Accounting Technician

Summary


This position functions as an Accounting Technician located within the Finance Service at the Jefferson Barracks VA St. Louis Medical Center (VAMC), St. Louis, Missouri. The primary purpose of this position is to lead the work of other accounting technicians who are responsible for receiving, controlling, monitoring, validating, recording, analyzing and reporting on accounting transactions that affect the assets, cost, liabilities, revenue and proprietary accounts of programs serviced.


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Duties


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• Prepares account status reports and performs monthly reconciliation of the general and subsidiary accounts to ensure balancing with computerized reports and/or manual records.
• Assures that transactions have been input correctly and accepted by the system.
• Prepares specialreports and financial statements related to the financial condition of accounts.
• Identifies trends, discrepancies, and patterns for further analysis by accountants.
• Assists customers with analysis of budget execution.
• Assists in implementing and maintaining Internal Control Program requirements to protect against waste, fraud, and abuse.
• Reviews and processes unusual or difficult accounting transactions ensuring the propriety and validity of supporting documentation and determining the appropriate account and methodology for processing.
• Researches current accounts, historical data, source documents, etc. in order to develop and explain detailed information that is not otherwise readily available.
• Develops and suggests interpretations of comparative data reflecting relationships between accounts, time periods, costs of different operations, etc.
• Identifies trends, discrepancies, and patterns for further analysis by accountants.
• Makes suggestions for action, performs other similar activities, and provides interpretations/suggestions based on a good working knowledge of accounting systems.
• Explains procedures and problems and takes corrective actions as necessary to ensure the accuracy and propriety of accounting transactions and records.
• Prepares draft memoranda or letters responding to inquiries of a non-routine nature explaining various aspects of accounting and providing detailed and technical explanations of accounting discrepancies or procedural or reporting requirements.

Work Schedule: Mon-Friday, 7-1530


Virtual: This is not a virtual position.


Position Description/PD#: Accounting Technician/ PD05102A


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 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, 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, 10/19/2026.


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-6 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-5. 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.


Reports: Performs fiscal year-end review and close-out of accounts. Prepares year-end adjustment entries to balance accounts. Analyzes and prepares special reports on the causes of recurring 10433-A Page 2 of 4 adjustment actions; determines the cause of processing errors or problems and recommends corrective procedures . Maintains general ledger accounts. Performs administrative and technical functions to ensure the integrity of the general ledger. Reconciles electronic interfaces to general ledger from other systems. Prepares/posts journal vouchers. Reconciles subsidiary ledgers to control/summary accounts. He/she posts inventory accounting transactions, property accounting transactions, and calculates and posts depreciation. Prepares and reconciles trial balances.


Factor 1, Knowledge Required by the Position

• Knowledge of automated and non-automated accounting systems and subsystems, including knowledge of an extensive body of accounting procedures and methods to enter, retrieve, correct, and delete accounting information.
• Knowledge of accounting methods for a total accounting system with a number of different programs generating transactions requiring use of most classes of accounts in order to validate, reconcile, balance, and adjust records and reports.
• Knowledge of the interrelationship between the appropriations and the various control and subsidiary accounts and the ability to determine the impact of various accounting transactions relating to obligations, collections, and inter-fund transactions in order to research, detect, and correct errors in prior transactions.
• Knowledge of the full range of accounting classifications and fund codes to ensure the accuracy and validity of transactions.
• Knowledge of VA's policies, practices, and regulations related to the appropriation and budgetary process, maintenance of ledgers, and preparation of accounting reports to ensure the proper and accurate accounting treatment is applied to the full range of accounting transactions.
• Knowledge of workflow and work distribution within organizational unit in order to prioritize and equitably distribute work to lower-level technicians.

Factor 2, Supervisory Controls: The supervisor makes assignments by defining objectives, priorities, and deadlines and assists the employee with unusual situations that do not have clear precedents. The employee plans and carries out the successive steps and handles problems and deviations in the work assignments in accordance with instructions, policies, previous training, or accepted practices. Situations requiring significant deviations are referred to supervisor for assistance. Completed work is usually evaluated for technical soundness, appropriateness, and conformity to policy and requirements. The methods used in arriving at the end results are not usually reviewed in detail.


Factor 3, Guidelines: Established guidelines and manuals are available for most tasks, but due to the variety of situations encountered they are not specifically applicable all tasks. The employee is expected to use judgment and initiative to handle aspects of the work not completely covered. Incumbent interprets guidelines and determines their applicability to situations not specifically covered. The employee refers situations in which the existing guidelines cannot be applied, or significant deviations must be made to the supervisor or designated employee.


Factor 4, Complexity: The work involves performing related procedural tasks in researching and identifying erroneous/duplicate account entries. The incumbent makes decisions, such as how to locate and assemble information, and identify errors based on a review or knowledge of similar cases, or by selecting from among other recognizable alternatives. The incumbent considers factors such as the processing requirements, appropriate format, or content for each transaction when determining which established approach best fits the circumstances. The incumbent takes action using established instructions, practices, or precedents for review of accounts. Actions taken are similar and well established, although the specific patterns of actions taken may differ depending on the given discrepancy or problem and the information available.


Factor 5, Scope and Effect: The purpose of the work is to maintain, balance, and reconcile accounts and prepare reports or analyses used by other units for projecting, planning, and controlling costs and operational funds. The work affects the accuracy of further processes performed by related personnel in various organizations. It also affects the reliability of the organization's financial support services provided to users, customers, etc.


Factor 6, Personal Contacts: Regular and recurring contacts are with employees within the same accounting organization and with officials of operating units within the operating location.


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

• Specialized Experience: Specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Performing budget, accounting, payroll and/or financial management functions; Interpreting and applying accounting principles, methods, procedures, and techniques; Using various accounting systems and computer systems to maintain financial accounts and accounting data; Reviewing and analyzing reports and documents for accuracy and authorizations, Performing research to resolve any discrepancies relating to obligations, collections, disbursements, or other actions involving complicated adjustments; Reconciling accounts, processing and posting payments; Examining, auditing, and maintaining accounting transactions and balancing general ledger accounts. NOTE: 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. OR,

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


Education


There is no educational substitution at this grade level.


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.


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. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. 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.


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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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.