Accountant

SummaryDIRECT 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.QualificationsIn 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 RequirementsEducation: 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 accountingor a degree in a related field such as business administration - finance - or public administration that included or was supplemented by 24 semester hours in accountingThe 24 hours may include up to 6 hours of credit in business law(The term ""accounting"" means ""accounting and/or auditing"" in this standardSimilarly - ""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 levelYou 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 knowledgeThe applicant's background must also include one of the following: Twenty-four semester hours in accounting or auditing courses of appropriate type and qualityThis can include up to 6 hours of business lawor A certificate as Certified Public Accountant or a Certified Internal Auditor - obtained through written examinationor 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 Aand (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 requirementsIn 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 organizationExamples 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 mismanagementconsulting or advising others on financial mattersDetermining compliance with accounting and auditing requirementsServing as a primary point of contact for a specific subject areaExplaining or providing guidance on laws - regulations - policies - standards - or procedures to management - personnel - or clientsUse of prescribed formulas - schedules - tables - or procedures to calculate or check values or numbersNotifying individuals or offices in writing of decisions - problems - or further actions neededInitiating and maintaining contacts with individuals outside the organizationCoordinating of the activities of individuals inside or outside of the organizationResponding to requests or resolving complaints from customersKeeping 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/.DutiesThe 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 policiesReconciles general ledger and subsidiary accounts - and financial systems to ensure accuracy - completeness - and integrity of financial dataMaintains complete audit trails and ensures proper documentation for all financial transactions - reconciliations - and supporting recordsIdentifies discrepancies - researches root causes - and performs corrective accounting adjustments across interrelated accounts and appropriationsResearches - interprets - and applies Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) - federal regulations - and VA financial policies to resolve complex and non-routine accounting issuesResponds to internal and external audit requests by providing documentation - analysis - and corrective action supportTrains staff on accounting processes - financial systems - and applicable policies and procedureCoordinates with management to identify performance issues - audit deficiencies - and process improvement opportunitiesPrepares financial reports - briefings - and spreadsheets used by management to make key financial decisionsUtilizes different automated systems in preparation of financial reports/schedulesWork Schedule: Monday- Friday - 8:00am- 4:30pm Virtual: This is not a virtual positionTelework: 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