Lead Accountant
Veterans Health Administration - Department of Veterans Affairs
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 11/25/2024. Basic Requirement: Individual Occupational Requirements: This occupation also has Individual Occupational Requirements. The education must be accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained. To qualify for the GS 0510 occupational series, applicants MUST have one of the following: 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. ADDITIONAL QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS: In addition to meeting the above Individual Occupational Requirements (IOR), you must also meet the Time in Grade requirement and possess the Specialized Experience as described below. 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. 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.. You may qualify based on your experience as described below: Specialized Experience (GS-12): You must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience at least the next lower grade level (GS-11) that has equipped me with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position, and that is typically in or related to the position. Qualifying specialized experience includes: Ability to articulate and communicate to the team the assignment/project problem to be solved, actionable events, milestones, and/or program issues under review, along with deadlines and time frames for completion. Ability to coach the team in the selection and application of appropriate problem-solving methods and techniques. Provide advice on work methods, practices, and procedures. Utilize knowledge of Obligations, Payments, Accounts Receivable, Suspense accounts, Auditing Requirements, and other accounting policies. Ability to comply with accounting policies audits and reviews and follow up on bills of collection. Recommend to the Chief of Accounting on decisions regarding methods to be used which require in-depth analysis of the effect a project could have on related parts of the system. Proficient in two computerized accounting systems at the Medical Center: Accounting and Procurement (IFCAP) and Financial Management System (FMS). Prepare reports and maintain records of work accomplishments and administrative information, as required, and coordinate the preparation, presentation and communication of work-related information to the supervisor. Prepare reports and maintain records of work accomplishments and administrative information, as required, and coordinate the preparation, presentation and communication of work-related information to the supervisor. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Budget Administration Control of Funds Customer Service (Clerical/Technical) Lead or Supervise Principles of Accounting 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: Work is primarily sedentary, but involves use of a personal computer so a degree of manual dexterity and visual acuity sufficient to utilize these tools is required. Some physical effort is required in that incumbent lifts and carries reference books, working papers and similar items to and from meetings. A moderate amount of standing and walking is required in getting to and from meeting places away from the worksite. No special physical demands are required. 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/.
Serves as the Lead Account and is responsible for the maintenance of a double entry commercial type accounting and accountability for appropriations, revolving funds and trust fund accounts. In the absence of the Chief Accountant, the incumbent may assume technical responsibility for the operation of the section, requiring independent thinking and judgement and an overall knowledge of accounting operations.