The Pathways Internship Program allows students to join VA in career positions that emphasize long-term training and development. As a participant in the Workforce Recruitment Program, the employee assists other employees at the Iowa City VA Health Care System (ICVAHCS) Finance Department in administrative and computer support. This developmental position involves work in a mix of functional areas to include administrative, operations, computer and systems support.

Duties

This position is being filled under the Pathways Internship Program. The program is designed to provide students enrolled in a wide variety of educational institutions, from high school to graduate level, with paid work opportunities in agencies to explore Federal careers while still in school. The Internship provides managers a ready source of student employees and potential permanent employees upon completion of the program requirements. It also provides the student with work experience directly related to the curriculum studies or career goals while offering eligibility for non-competitive conversion to permanent employment upon completion. For more information on Internship opportunities within the Department of Veterans Affairs, please visit: https://www.va.gov/EMPLOYEE/pathways-internship-program/. Major duties include but are not limited to: Review undelivered orders and payables of a variety of reasons to include outstanding balances, payments, delivery dates, amendments and proper costing. Has the ability to run and analyze a variety of reports used in daily and monthly reconciliations. Review and follow-up on open invoices in the One Line Certification and/or Invoice Payment Processing System. Reconcile the Beneficiary Travel Database against the Agent Cashier Replenishment. Contact services and the FSC regarding receiving report variances before processing the receiving reports. Research and provide the Travel Clerk with cost comparisons for the Finance Department in the Fed Traveler system, as well as set up employee profiles, travel plans, expense reports, and accounting strings. Use government per diem rates to calculate maximum amount authorized to travel. Review, date stamp and distribute incoming mail on a daily basis. Review timecard corrections in the electronic time and attendance system. Review and transmit payroll to Austin on the assigned pay date. Become familiar with microcomputer hardware and software and assist novice users with applications as needed. Work Schedule: Part-time, approximately 20 hours per week. Days and times to be discussed during interviews. Position Title/PD#: Student Trainee (Accounting) - Pathways Intern/PD50169A Telework: Not available Financial Disclosure: Not required Bargaining Unit Position: Yes - AFGE Conversion Potential: The intern may be considered for a noncompetitive conversion to a GS-5/6 Accounting Technician (0525) or Agent Cashier (0530), provided that the intern completes at least 640 hours of work experience acquired through the Internship Program while enrolled as a full-time or part-time, degree- or certificate-seeking student. The VA Midwest Health Care Network advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being.

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 07/24/2023. Internship Program: To be eligible, applicants must be accepted for enrollment or currently enrolled and seeking a degree (diploma, certificate, etc.) in a qualifying educational institution, on a full or half-time basis as defined by the institution in which you are enrolled. (Note: Proof of enrollment and/or a transcript is required with the application.) The duties of the internship program position should be related to applicants academic or career goals. You may qualify based on education and/or experience as described below: General Experience: You must have one year of general experience in progressively responsible clerical, office, or other work that provided familiarity with basic principles of accounting, budget, or financial management; OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the experience required. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have completed 2 full academic years of post-high school study or an associate's degree; OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. When combining education and experience to meet the minimum requirements, first determine your total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required for the grade level. Next determine your education as a percentage of the education required for the grade level. To determine if you have met the minimum requirement, add the education percentage and experience percentage. The total percentage must equal or exceed 100 percent. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Computer SkillsInterpersonal SkillsLearning 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. 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/. Physical Requirements: The work is generally sedentary, although there may be occasional lifting and bending of mild physical ability and physical stress. Work Environment: The work is performed in an office setting with adequate lighting, heating and ventilation.

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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Students must possess an acceptable average G.P.A. as defined by the educational institution to be eligible for appointment and to remain eligible for participation in the Program. As applicable, at the time of appointment and upon request, students must demonstrate an overall Grade-Point Average (G.P.A.) of 2.0 or above on a 4.0 scale as recorded on the official transcript.

Contacts

• Address Iowa City VA Health Care System 601 Highway 6 West Iowa City, IA 52246 US
• Name: Sarah Drey
• Phone: 319-339-7047
• Email: [email protected]