Clarification from the agency

ALL US CITIZENS and CTAP/ICTAP eligible applicants. DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: This position is being filled using Direct-Hire Authority (5 CFR 337.201) for this occupation.

Major Duties:

• Monitors and controls data by timely recording, coding, balancing and scrutinizing for inaccurate accounts.
• Applies generally well-known principles, techniques and theories of accounting to assist in devising solutions to problems of efficiency and effectiveness.
• Prepares journal vouchers for the accounting system or financial statement application.
• Interprets various appropriations, allotment restrictions, accounts, and financial reports and advises of the proper appropriations and documentation and method of obligation.
• Reconciles accounts, researches transactions, reviews accounting reports, status of fund reports and other financial reports for the preparation of summary statements and reports.
• Analyzes, evaluates, and resolves out-of-balance conditions on financial reports.
• Advises on and/or performs professional accounting and financial duties.
• Prepares, updates and maintains standard operating procedures, instructions and guidance in accordance with policy governing VA accounting.
• Makes recommendations on the structure and operation of the accounting system and the use of financial data.
• Meets with customers and other employees to gather information and analyze processes and procedures to improve efficiency and meet the needs of customers.
• Prepare and coordinate the processing of outgoing and incoming mail.
• Consistently communicates and treats customers, Veterans, their representatives, visitors, all VA staff, and staff of other agencies in a courteous, tactful, and respectful manner.
• Handles conflicts and problems in dealing with customers constructively and appropriately.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
Compressed Work Schedule: At Supervisory discretion.
Telework: Not authorized.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description Title/PD#: Accountant/PD20586A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required
Physical Requirements: The work is principally sedentary with some carrying of computer reports, boxes, and ledgers.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job
• Subject to a background/suitability investigation
• Designated and/or random drug testing may be required
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• A complete application package; including Resume, Transcripts, etc. is required
• 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 identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary 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, if applicable, 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.

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

Individual Occupational Requirements

Basic 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 oneof 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.

AND

Specialized Experience:

GS-09 grade level: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-07 grade level in the federal service); experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) and other characteristics to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience includes:

• Experience applying generally accepted accounting principles, practices, and techniques to perform accounting assignments with supervisory oversight.
• Assisting with validating a variety of accounting data, reconciling accounts, preparing reports/statements, investigating.
• Correcting out-of-line and out-of-balance conditions.

OR

Applicants may substitute education for the experience required for the GS-09 level.

OR

Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at the GS-09 level.

To calculate, first identify the percentage of required education you have earned (when substituting, you cannot use the first 60 semester hours that you earned). Then identify the percentage of required experience you possess. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify at the GS-09. For example, an applicant who has 9 semester hours of graduate level education (i.e. 50% of graduate education required) and 6 months of creditable specialized experience (i.e. 50% of the required experience) would equal 100% of the required experience for the position A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

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.

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. Applicants will be referred in the order in which they were received.