Accountant

Duties

• Reviews the work of Accounting Technicians to assure accuracy and conformity to policy and procedures instructing them when necessary on proper methods and assigns projects to be accomplished.
• Reviews report media directs and/or prepares and analyzes internal and external statements and reports.
• Prepares operating changes when revisions are required.
• Assignments involve verifying reports with source documents and records reconciling accounts investigating to determine if transactions are in accordance with pertinent laws and regulations.
• Applies a professional knowledge of accounting theories principles practices and automated systems.
• Analyzes and evaluates current general accounting methods and procedures in terms of adequacy and effectiveness; recommends changes modifications and improvements in operating procedures.
• Utilizes a large body of guidelines regulations and statutory requirements to identify such accounting problems as: inadequate maintenance of fund control inaccurate records and reports and lack of documentary evidence to support the performance of regulatory reconciliations.
• Required to perform research to determine and certify the availability of funds.
• The accountant advises managers on the pertinence of accounting data to program operations; advises on the fiscal management of program operations; and promotes efficiency in the distribution reallocation and use of different fund categories.
• 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.
• Makes day-to-day decisions regarding unusual and complex accounting transactions.
• Available to consult on solution of management problems and to provide alternatives through sound application of professional knowledge of the accounting system.
• Assists in designing developing and installing accounting forms and adapting same to meet the requirements of special activities and conditions.
• Plans coordinates and performs one-time/recurring comprehensive reviews special studies and selective internal examinations of finance and accounting functions.
• Analyze program operations in relation to financial management systems; analyze trends in accounting systems and their significance to ongoing programs and commercial operations; resolve problems arising within the accounting system or program operation and determining the need for program redesign modification and change in system hardware software or programming.

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.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm
Telework: This position may be authorized for ad-hoc telework.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Accountant/PD10321A PD10320A and PD10319A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• To be considered for this position you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required.
• Subject to background/security investigation
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements ( Effective May 7 2025 drivers licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)

As a condition of employment for accepting this position you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public determining if your employment advances the public interest we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification in writing that your continued employment advances the public interest.

To qualify for this position applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement 09/24/2026.

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-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-9. For a GS-9 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-7. For a GS-7 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-5. 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 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.

Preferred Experience: Experience in an accounting office performing various accounting responsibilities.

Basic Requirements: To meet the basic requirements for the Accountant position you must meet one of the following:

1. 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

2. 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 applicants background must also include one of the following:
   1. Twenty-four semester hours in accounting or 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 a 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 applicants education training and experience fully meet the specified requirements.

You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:

GS-7 Qualification requirements:

• Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-5 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include but are not limited to: Professional comprehensive knowledge of theories practices methods and techniques of accounting and organizational or program practices policies and functions sufficient to: Independently plan and conduct a variety of assignments and utilize accounting systems or adapt conventional accounting and analytical techniques to solve a variety of accounting problems; OR
• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have 1 year of graduate-level education or superior academic achievement; OR
• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level.

GS-9 Qualification requirements:

• Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-7 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include but are not limited to: Professional comprehensive knowledge of theories practices methods and techniques of accounting; and organizational or program practices policies and functions sufficient to independently plan and conduct a variety of assignments and analyze accounting systems or modify and adapt conventional accounting an analytical techniques to solve a variety of accounting problems. Advanced knowledge of VA programs and their governing statues regulations and practices sufficient to perform accounting assignments using generally accepted Government accounting methods and techniques. Knowledge of computerized systems utilized to prepare documents reports cost comparisons usage in data analysis. Knowledge of appropriations costing structures and regulations governing these requirements; OR
• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have 2 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a masters degree or masters or equivalent graduate degree; OR
• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level.

GS-11 Qualification requirements:

• Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-9 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include but are not limited to: Professional comprehensive knowledge of theories practices methods and techniques of accounting; and organizational or program practices policies and functions sufficient to:
  1. Independently plan and conduct a variety of assignments;
  2. Analyze accounting systems or modify and adapt conventional accounting an analytical techniques to solve a variety of accounting problems; OR
• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree; OR
• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level.

For more information on these qualification standards please visit the United States Office of Personnel Managements website at