Accountant

Full Job Description

This position is located in Hines, Illinois and is organizationally aligned under the Office of Management, VA Central Office.

The incumbent in this position functions as an Accountant and serves under the leadership and purview of the Division Chief.

The incumbent of this position is tasked with providing professional accounting duties and financial management support for the VA Benefit Payment programs and all systems affecting programs to include day-to-day operational and accounting systems.

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 03/03/2026.

You may qualify based on your experience and education as described below: Individual Occupational Requirements Basic Requirements 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.

AND 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.

Specialized Experience is defined as experience perform professional accounting work involving the analysis and processing of financial transactions within an integrated accounting system; preparing and reviewing accounting reports and financial data; identify and resolve discrepancies; apply internal controls to ensure accuracy and compliance with accounting regulations and policies; and analyze automated accounting systems to recommend improvements and resolve system-related financial issues; OR Education: Degree 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; OR Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level.

You must have an combination of specialized experience and education.

Must have 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.

You will be assessed on the following competencies Principles of Accounting Internal Controls Communication Compliance Problem Solving 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. A degree of manual dexterity and visual acuity enough to utilize these tools are required.

Work requires considerable data input, speaking in a group setting, and working at a personal or laptop computer.

A moderate amount of standing and walking is required in getting to and from meeting places away from the worksite.

The incumbent may become fatigued due to reading difficult types of printed and handwritten material over an extended period. 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 http://://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal/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 found well qualified, applicants must meet the following qualifications: Independently analyze and reconcile complex financial transactions across multiple accounts or systems, resolving discrepancies affecting general ledger balances, subsidiary ledgers, and financial reporting accuracy.

Apply and evaluate internal controls by identifying systemic weaknesses or process risks, recommending corrective actions, and ensuring accounting processes meet regulatory and audit readiness requirements.

Conduct detailed system and financial data analysis to identify trends, processing issues, or abnormal transactions, and develop recommendations that improve accounting system performance, reporting integrity, or operational efficiency.

Research and interpret federal financial regulations, directives, and accounting guidance to resolve non-routine accounting issues and recommend changes to accounting practices or procedures.

Provide technical accounting guidance and support to internal stakeholders by responding to inquiries, explaining accounting processes, and assisting in resolution of complex accounting system or payment processing issues impacting program operations.

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/.

Local Commuting Area: The local commuting area for this position is defined as a radius of 50 miles from Hines, IL.

This includes all locations that fall within a 50 mile driving distance from 5000 South 5th Ave, Hines, IL 60141. Major Duties:

The initial application review cut-off for this job announcement is 50 applications. The first 50 applications received will be considered first.

Applications received after the initial cut-off number (50 applications) may not receive consideration unless otherwise requested by management.

If management requests additional certificates, applicants will continue to be reviewed in groups of 50 in the order they applied.

Note: Submitting multiple applications will change the order in which your application is reviewed.

Major Duties: Monitors and controls data by timely recording, coding, balancing, and scrutinizing for inaccurate accounts.

Applies general well-known principles, techniques, and theories of accounting to devise solutions to problems of efficiency and effectiveness.

Reconciles accounts, researches transactions, reviews accounting reports, status of fund reports and other financial reports for the preparation of summary statements and reports.

Analyzes, evaluates, and resolves out-of-balance conditions on financial reports.

Meets with customers and other employees to gather information and analyze processes and procedures to improve efficiency. Work Schedule: Mon - Fri 8:00 am - 4:30 pm.

Compressed/Flexible: Available with supervisory approval. Telework: Ad hoc telework (situational telework) available as determined by the agency policy. Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: PD00064A. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized. Financial Disclosure Report: Not required.