Accountant

DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: This position is being filled using Direct-Hire Authority (5 CFR 337.205) for this occupation. The VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System is recruiting for an Accountant. The Accountant will function within Fiscal Service. The position has primary responsibility for establishing and maintaining a complex integrated system of financial system and services which contributes to the effective management control over the facility operations.

Qualifications

In order to qualify for this position - you must meet the following requirements within 30 calendar days of the closing date listed on the announcement: 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-12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-11. 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. 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. Applicants must be eligible under the VA Interchange Agreement - having served continuously for at least one year in the other merit system under this interchange agreement. For more information regarding the VA Interchange Agreement please visit: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-authorities/competitive-hiring/. All Title 38 Veterans Canteen Service (VCS) employees must have served in their Excepted Service position for at least 90 days in order to be eligible for a position within the Competitive Service. Applicants who were previously selected under a Competitive Delegating Examining Office (DEO) announcement must have served in their position for at least 90 days prior to being eligible for other positions within the Competitive Service. This position has an Individual Occupational Requirements (IOR). In order to meet the IOR - you must meet the following:

Basic Requirements

• Education: To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a 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"" in this standard
• Similarly - ""accountant"" should be interpreted - generally - as ""accountant and/or auditor."")
• Transcripts Required OR - Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level
• You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond 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
• or 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 the IOR above - you must also meet the specialized experience below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-11 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization
• Examples of specialized experience would typically include - but are not limited to: Specialized experience may include but is not limited to: Implementing - monitoring - or maintaining internal control systems to ensure protection against fraud - waste - and mismanagement
• consulting or advising others on financial matters
• Determining compliance with accounting and auditing requirements
• Serving as a primary point of contact for a specific subject area
• Explaining or providing guidance on laws - regulations - policies - standards - or procedures to management - personnel - or clients
• Use of prescribed formulas - schedules - tables - or procedures to calculate or check values or numbers
• Notifying individuals or offices in writing of decisions - problems - or further actions needed
• Initiating and maintaining contacts with individuals outside the organization
• Coordinating of the activities of individuals inside or outside of the organization
• Responding to requests or resolving complaints from customers
• Keeping abreast of latest technology - information - research - etc. - to maintain knowledge in field of expertise (for example - reads trade journals - participates in professional/technical associations)
• 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/.

• The Accounting position duties include - but are not limited to: Performs professional accounting duties involving the analysis - verification - and maintenance of financial accounts and accounting data across multiple appropriations in accordance with federal and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) financial policies
• Reconciles general ledger and subsidiary accounts - and financial systems to ensure accuracy - completeness - and integrity of financial data
• Maintains complete audit trails and ensures proper documentation for all financial transactions - reconciliations - and supporting records
• Identifies discrepancies - researches root causes - and performs corrective accounting adjustments across interrelated accounts and appropriations
• Researches - interprets - and applies Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) - federal regulations - and VA financial policies to resolve complex and non-routine accounting issues
• Responds to internal and external audit requests by providing documentation - analysis - and corrective action support
• Trains staff on accounting processes - financial systems - and applicable policies and procedure
• Coordinates with management to identify performance issues - audit deficiencies - and process improvement opportunities
• Prepares financial reports - briefings - and spreadsheets used by management to make key financial decisions
• Utilizes different automated systems in preparation of financial reports/schedules
• Work Schedule: Monday- Friday - 8:00am- 4:30pm Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Telework: Not Authorized Position Description/PD#: Accountant/PD80601A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized