This position is being recruited at the VA Regional Office (RO) Support Services Division, in Chicago, IL. The incumbent will serve as an Accountant providing accounting and financial reporting of the Regional Office. The incumbent assist with implementing VA accounting policy, performs financial management system and general ledger operations, and prepares financial statements and reports. In addition, audits and adjusts Veteran benefit payments, and performs budget analysis and development.

Duties

Ensure accurate reporting of all accounting, cost and budget data, and facilitate the efficient use of allocated funds for the Regional Office (RO). Develop and implement electronic applications and spreadsheets. Conduct internal control reviews and prepare audit finding reports. Perform training needs assessment and prepare and present finance related training. Assist in preparing and maintaining financial budgets. Monitor a system of internal controls to prevent over-obligation of funds, omission of obligations, or obligation of funds at a rate that would cause untimely exhaustion of RO funds. Design special administrative accounting reports for management. Interpret regulatory, fiscal, and accounting directives issued by VA Central Office, the Comptroller General, Treasury, and the Office of Management and Budget. Advise the Director and other staff officials of required procedures Analyze potential impacts of evolving financial directives.

Requirements

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job.
• Selectees are subject to a background/suitability investigation.
• Selective Service registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• A probationary period may be required for employees and supervisors.
• A complete application package; Resume, Transcripts, etc.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement 11/22/2023. . The Office associated individual occupational requirements (IOR), and individual qualification standards covering white collar occupations in the Federal competitive service can be found: Here NOTE: Applicants must meet both the Basic Requirement and the Specialized experience as stated below. Basic Requirements (A) 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 (B) 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 one of the following: Twenty-four semester hours in accounting or auditing courses of appropriate type and quality. This can include up to 6 hours of business law; A certificate as Certified Public Accountant or a Certified Internal Auditor, obtained through written examination; or 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: To qualify at the GS-07 Grade level: Applicants must have one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-07) in federal or other service, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience is defined as: 1) Analyzing overall business operations, looking at trends, incoming revenue, and outgoing financial obligations within and organization; 2) Preparing accounting records, financial statements, or other financial reports; 3) Providing advice to managers or staff on meeting regulatory requirements; 4) Identifying problems in accounting practices and recommend solutions; AND 5) Preparing reports for managers regarding funds usage and availability. To qualify at the GS-09 Grade level: Applicants must have one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-07) in federal or other service, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience is defined as: 1) maintaining data within financial data systems; 2) applying Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and accounting standards to professional accounting duties; 3)assisting in preparing and/or auditing financial statements and related reports; 4) applying laws, regulations and policies when preparing and/or auditing financial statements and reports; AND 5) compiling and analyzing data for accuracy and compliance with specific accounting requirements. To qualify at the GS-11 Grade level: Applicants must have one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-09) in federal or other services, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience is defined as: 1) developing spreadsheets to track income and expenses; 2) assisting with preparing cost estimates, budget forecasts and other accounting reports; 3) Interpreting and applying accounting regulations for an organization or business; 4) preparing accounting procedures or reports for presentations; AND 5) implementing and monitoring procedures to ensure policy compliance. Note: 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.

Education

Applicants may also qualify by substituting education for experience. If you are claiming to qualify based on your education, your application must include an official or unofficial copy of transcripts that demonstrate the required information.

GS-7: Applicants may substitute Graduate Education to qualify for grade GS-7. Applicants may substitute education for experience with at least one full academic year (18 semester hours or 27 quarter hours) of graduate level education from an accredited college or university 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.

Applicants may Qualify with Superior Academic Achievement (SAA) for grade GS-7. If you have been awarded a bachelor's degree (or equivalent undergraduate 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, from an accredited college or university, AND that degree meets one of the following superior academic achievement provisions, you may qualify exclusively based on education:

a. Ranked in the upper 1/3 of your college class or major subdivision at the time you apply, OR
b. Earned election to a national scholastic honor society that meets the requirements of the Association of College Honor Societies other than freshman honor societies, OR
c. Earned a grade point average (GPA) of 2.95 or higher on a 4.0 scale based on all completed undergraduate courses or all undergraduate classes completed during the final two years (the final 60 semester hours or 90 quarter hours); or earned a GPA of 3.45 or higher on a 4.0 scale based on all completed undergraduate courses in your major, or all undergraduate courses in your major completed during the final two years. Regarding the superior academic achievement provisions, if more than 10% of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) was taken on a pass/fail or similar basis, you can qualify only on the basis of your class standing or membership in an honor society.

Applicants may substitute a combination of graduate education and specialized experience to qualify for the position at the GS 7 grade level. If you have some, but not all, of the graduate education described above AND less than one full year of the specialized experience described above, you may qualify by combining the amount of creditable education and experience that you do have. Only graduate level education can be used in combination with experience to qualify for grade GS-07. To calculate, first identify the percentage of qualifying education you have as a percentage of one year of study. Next, identify the percentage of specialized experience you have as a percentage of 12 months. Then, add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100% for you to qualify for the position at the grade GS-7 level.

GS-09: Applicants may substitute Graduate Education to qualify for grade GS-9. Applicants may substitute education for experience with an awarded master's or equivalent graduate degree from an accredited college or university, or two full years (36 semester hours or 54 quarter hours) of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree. This graduate degree or education must be 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.

Applicants may substitute a combination of graduate education and specialized experience to qualify for grade GS-9. If you have some, but not all, of the graduate education described above AND less than one full year of the specialized experience described above, you may qualify by combining the amount of creditable education and experience that you do have. Only graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level, and earned toward a master's degree, may be used to qualify applicants for positions at grade GS-9. To calculate, first identify the education you have earned beyond your first year of study as a percentage of a total of two years of study. Then identify the number of months of specialized experience you have as a percentage of 12 months. Add the two percentages. The total must equal at least 100 percent in order to be qualifying.

Applicants may substitute education for the experience required at the Grade 11 Level: With3 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree

OR

Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at the GS-11: To calculate, first identify the percentage of required graduate education you have earned. Note: When substituting, you cannot use the first two years of Graduate studies (The First 36 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-11.

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

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: Here

Contacts

• Address Chicago Regional Benefit Office 2122 W Taylor St Chicago, IL 60612 US
• Name: HRC-Detroit DEU
• Phone: 313-596-7213
• Email: [email protected]