Accountant

Full Job Description

The incumbent functions as an Accountant in the Loma Linda VA Medical Center, Financial Management Service.

The primary purpose of the Accountant is to provide accounting and budget support for Loma Linda VAMC.

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this 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-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07.

For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09.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.

This position has an Individual Occupation Requirement (IOR).

You must meet 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.

In addition to meeting the IOR above, you must meet the following:GS-9 Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-7 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.

Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: using sound judgment in establishing local procedures to insure accounting principles are adhered to, providing accounting expertise and fiscal services to staff, management, and executive leadership, participating in decision making sessions and advises a number of program managers on regulatory requirements, financial policies, the interpretation of data, and program improvements through analysis or program operations, monthly reports, and special system edits.

OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience.

To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have 2 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree.

OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level.

You must have an combination of specialized experience and progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree, a masters degree, or equivalent graduate degree.

GS-11 Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-9 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.

Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: managing processing and inputting of reconciliation's and audits in financial systems, directing the preparation, reviews and analyzes reconciliation reports, analyzing and evaluating reports to ensure they are in balance, that the data is valid and that they adhere to prescribed regulatory manuals and procedures, classifying erroneous conditions and recommends changes in procedures to prevent recurrence of problems.

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 progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree.

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/.

Major Duties:

Duties include, but are not limited to: Maintains the LL VAMC financial reporting system. Exercises responsibility to the internal fund control and the assignment of direct costs to operating elements.

Performs comprehensive and complex financial reviews, analysis and evaluation of the financial operations related procedures.

Provides financial analysis on irregular issues and provides complex financial assistance work for the various Medical Center programs.

Assists with the development and training of employees new to the Medical Center established process on standard accounting procedures.

Monitors and controls by timely recording, coding, balancing, and scrutinizing for inaccurate accounts. Reconciles accounts with General Ledger and computer subsidiary accounts.

Prepares, analyzes, interprets, and presents accounting data. Validates a variety of accounting data which is entered into schedules and accounts.

Analyzes cost accounting reports and status of funds reports. Identifies and resolves complex accounting transactions that create out-of-balance conditions in financial reports.

Monitors accounting systems covering operations and expenses for such items as payroll, travel, supplies, services, and inventory accounts.

Designs, implements, and assesses internal control processes and systems. Evaluates accounting procedures to determine the need for revisions or new operating processes.

Prepares instruction and guidance in the implementation and operation of accounting procedures/programs.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 0730-1600 Position Description Title/PD#: Accountant/PD11587A Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment.

A pre-placement physical examination is not 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.