The position is located in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Office of Finance's Operations and Support Financial Policy section. The incumbent reports to the Supervisory Accountant, Financial Policy and Procedures, and provides professional accounting and financial management comprehensive policy support. As such, the incumbent provides guidance as assigned by the supervisor, to assist VHA managers responsible for the accounting and financial management of VHA programs.

Duties

Duties include, but are not limited to: Apply principles, techniques, and theories of accounting and financial management to ensure sound compliance with all VA financial regulations, policies, and statutes and the Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Board (FASAB). Effectively apply professional accounting knowledge to assure that accounting and performance reporting results fulfill the needs and requirements of regulatory agencies and VHA management. Research, review, and analyze financial policies, procedures, systems, regulations, proposed legislation, and advisory opinions relating to VHA financial activities to ensure that all necessary financial and operating systems policies are current and consistent with guidance. Advise VHA management of recommended updates to policies, procedures, system requirements due to statutory changes and requirements and technological advances relating to VHA programs. Advises VHA staff, in VHA program offices and field stations, regarding the application of fiscal policies, plans, standards, and procedures; provides analysis and advice on financial matters to VHA program officials, managers, and resources administrators. Maintain liaison and collaborate with staff offices to develop fiscal policies and procedures to meet the needs of VHA, and to provide modifications and refinements due to changing conditions and requirements. Write manuals, directives, standards and reports used for managing VHA's accounting and financial management programs. Conduct research regarding the advancement of fiscal concepts, techniques, processing methods. Plans, develops, and evaluates pilots' studies and test procedures in connection with these activities. Perform advisory duties associated with the management and control of VHA resources and funds. Perform program/project management including design, scope, implementation and monitoring of projects, assignments, and programs. Examine, analyze, and interpret financial policies and procedures associated with the management and control of VHA resources and/or funds. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30am - 4:30pm Telework: Yes, according to agency policy Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Accountant/PD115090 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 08/28/2023. 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: Individual Occupational Requirements IOR - Basic Education Requirement: A. Degree: accounting or 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. OR B. Combination of education and experience: At least 4 years of experience in accounting, or 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 of 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 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 In addition to meeting the basic education requirements, you must possess the required specialized experience, education, or combination of experience and education as identified below.GS-13 SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-12) which provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the Accountant position. Specialized experience includes but is not limited to: Experience that demonstrates professional knowledge analyzing financial policies and procedures to ensure all are current and consistent with guidance; Experience advising management of recommended updates to policies, procedures and system requirements due to statutory changes and requirements and technical advances; Experience collaborating with staff offices to develop fiscal policies and procedures and to provide modifications and refinements due to changing conditions and requirements; Effectively applies professional accounting knowledge to assure that accounting and reporting results fulfill the needs and requirements of regulatory agencies and VHA management; And experience writing manuals, directives, standards and reports used for managing VHA's accounting and financial management programs. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Analytical Reasoning Attention to Detail Financial Systems Compliance 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 as primarily sedentary. There. will be. some walking within the Campus area. There will transportation to and froth stations and occasional travel outside the duty station is also anticipated. 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

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.

Contacts

• Address VHA Servicing Human Resources Office - 2 2402 Wildwood Ave Suite 301 Sherwood, AR 72120 US
• Name: VHA National Recruitment Center
• Phone: (844)456-5208
• Email: [email protected]