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Accountant

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration
Northport NY VA Medical Center
This job announcement has closed

Summary

The employee assigned to this position is an Accountant in the Accounting Section of Fiscal Service. The employee provides support to the Chief of the Accounting Section and technical assistance and guidance to subordinate accounting technicians, voucher examiner, travel clerk, agent cashier, fiscal technicians, and lead fiscal technician. In this position in the Accounting Section, the incumbent performs a variety of duties and has certain responsibilities that are supervisory in nature.

Overview

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Job canceled
Open & closing dates
12/11/2024 to 01/21/2025
Salary
$70,448 to - $110,803 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 9 - 11
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Northport, NY
1 vacancy
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
11
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
Yes
Announcement number
CBTE-12637278-25-AS
Control number
823507300

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

ALL US CITIZENS DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: This position is being filled using Direct-Hire Authority (5 CFR 337.205) for this occupation.

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Duties

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About the position: The employee assigned to this position is an Accountant in the Accounting Section of Fiscal Service. The employee provides support to the Chief of the Accounting Section and technical assistance and guidance to subordinate accounting technicians, voucher examiner, travel clerk, agent cashier, fiscal technicians, and lead fiscal technician. In this position in the Accounting Section, the incumbent performs a variety of duties and has certain responsibilities that are supervisory in nature. Duties include but are not limited to:

  • Under the guidance of the Chief, Accounting Section, the employee effects change in work assignments and work flow to meet the daily demands and to solve problems with the section and other services.
  • The employee provides technical assistance to subordinate Accounting Technicians in the maintenance of the General Ledger in cost accounting functions and related work.
  • The employee provides technical assistance to Voucher Examiner.
  • The employee provides general assistance to Fiscal Technicians and Lead Fiscal Technician.
  • The employee assists in the training of new employees as well as incumbent employees in new phases of work or changes in procedure.
  • The employee participates in daily operations of the Medical Center's accounting system and is responsible for systematic verification and appraisal of records, reports, related transactions and instructions.
  • The employee maintains accounting records, accumulates cost data, prepares, reviews, and analyzes accounting reports and statements, and improves accounting service techniques.
  • The employee analyzes significant changes and transactions of key accounts in terms of liabilities, assets, income, expenses, and their effects upon Medical Center operations.
  • The employee reviews accounting and financial statements (income statements, trial balance, application of funds, reports for controlling budget, etc.) for conformance with the accepted practices and accounting requirements of this Medical Center.
  • The employee maintains all equipment fund control points and general ledgers to insure compatibility with the FAP system.
  • The employee maintains the Compensated Work Therapy fund.
  • The employee maintains the Supply Fund.
  • The employee identifies accounting trends having adverse effect or deviating from management plans and formulates viable alternatives.
  • The employee serves as a purchase card auditor. Audits credit card purchases on a monthly basis to ensure proper use and restrictions are met. Incumbent ensures that proper fund control point, cost center and budget object codes are used on credit card purchases so as not to distort the accuracy of the hospital's cost report. Incumbent maintains a monthly audit file for credit cards purchases. Incumbent is responsible for working with purchase cardholders regarding costing. Incumbent is responsible for preparing a monthly report of all findings relating to the purchase card audits to the Chief, Accounting Section.
  • The employee maintains accounting records of the medical care cost recovery (MCCR) program and works with Patient Financial Services Section to ensure MCCR records are in balance with the accounting records.
  • The employee performs audits of medical center control points to insure that obligation adjustments are being recorded.
  • The employee works with Fund Control Point Officials to resolve deficiencies.
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: 8 - 4:30PM, Monday - Friday
Telework: 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.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.
Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66.
Retirement:
Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA
Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)
Position Description/PD#: Accountant/PD02038A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized
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.
  • 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

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 12/27/2024.

Basic Requirements

  • 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

  • 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.
Grade Determination

GS-9 Qualifications
  • Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-7) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization that has equipped you with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position. Specialized experience includes but is not limited to: Monitoring expenditures and cash flow; providing budget estimates for normal and special activities; preparing budget requests and justification for funding; using prescribed formulas, schedules, or procedures to calculate or check routine values/numbers; compiling information for preparation of various reports. OR,
  • Education: Two (2) years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree. (Transcript Required) OR,
  • Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond 1 year of graduate-level education.
GS-11 Qualifications
  • Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-9) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization that has equipped you with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position. Specialized experience includes but is not limited to: validate a variety of accounting data, reconcile accounts and prepare balance sheets, supply financial statements, plan and conduct studies to determine the requirement for updated financial information, interpret reports and other financial data for program review and analysis, assist management officials in interpreting and applying recorded financial data for management decisions, and establish and maintain local accounting systems for centralized programs. OR;
  • Education: Three (3) years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree. (Transcript required) OR;
  • Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at the GS-11 level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond 1 year of graduate-level education is creditable.
To calculate, first determine the total qualifying education as a percentage of the education required for the grade level; then determine the experience as a percentage of the experience required for the grade level; finally, add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify for that grade level. A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

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-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.

IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. 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.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-09 to GS-11.

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; religious; 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.

Physical Requirements: The work is mostly of a sedentary nature. Some walking, stooping, or bending is required. The employee often carries files, folders, or boxes. The work does not require any special physical effort.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 12/27/2024.

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: 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

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."

Receiving Service Credit or 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.

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.

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 http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following Competencies for this position:

  • Accounting Operations
  • Computer Skills
  • Customer Service
  • Principles of Accounting


USA Hire Assessments include a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment.

Your experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. 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. IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

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.

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

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.

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