This position is located in the Fiscal Service, Accounting and Operations Sections within the VA Boston Healthcare System at the Jamaica Plain, MA campus. The Accountant position performs the full range of professional accounting work requiring the application of sound accounting principles, theories, concepts and practices.

Duties

***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION*** The major duties include but are not limited to: Provides assistance, performs review, analysis and evaluation of existing and proposed accounting practices; Responsible for fiscal law, rules, regulations, policies, automated accounting and non-accounting systems, and procedures pertinent to financial management or accounting matters within the department or assigned program area; Works independently on continuing assignments or projects that require application of VA generally accepted principles, practices and theories of professional accounting; Performs special projects and assignments for automated financial systems, daily review of accounting outputs and maintains oversight of the edit master files; Works closely with systems personnel on the design of automated systems to facilitate the processing of accounting data to assure the results attained meet all accounting requirements; Performs special reviews and analyses to ensure the integrity of the general control system and prepares special reports and financial statements relating to the financial condition of specified program activities; Reviews the work of other fiscal staff to assure accuracy and conformity to policies and procedures and instructs them when necessary on the proper methods and assigns projects to be accomplished; Works closely with activities and their designated resource personnel in promoting understanding and effective application of financial management/accounting policies and procedures and monitors the implementation of new and/or supplemental accounting systems and procedures; Identifies source of problems, impact on other elements in the accounting systems, accounting adjustments required and recommends procedural changes to preclude reoccurrence of problems identified; Assists program managers in developing accounting data structure and participates in the planning, coordination, direction of meetings and telephone conferences associated with accounting closeouts or reorganization events; Makes day-to-day decisions regarding unusual and complex accounting transactions and is available to consult on solution of management problems and provides alternatives through sound application of professional knowledge of the accounting system; and Performs other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 am until 4:30 pm Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved Telework: VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.

Requirements

Qualifications

Basic Educational Requirement: Degree: Bachelor's 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. The 24 hours may include up to 6 hours of credit in business law. The term "accounting" means "accounting and/or auditing". NOTE: You must submit transcripts with your application. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED unofficial or official) ~OR~ Combination: 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: a. Twenty-four semester hours in accounting or auditing courses of appropriate type and quality. This can include up to 6 hours of business law (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED unofficial or official); or, b. A certificate as Certified Public Accountant or a Certified Internal Auditor, obtained through written examination (Copy of Certificate required); or, c. 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 above. (SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED); 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.(TRANSCRIPT unofficial or official and ALL SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED) ~AND~ In addition to meeting the Basic Educational Requirement, you must also meet one of the following Minimum Qualification Requirements for the GS-11 level: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: You must have at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-9) in Federal Service that has equipped you with knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the duties of this Accountant position, and that is typically related to the work of the position. Qualifying experience includes serving as a professional accountant, applying knowledge of various accounting systems and of well-established accounting principles, techniques, and regulations to process a wide variety of transactions; developing a variety of financial reports, worksheets, etc.; examining and analyzing accounting documents to verify accuracy of computations and transactions; advising management on financial management problems and issues. NOTE: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. ~OR~ Education: You must have three (3) years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree with a major field of study directly related to the Accountant position. NOTE: TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED unofficial or official. ~OR~ Combination: You must have equivalent combinations of successfully completed graduate-level education (beyond 36 semester hours) directly related to the work of this Accountant position and specialized experience, as described above. NOTE: TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED unofficial or official. You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: AccountingAccounting OperationsAnalytical ReasoningCost Accounting IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. 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. 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; religious; 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. Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary. However, there may be some walking, standing, bending, and carrying of items such as papers and books. The work is typically performed in an adequately lighted and climate-controlled office. 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

IMPORTANT: 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: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov).

Contacts

• Address VA Boston Healthcare System 940 Belmont Street Brockton, MA 02301 US
• Name: VHA National Recruitment Center
• Phone: (844)456-5208
• Email: [email protected]