DutiesMajor Duties: - The incumbent works with senior staff in all matters pertaining to the installation and day-to-day operations of the station's accounting systems, as established under General Accountability Office (GAO) regulations, VA Financial Policy, and controlled by MP 4, Part V policy manual.
- The incumbent works directly with staff in the finance section, division supervision and management, as well as other RO managers and supervisors. Incumbent may serve as the liaison with the Administrative and Loan Accounting Center (ALAC), HINES, and FSC.
- The incumbent is responsible for the development and implementation of system applications, methods, and spreadsheets within the Support Services Division and the RO. Will prepare systematic analyses of operations, internal control reviews and other division and RO reports.
- The incumbent will provide input into the preparation and maintenance of financial budgets and may fill in critical areas to ensure that an appropriate level of coverage is maintained.
- The incumbent is under the administrative and technical direction of the Supervisory Financial Administrative Specialist or the Chief, Support Services Division with the latitude to exercise independent accounting judgment. The supervisor rarely makes significant changes to the employee's work.
- The incumbent works within the Finance Section, which operates towards the successful administration of various laws and regulations of Congress concerning Veteran's benefits. These include all monetary benefits to beneficiaries of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and all payments for services required for beneficiaries or for administrative purposes. The incumbent is responsible for carrying out all accounting functions.
- This office maintains a decentralized double-entry, self-balancing set of accounts and is operated on the premise that we provide effective tools for good management; therefore, the accounts are predominantly proprietary from the standpoint of assets acquired, liabilities incurred, reserves, surpluses, income, expense and cost.
- Makes timely decisions on all accounting matters.
- Is responsible for following an established system of internal controls to prevent over-obligation of funds, omission of obligation, or obligation of funds at a rate that would cause untimely exhaustion of station funds and violate the provisions of the Anti-Deficiency Act. The incumbent is also responsible for reporting to management any omission or misstatement of obligations that may be considered delinquent obligations or any apparent statutory violation.
- Through the Supervisory Financial Administrative Specialist or the Chief, Support Services Division, the incumbent generates reports to management for general administrative accounting.
- Through the use of organizational and local accounting techniques, each station - as a separate accounting entity - is permitted maximum flexibility in selecting methods of maintaining accounts and operating procedures, as well as freedom in defining the format and content of special accounting reports submitted for local management.
- Through a series of analyses of pertinent accounts, furnishes information for management that may provide the basis for establishing RO policies or corrective action with respect to rates of expenditures and determination of charges to be made for services furnished.
- The cost accounting improvement and cost analysis program provides management at this station with the following:
- A basis for analyzing actual cost in relation to predetermined standards or previous experience and judging the effectiveness of management in accomplishing objectives.
- A basis for comparing costs of comparable functions in similar activities.
- A basis for developing cost consciousness and cost responsibility.
- A basis for establishing budgetary controls and estimating fund requirements.
- A basis for long-range program planning.
- Advises the Supervisory Financial Administrative Specialist/ Chief, Support Services and station director on accounting matters pertaining to the operations within the station and VA.
- Advises the Supervisory Financial Administrative Specialist/ Chief, Support Services, and director of any apparent lack of observance of sound principles of budgeting, financial, auditing, and administrative management.
- Assures that all required reconciliations of accounting records and reports are completed and documented on a timely basis.
- Conducts internal audits and test audits to verify the validity and accuracy of accounting records and reports.
- Responsible for reporting any out-of-line conditions to management and the office of financial management.
- Performs other related duties as assigned.
Work Schedule: 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Compressed/Flexible: Available
Telework: Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: 39966A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Required RequirementsConditions 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
- You may be required to serve a probationary period
- Subject to background/security investigation
- Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process
QualificationsTo qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 10/04/2024. Individual Occupational Requirement / Basic Education Requirement:All applicants are required to have one of the following basic education requirements. - Degree in 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 - 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.
- Completion of the requirements for a degree that included substantial course work in accounting, e.g., 15 semester hours, but that does not fully satisfy the 24 semester hours requirement, provided that (a) the applicant has successfully worked at the full performance level in accounting, auditing, or 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 breath, depth, currency, and level of advancement that which is normally associated with successful completion of the 4 year course of study described above.; and (c) except for literal non-conformance to the requirement of 24 semester hours in accounting, the applicant's education, training, and experience fully meet the specified requirements.
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. 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. You may qualify based on your experience and as described below: To Qualify at the grade level of GS-12: In addition to the Basic requirement above (IOR), applicants must have one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-11). Specialized Experience is defined as (1) implementing generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and accounting standards, and maintaining data within financial systems; (2) assembling, examining, and evaluating accounting records and reports; (3) examining, interpreting, and analyzing important laws, rules, policies, and instructions to properly administer financial programs, as well as giving direction and counsel to managers on accounting and financial issues; (4) account reconciliation, verification of various accounting data, and entry into accounting systems and (5) utilizing spreadsheets and other data management tools to manipulate the results of analysis and disseminate them to the agency's various levels of management. 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:Physical Requirements: This work normally involves mental rather than physical exertion. This position is primarily sedentary with some walking, standing, bending, stooping and carrying of lightweight items (i.e. folders, claims files). For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at http://://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/. EducationThis position requires specific coursework and/or a degree to meet the basic education requirement. You MUST submit an official transcript, unofficial transcript, or a list including courses, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned. Your transcript(s) must clearly demonstrate the course(s) listed in the qualification requirement section. If the transcript(s) does not clearly demonstrate this you must submit a copy of the course description and/or other documentation demonstrating that the courses are equivalent. If you are claiming education as any part of your qualifications for this position, you must submit an official transcript, unofficial transcript, or a list including courses, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned.
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: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. 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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html. Additional informationUnder 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 (TJO). Please visit the Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP), va.gov/EMPLOYEE/docs/The-Fair-Chance-to-Compete-Act.pdf for more information.
VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.
The Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal/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 (have a final rating of 85 or more) for this vacancy. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.
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.
It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.
This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.
For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.
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. 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. Review our benefits 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.
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