This position is located in the Medical Center's Finance Service. The purpose of this position is to perform the full range of professional accounting work requiring the application of sound accounting principles, theories, concepts and practices.

Duties

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: The operating accountant is responsible for the detailed and efficient operation and control of day to day fiscal activities at this facility. Provides analysis and technical expertise for accounting matters to the chief, accountant, Fiscal Officer and upper management. Responsible for the completion of miscellaneous or special assignments from local management as well as VISN and/or VACO financial management Provides guidance and assistance to lower graded accountants, accounting interns and technicians in the resolution of complex problems, the interpretation of written guidelines and similar technical matters. Initiates, leads, and/or participates in special studies or reviews of accounting operations and prepares reports, automated systems changes and/or standard operating procedures based on study results. Reviews Command and higher echelon regulations, procedures and policy guidance, audit findings, customer complaints and managerial directives dealing with day-to-day operations to identify new requirements, sources of problems, interfaces with other appropriations/accounting systems and functions susceptible to more economical, efficient and effective operation. Gathers and analyzes data from a variety of sources. Coordinates with specialists in other units of the Comptroller or affected elements of the Command and serviced activities to develop corrective approaches to problem situations. Performs other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; 8:00 am - 4:30 pm Position Description Title/PD#: Accountant/PD01160A Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary. Employee must be able to get around the office and to other offices; no significant physical ability or exertion is required. Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level. ****All required documentation must be uploaded before the announcement closes, to support eligibility.**** Failure to submit documentation will constitute the application being categorized as incomplete and therefore ineligible for referral.

Requirements

• 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
• May serve a probationary period
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• 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, 12/26/2023. Basic Requirements: 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 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. 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-9 GS-9 SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: One year of specialized experience (equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-07) in the Federal Service). Specialized experience includes identifying accounting problems such as inadequate maintenance of fund controls, inaccurate records and reports, improper methods for document control, and lack of documentary evidence to support performance of regulatory reconciliations. Examples of Specialized Experience may include: checking data and comparing reports or transactions to source documents, or authorizations against transactions to ensure their acceptability for further processing; drafting simple instructions to describe internal accounting procedures for a procedures manual to be prepared by a senior accountant; assisting senior auditors in executing portions of an audit plan that tracks process flow, verifies reported data, or assures that functional operating instructions generate desired results; conducting searches of budget and financial records to provide factual data on the amount and type of funds available for submission to others within the employing entity who will use the data to prepare budget estimates and reprogramming actions; or serving as a source of information on specific rules and procedures governing the processing of routine budgetary actions. OR;. GS-9 EDUCATION: Applicants may substitute education for the experience required for the GS-9 level which is completion of two (2) years of progressively higher level graduate education or a Master's Degree or equivalent graduate degree which provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the Accountant. Only graduate level education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be combined with experience. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED) OR; GS-9 COMBINING EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at the GS-9 level. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED) GS-11 GS-11 SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must possess at least one (1) full year of specialized experience (equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-9) in the Federal Service). Specialized experience includes identifying accounting problems in an automated accounting system such as inadequate maintenance of fund controls, inaccurate records and reports, lack of documentary evidence to support performance of reconciliations required by regulation, and improper methods of document control. Examples of Specialized Experience should include: Accounting - uses conventional accounting methods to reconcile payroll system and general ledger payroll data and to analyze internal controls over accounts receivable over payments. Auditing - uses standard audit procedures to measure the degree of program and financial management compliance with regulations and adherence to accepted accounting principles and management practices. Budget Analysis - applies specific budgetary rules, regulations, principles, and procedures associated with all phases of budget formulation and execution related to segments of the budget for assigned support activities. OR; GS-11 EDUCATION: Applicants may substitute education for the experience required for the GS-11 level which is completion of three (3) years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree which provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the Accountant. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED) OR; GS-11 COMBINING EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at the GS-11 level. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED) 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-9 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-7. 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. 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-XX. 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.

Education

A legible 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.

Contacts

• Address Wilmington VA Medical Center 1601 Kirkwood Highway Wilmington, DE 19805 US
• Name: Amanda Griffin-Fikes
• Phone: 216-791-2300 X42198
• Email: [email protected]