Accountant

Full Job Description

This position is located in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Veterans Integrated Service Network 6 (VISN 6), at the Richmond VA Medical Center (VAMC), in Richmond, Virginia, within the Accounting Section of the Fiscal Service.

The incumbent is responsible for a wide variety of accounting functions, as well as, assisting with budget tracking and travel.

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 02/03/2026.

Basic Occupational Requirement: Degree: Bachelor's degree (or higher) 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.(TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED) 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 must qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: GS-09 level: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-07 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.

Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: identify all types of accounting errors and variances and provide progressively more detailed analysis of problem causes and recommendations for corrective action; responsible for internal financial auditing and development of required financial reports, reconcile, compile, verify and disseminate billing information.

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 education beyond post-high school education as described above to meet total experience requirements at the GS-09 grade level for this position.

[For example, an applicant with 6 months of appropriate experience equivalent to GS-7 (50 percent of the experience requirement for GS-9) and 27 semester hours of appropriate graduate education (50 percent of the education requirement for GS-9, in excess of that required for GS-7) would be qualified for a GS-9 position.

GS-11 level: 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.

Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Analyzes and interprets routine information; coordinates with others to accomplish work related activities; processes or records financial transactions or numerical information; verifies accuracy and completeness of information on paper or computer documents or records; prepares operating changes when revisions are required.

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 education beyond a master degree.

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: The work is primarily sedentary. Typically the employee may sit comfortably to do the work.

There may be some walking, standing, bending, and carrying of light items such as focus group audio visual equipment, Xerox paper and books.

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: Reviews transactions recorded throughout the system to assure accuracy and uniformity of appropriation charges and accounting concepts applied.

Incumbent must interpret and execute at appropriate time all accounting manual changes of VA Handbooks, Directives, and other written policies affecting accounting operations.

Incumbent is required to use sound judgment in establishing local procedures to insure accounting principles are adhered to.

Provides accounting expertise and fiscal services to subordinates as well as department, top management and or VA Central Office (VACO) financial management.

The incumbent provides FMS, IFCAP, and Fund Management training to accounting technicians, control point officials, service/service line chiefs, and fund control clerks throughout the medical center.

Participates 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.

Responsible for the maintenance, reconciliation and auditing of accounts in a general ledger covering the full range of assets, liabilities, income, expense, cost accounting and budgeting.

Monitors unfavorable trends or deviations and suggests necessary corrective action.

The incumbent manages processing and inputting of reconciliation's and audits as directed by the Centralized Finance Service (CFS). Directs the preparation, reviews and analyzes reconciliation reports.

These reports consist of the trail balances, operation of personnel quarters, Real Property Reports, accounts payable, accounts receivable, undelivered orders, Credit Card System and cost reports for all FMS, IFCAP, and PAID systems.

Maintains and performs monthly reconciliation of various general ledger accounts with related subsidiaries for various independent appropriations, including revolving funds, fund accounts, construction and grant accounts.

Assures accounting data, computerized cost accounting reports and trial balances are in balance. Maintains the overall controls for expenditure accounting.

Determines transactions are properly processed. Analyzes and views reports to assure they are in balance, that the data is valid and that they adhere to prescribed regulatory manuals and procedures.

Classifies erroneous conditions and recommends changes in procedures to prevent recurrence of the problem. Performs other directly related duties as assigned.

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: 8:00am - 4:30pm, Monday-Friday Telework: This position may be authorized for telework.

Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Accountant/PD026750 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized