Summary This position functions as an Accountant located within the Finance Service at the Jefferson barracks Veterans' Hospital in St Louis, Missouri. The purpose of this position is to perform the full range of professional accounting work and requires the application of sound accounting principles, theories, concepts and practices. Responsibilities GS-7: Performs a variety of routine, technical and occasionally more complex accounting assignments designed to develop greater professional competence, broad familiarization with the accounting system and the overall objectives concerning the development of a fully qualified accountant. Examines a variety of documents including financial statements for completeness, internal accuracy and conformance with uniform accounting classifications and other specific accounting requirements. Reconciles reports and financial data with financial reports on file, pointing out inconsistencies or errors. Develops annual and monthly budgetary schedules for specific cost categories and accounts for the organization. GS-9: Professional knowledge of accounting practices, concepts, principles and methods sufficient to work independently using conventional procedures that apply to most situations encountered. Basic, general knowledge of VA programs and their governing statutes, regulations, and practices sufficient to perform accounting assignments using generally accepted government accounting methods and techniques. The Accountant independently plans and carries out the assignment using accepted accounting practices. Problems that arise are handled in accordance with instructions, policies and guidelines. GS-11: Plans, coordinates and performs one-time/recurring comprehensive reviews, special studies and selective internal examinations of finance and accounting functions. Verifies reports using source documents and records, reconciles accounts, investigates to determine if transactions are in accordance with pertinent laws and regulations. Applies a professional knowledge of accounting theories, principles, practices, and automated systems. 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. Reviews the work of Accounting Technicians, Financial Analysts, and other services to ensure accuracy and conformity to policy and procedures, instructing them, when necessary, on proper methods and assigning projects to be accomplished. Works closely with systems personnel on the design of automated systems to facilitate the processing of accounting data to ensure the results attained meet all accounting requirements. Reviews report media, directs and/or prepares and analyzes internal and external statements and reports (e.g., Statement of Financial Conditions, Selected Data, Analysis of Costs Incurred and Statement of Selected Support Data, etc.). Analyzes and evaluates current general accounting methods and procedures in terms of adequacy and effectiveness; recommends changes, modifications and improvements in operating procedures. Advises installation operating officials on the manner in which data should be submitted and aids in devising procedures for the collection of such data. Prepares operating changes when revisions are 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. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 730-1530 Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Accountant/PD10434A, PD10435A, and PD10436A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized. Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized. Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this 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 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial 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 or trial 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, 05/08/2026. 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-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. 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. For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-9. 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. 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. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: You must possess one-year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05, GS-7, GS-9 Specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Performing budget, accounting, payroll and/or financial management functions; Interpreting and applying accounting principles, methods, procedures, and techniques; Using various accounting systems and computer systems to maintain financial accounts and accounting data; Reviewing and analyzing reports and documents for accuracy and authorizations, Performing research to resolve any discrepancies relating to obligations, collections, disbursements, or other actions involving complicated adjustments; Reconciling accounts, processing and posting payments; Examining, auditing, and maintaining accounting transactions and balancing general ledger accounts. NOTE: 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. OR, Education: 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. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Reading Financial Management Accounting Organizational Awareness Decisiveness Economics and Accounting Economics Data Management Operating Systems Technical Competence Stress Tolerance Performance Measurement Flexibility 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. 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 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information 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. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. 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. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. 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.
