Summary The incumbent will serve as the Accountant for the day-to-day accounting operations to include maintenance of General Ledger Control Accounts and Subsidiary Records for Medical Care and research appropriations, General Fund Receipts, Compensated Work Therapy, Patient Funds, General post Funds and Suspense Account Funds at the Fayetteville VA Medical Center. Maintains same accounts for the National Cemeteries serviced by the medical center. Responsibilities Duties include but are not limited to: Responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Accounting Section which operates on a double entry accrual basis under the FMS System, PAID system, and VISTA system. Performs a variety of duties which include making decisions as to proper accounting treatment in classifying unusual and/or irregular or nonrecurring transactions not covered under existing regulations and coordinating the activities of the Accounting Section to meet schedules and report deadlines and advising or assisting accounting Technicians. Establishes quality controls and checks and, when necessary, work measurements to ensure the highest quality of work are produced. Reviews output periodically to assure compliance with prescribed regulations and policies. Implements new and/or revised accounting instructions, new programs, new reporting procedures and recording methods and organization structures to achieve maximum efficiency in utilizing personnel, space, and equipment. Reviews transactions recorded throughout the system to assure accuracy and uniformity of appropriation charges and accounting concepts applies. Responsible for reviewing all accounting manual changes of VA Handbooks, Directives, and other written polices affecting accounting operations. Incumbent shall analyze and implement changes into operation, by independently solving technical accounting problems relating to all phases of work involving the change. Incumbent is required to use sound judgment in establishing local procedures to ensure accounting principles are adhered to. Performs a variety of duties in connection with the maintenance, reconciliation, and auditing of accounts in a general ledger covering a full range of assets, liabilities, income, expense, cost accounting, and budgeting. Researches, interprets, and verifies which appropriation and general ledger accounts a document and subsequent accounting transactions will affect; establishes routines for input of these transactions. Assigns transactions that will have the proper accounting effect. Documents financial transactions to assure a proper audit trail. Reviews pending items and ensures that follow-up action is taken on all items pending for excessive periods of time. Performs test audits to determine validity and accuracy of accounting records and application of accounting controls adapting the system to fit special circumstances encountered, and where appropriate, makes decisions on technical accounting matters or problems involving the application of comprehensive knowledge of accounting and the functions and responsibilities of the VA and this Medical Center. Ensures the timely preparation of reports for VISN, Department of Treasury, VA Headquarters, and local management. Analyzes general ledger accounts to ensure accuracy of reports. Analyzes documents for accuracy and authorization. Work Schedule: 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM, Monday - Friday Telework: AD-HOC Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Accountant/PD076260 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Requirements Conditions of Employment 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 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 (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification 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 2-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In 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 period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 03/12/2026. Basic Occupational Requirement: Degree: Bachelor's degree (or higher) 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.(TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED) 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. You must qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:GS-11 level: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-09 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Analyzes and interprets routine information; coordinates with others to accomplish work related activities; processes or records financial transactions or numerical information; verifies accuracy and completeness of information on paper or computer documents or records; prepares operating changes when revisions are required. 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. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond a master degree. 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. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. 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. Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary. Typically the employee may sit comfortably to do the work. There may be some walking, standing, bending, and carrying of light items such as focus group audio visual equipment, Xerox paper and books. 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 An Official 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act. Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.
