Clarification from the agency

This job is open to current permanent Department of Veteran Affairs employees, current permanent Federal employees of other agencies and all US Citizens.

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30 Day Hiring Model

The Department of Veterans Affairs is implementing a streamlined 30-Day Hiring Model designed to accelerate hiring while maintaining the highest standards of merit-based selection. This improved process reduces traditional hiring timelines by integrating early coordination, faster assessments, and efficient pre-employment actions. Applicants can expect a more transparent, predictable, and efficient hiring journey from announcement to entry on duty.

What Applicants Can Expect

• Expedited Candidate Review Once the announcement closes, Human Resources will quickly review applications, issue certificates of eligible candidates the day after the announcement closes and refer applicants for hiring manager consideration.
• Quick Interviews & References

HR may arrange interviews and will request references within 3-5 days after being referred to the hiring manager.

• Streamlined Pre-Employment Requirements: Following a tentative offer, applicants should be prepared to complete required steps, such as fingerprinting and background check, credentialing, and medical examination within 3 days of the offer.
• Clear and Timely Communication: Applicants will receive clear communication at key milestones, including referral, tentative offer, and onboarding instructions.

After meeting pre-employment requirements, candidates will receive a final job offer and start date. Onboarding tasks may continue after starting, with HR ensuring timely completion for a smooth transition into VA service.

If selected, applicants should be prepared to come onboard within 30 days of the announcement closing.

Serves as the Assistant Chief Financial Officer for the Financial Management Service supporting and acting for the CFO in all fiscal operations located at the Carl T. Hayden VA Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona. Provides oversight of budgeting, accounting, audit, payroll, travel, VERA, and financial reporting functions. Advises leadership, ensures compliance, and manages multiple supervisory responsibilities across Fiscal Service programs.

Duties of the position include but are not limited to:

• Supports the CFO in managing all Financial Management Service operations and serves in an acting capacity during the CFO's absence.
• Oversees station budgeting, fund control, cost analysis, financial reporting, and execution of the annual budget plan.
• Provides ongoing analysis of financial data, recommends adjustments to operating plans, and ensures financial practices meet statutory and regulatory requirements.
• Supervises key Fiscal Service programs including Budget, Accounting, Audit, Payroll, Agent Cashier, Travel, and VERA. Ensures the integrity of financial systems, maintains comprehensive accounting controls, and reviews submissions to VISN and VHA Central Office.
• Manages internal audit processes, verifies compliance with policies, and ensures timely payroll and travel operations.
• Develops and interprets financial reports to support management decision-making, consolidating fiscal and non-fiscal data to evaluate program performance.
• Maintains knowledge of VERA methodology and directs the VERA Coordinator. Provides oversight of fiscal quality assurance and supports the financial needs of the medical center and Community Based Outpatient Clinics.
• Exercises full supervisory authority including hiring, performance management, training, awards, disciplinary actions, workload assignment, and ensuring equal opportunity.
• Responsible for employee safety, adherence to OSHA standards, and supporting a cohesive, high-performing team.
• Coordinates work across multiple service areas and advises senior leadership on financial issues, long-range planning, and operational impacts.

Work Schedule: Full-Time, Monday - Friday, 07:00 am - 3:30 pm MST (Arizona)
Virtual: This position is virtual, meaning the employee will work at a VA facility or VA-leased space other than the hiring facility. Telework is not authorized. The selected candidate must live within 50 miles of a VA Medical Center, VA facility, or VA-leased space. VA supports virtual staffing to attract and retain talent, increase productivity, and maintain continuity during emergencies. Potential duty station may be discussed during the interview process.
Position Description/PD#: Assistant Chief Financial Officer/PD13292A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: May be authorized for highly qualified candidates upon review and approval by management, available funding, and in accordance with agency policy.
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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 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 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, 10/02/2026.

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-13 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-12. 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:

***Applicants MUST meet the Basic Requirement along with the Specialized experience to qualify for the this position.***

Basic Requirements:

• Degree: You must have a 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. These 24 hours may include up to 6 hours of 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: You must have at least 4 years of experience in accounting, or equivalent combination of accounting experience, college-level education, and training that provided professional accounting knowledge. Your background must also include one of the following:
  • Twenty-four semester hours in accounting or auditing (up to 6 hours may be in business law); OR
  • A Certified Public Accountant (CPA) or Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) certificate obtained through written examination ; OR
  • Completion of degree requirements that included substantial accounting or auditing coursework (at least 15 semester hours), AND ALL OF THE BELOW:
    • a) Professional experience at the full-performance level in accounting, auditing, or a related field;
    • b) A determination from a panel of at least two higher-level accountants/auditors that your knowledge is equivalent in breadth, depth, currency, and advancement to the full degree requirement;
    • c) Your education, training, and experience meet all other specified requirements except the literal 24-hour accounting rule.

Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-12 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Managing and supervising personnel, accounting, payroll and audit experience; Expert experience with accounting principles, procedures, and policies in order to manage, provide advice, and make sound judgements regarding assets, liabilities, fund balances, expenses, and revenues; skill in analyzing, interpreting, and applying complex legislation, regulatory decisions to develop budgetary plans, policies, and guidance and to make adjustments to the budget; providing managerial oversight to a full range of fiscal activities; developing accounting policies and standards covering operations; utilizing in-depth knowledge of financial management systems, including administering an accounting system; serving as an expert authority on the maintenance and reconciliation of integrated accounts; and skill in applying investigative and/or root cause analysis techniques in support of accurate and appropriate cost and workload distribution.

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:

• Financial Management
• Financial Systems
• Internal Controls
• Principles of Accounting
• Principles of Finance

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: The work is principally sedentary. Work may require walking and standing in conjunction with travel to and attendance at meetings and conferences away from the work site. Works in an adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated office setting.

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/.

How you will be evaluated

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

This job is open to current permanent Department of Veteran Affairs employees, current permanent Federal employees of other agencies and all US Citizens.

Area of Consideration: Eligible applications will be reviewed and referred in the following order:

1. Current permanent VA employees of the facility.
2. All other VA employees.
3. Current permanent Federal employees of other agencies.
4. All other applicants.

Note: Veterans' Preference is not applicable to VA employees or employees of other Federal agencies but will be applied to all other applications.

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.