's Decisions, OMB Regulations, Treasury Regulations, and GAO policies and procedures . OR,

• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. Please see Education section for requirements. OR,
• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. Please see Education section for requirements.

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

Education

GS-7:

• Education: To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successful completion of one (1) year of graduate-level education in a related field such as business administration, finance, or public administration. This education must be obtained in an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college, or university. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED).
• Superior academic achievement (S.A.A.) This provision covers advanced trainee positions that provide opportunities for advancement upon attaining required job skills and knowledge, require no prior experience, and have work classified at two-grade intervals. It recognizes students who have achieved superior academic standing as evidenced by one of the three methods described below. In order to be creditable under this provision, superior academic achievement must have been gained in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled.
• S.A.A. is based on (1) class standing, (2) grade-point average, or (3) honor society membership.
  • Election to membership in a national scholastic honor society Applicants can be considered eligible based on membership in one of the national scholastic honor societies listed below. These honor societies are listed by the Association of College Honor Societies (external link). Agencies considering eligibility based on any society not included in the following list must ensure that the honor society meets the minimum requirements of the Association of College Honor Societies. Membership in a freshman honor society cannot be used to meet the requirements of this provision.
  • Grade-point average (G.P.A.) Applicants must have a grade-point average of:
    
    
    • 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum.
    • 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on their official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or
  • Class standing: Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses. OR,
• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an equivalent combination of successfully completed graduate level education (more than a bachelor's degree) and specialized experience to meet total experience requirements.

GS-9:

• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed 2 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree in accounting, or a related field such as business administration, finance, or public administration. This education must be obtained in an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college, or university. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED). OR,
• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and graduate-level education beyond the first year, as described above.

GS-11:

• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed 3 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in accounting; or a degree in a related field such as business administration, finance, or public administration. This education must be obtained in an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college, or university. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED). OR ,
• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and graduate-level education beyond the second year, as described above

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

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.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: 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 RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA 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, based on your adjudication decision. 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 RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.

Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.

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

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at

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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