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Accounting Technician

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration
Finance Service San Diego VA Healthcare System

Summary

The position is at the full performance level located in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Desert Pacific Healthcare Network (VISN22) and is a standardized position description for use at all VA Medical Centers in the network. The primary purpose of the accounting technician is the technical work of collecting, recording, and maintenance of general ledger accounts and subsidiary records in support of accountants, auditors, and financial officers.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
02/09/2026 to 02/18/2026
This job will close when we have received 50 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Salary
$57,641 to - $74,935 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 7
Location
Many vacancies in the following location:
San Diego, CA
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time - Monday through Friday, 0730-1600 PST
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
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
No
Announcement number
CBSX-12876732-26-JL
Control number
856925900

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Duties

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Duties include but are not limited to the following:

  • Examines, verifies, and maintains financial accounts and accounting data and classifies accounting transactions including the verification of the accuracy and completeness of the accounting data across multiple appropriations.
  • Determines the general ledger accounts, journals, and subsidiary accounts affected, and the debit and credit entries to be made.
  • Summarizes transactions and prepares control documents or other documents reflecting the entries to be made.
  • Responsible for the maintenance, auditing, and reconciliation of the general and subsidiary ledger accounts, for the preparation of accurate and timely reports, and for the control of funds.
  • Determines the nature of errors and make adjustments in the correct appropriation to a variety of interrelated accounts.
  • Documents financial transactions to assure a proper audit trail.
  • Reviews pending items and ensures that follow-up action is taken on all items pending for excessive periods of time.
  • Analyzes documents for accuracy and authorization.
  • Responsible for working with numerous different unrelated systems, such as Financial Management System (FMS), Integrated Funds Distribution, Control Point Activity, Accounting and Procurement System (IFCAP), Veterans Information Systems Technology Architecture (VISTA), Invoice Payment Processing System (IPPS), Federal Records System (FRS), Accounts Receivable, Concur, LEAF, Microsoft Outlook, Excel and Office and Internet Explorer.
  • Determines the general ledger accounts, journals, and subsidiary accounts affected, and the debit and credit entries to be made.
  • Summarizes transactions and prepares control documents or other posting documents.
  • Analyzes documents for accuracy and authorization, such as the Financial Indicators Report, obligations, and payments.
  • Determines proper cost centers, budget object codes (BOC), appropriations and fund control points to be entered into a computerized cost accounting system.
  • Monitors and makes input to current vendor file so that vendors may be paid promptly under the FMS system.
  • Compiles and verifies data, frequently developing worksheets to improve the accuracy and completeness of information.
  • Prepares schedules reflecting the status of accounts and prepares monthly reconciliations and adjustments.
  • Researches and resolves complex issues in a paperless system as more and more processes become automated, including, but not limited to vendor issues, missing payments, and rejects.
  • Review and process receiving reports for payment, review and process 1358 invoices for payment, and verify transmission.
  • Performs Fiscal Daily Review, resolve error messages and rejects, and perform various accounting utilities.
  • Responsible for the maintenance, auditing, and reconciliation of the general and subsidiary ledger accounts, for the preparation of accurate and timely reports, and for the control of funds.
  • Determines the nature of errors and makes adjustments in the correct appropriation to a variety of interrelated accounts.
  • Maintains control of receipts and deposits and related tracking mechanisms.
  • Trains and consults control point users and other customers throughout the Medical Center, providing expert advice and guidance concerning Fiscal and financial policies, procedures, and regulations.

Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 0730-1600 PST
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Accounting Technician/PD13863A
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 (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). 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 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, 02/18/2026.

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-07 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-06. 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.


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-06 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: performing clerical, assistant or technician level work in support of a budget, accounting, payroll and/or financial management functions; understanding accounting principles, methods, procedures, and techniques; making determinations within an accounting system to validate transactions and to perform research to resolve inconsistencies; and utilizing accounting system software package applications and computer systems to perform a variety of accounting related duties. NOTE: 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.
You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:
  • Accounting
  • Attention to Detail
  • Technical Competence


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.

Preferred Experience:
  • Knowledge or experience with traditional accounting practices including accrual, obligations and costs methods.
  • Knowledge of a variety of accounting, budget, and control point functional areas and their relationships to other functions to research or investigate problems or errors that require reconciling and reconstructing incomplete information.
  • Knowledge of personal computer software, including but not limited to Microsoft Office application (Excel, Word, Outlook, etc.), word processing, internet, and communications.
  • Ability to communicate both verbally and in writing with all levels of personnel.

Physical Requirements: The work is principally sedentary, in a highly automated environment. It is usually accomplished while seated at a desk or table. Some work may require walking in an office or warehouse setting. Work may also require walking and standing in conjunction with travel to and attendance at meetings and conferences. Incumbent may be required to carry small file boxes into storage, lift a cash box, carry light items or drive a motor vehicle. Typical safety precautions, such as pulling file drawers, dropping equipment, etc., are to be observed. Electrical safety precautions must be observed in working around computers.

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/.

Education

There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

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.

How you will be evaluated

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

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview. Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.

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.

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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