Accounting Technician

Full Job Description

The incumbent assists team members with integrated accounting systems that relate to the management and daily operation of the VA Debt Management Center (DMC).

The purpose of this position is to assist the Debt Management Center leadership and staff on the process of accounting issues.

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 04/06/2026.

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-05 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-04. For a GS-06 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05. For a GS-07 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-06.

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.

See the Required Document section below for more information regarding the SF-50s needed to verify time-in-grade.

You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: GS-5: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-04 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.

Specialized experience is defined as work that involves: Utilizing basic computer applications/software, including Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook or similar applications.

Communicating orally or in writing with customers or colleagues Demonstrating attention to detail in work performed Providing high quality results in work performed OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience.

To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed 4 years above high school, leading to a bachelor's degree.

This education must have been obtained in an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college or university.

One year of full-time academic study is defined as 30 semester hours, 45 quarter hours, or the equivalent in a college or university, or at least 20 hours of classroom instruction per week for approximately 36 weeks in a business, secretarial, or technical school.

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

You must have an combination of specialized experience as described in A but less than one year, and I have some education in excess of the first 60 semester hours (i.e., beyond the second year) is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirement.

One full academic year of study (30 semester hours) beyond the second year is equivalent to 6 months of specialized experience.

GS-6: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-05 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.

Specialized experience is defined as work that involves: Reviewing policies and procedures to generate alternative solutions Communicating orally or in writing with customers or colleagues Demonstrating attention to detail in work performed Initiating written correspondence to respond to customer requests GS-7 Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-06 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.

Specialized experience is defined as work that involves: Ability to research, investigate, and problem solve issues or errors that require attention Communicating effectively orally and in writing to multiple audiences Demonstrating attention to detail in work performed Providing customer service to assess customer needs, provide information or assistance, resolve customer problems, or satisfy their expectations You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Attention to Detail Customer Service (Clerical/Technical) Flexibility Teamwork Decision Making Communication 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. Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary in nature.

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 evaluates and resolves complex financial account situations by analyzing account data, identifying discrepancies, and verbally communicating recommended actions clearly to customers while applying applicable policies and guidelines.

Applies comprehensive knowledge of financial principles, regulatory requirements, and organizational policies to address non-routine or sensitive account issues and effectively explain resolutions or options to customers during live interactions.

Evaluates and interprets financial data from multiple systems or sources to identify discrepancies, recommend corrective actions, and ensure accuracy and compliance with internal controls and standard operating procedures.

Provides clear, professional, and customer-focused oral communication during customer interactions ensuring complex financial information or decisions are explained in an understandable and empathetic manner.

Manages a full range of account maintenance actions with minimal supervision, ensuring timely and accurate processing of transactions such as payment plans, benefit offsets, adjustments, and account updates.

Exercises sound judgment, prioritization skills, and initiative in a high-volume environment, effectively managing workload, adapting to changing demands, maintaining professional communication, and escalating issues when appropriate.

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 1 Federal Drive, Suite 4500, St. Paul, MN 55111. 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: Entry-level knowledge of practices and procedures related to DMC, as well as a basic understanding of accounting principles.

Identifies and corrects errors and makes adjustments in the proper appropriation to a variety of interrelated accounts Assists team members with the timely preparation of all reports for the Department of Treasury, agency and local management.

Knowledge of the basic and commonly used accounting, budget, or other financial management procedures, methods, and techniques associated with clerical types of duties to perform routine and repetitive tasks while learning how to perform the full range of such tasks found in the work.

Input and research data, using numerous government systems of operation in order to correctly identify records 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: Mon - Fri 8:00 am - 4:30 pm. Compressed/Flexible: Available with supervisory approval.

Telework: May be available with supervisor approval. Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: PD03702A, PD03703A, and PD03704A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required