Accounting Technician

Veterans Health Administration • Montrose, NY

8d • Onsite

About The Position

The Accounting Technician maintains and reconciles financial accounts and ledgers; verifies and codes transactions; reviews documents for accuracy, validity, and budget compliance; resolves discrepancies; updates vendor records; and supports timely payments. The role prepares financial reports, processes fund transfers, controls funds, and estimates and records service accruals.

The position is not virtual and follows a Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. schedule. Relocation, recruitment, critical skills, and permanent change-of-station incentives are not authorized. The role requires U.S. citizenship and successful completion of the application process, including an online assessment and a background/security investigation. A one-year probationary period or two-year trial period applies.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship.
• For current or former federal employees subject to time-in-grade rules: 52 weeks at GS-06 for the GS-07 position, supported by an SF-50.
• One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least GS-06, including experience examining, verifying, classifying, and maintaining financial accounts and transactions; reviewing supporting documents; reconciling ledgers and correcting discrepancies; coding and entering transactions in FMS; maintaining vendor records; supporting payments and fund control; preparing reports; processing fund transfers; and estimating and recording accruals.
• Completion of the required application, questionnaire, and online assessment.
• Successful background/security investigation and completion of online onboarding and pre-employment identification requirements.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is required for Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel.
• Ability to perform the work; no inherent physical requirements are specified that cannot be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment.

Responsibilities

• Maintain, audit, and reconcile general and subsidiary ledger accounts to support accurate and timely reporting, sound accounting practices, and control of funds.
• Examine, verify, and maintain financial accounts and accounting data, ensuring records and balances are complete, accurate, and consistent.
• Review transactions and supporting documents for accuracy, completeness, classification, appropriation and budget compliance, and expenditure limitations.
• Determine affected general ledger, journal, and subsidiary accounts and identify appropriate debit and credit entries.
• Research accounting discrepancies and erroneous conditions, and prepare corrective or adjusting journal entries.
• Post and maintain manual and computerized ledgers and subsidiary journals; reconcile subsidiary records to controlling general ledger accounts.
• Analyze financial documents for propriety, validity, budget availability, expenditure limitations, and completeness before processing.
• Match disbursement documents with obligation documents and verify required information and certification of goods, supplies, or services received.
• Classify documents by cost, assign accounting codes, and enter information into the Financial Management System (FMS).
• Research appropriations and general ledger accounts affected by documents and transactions.
• Update and review vendor records in FMS, resolving discrepancies that could delay payments.
• Reconcile general ledger balances with subsidiary accounts and compare accounting system output with input to verify accuracy and identify differences.
• Prepare accruals, adjusting journal entries, accounting reports, and special reports, ensuring they are accurate, complete, and timely.
• Review pending transactions and unresolved items, research overdue issues, and take appropriate follow-up and corrective action.
• Prepare documentation for intra-agency and inter-agency fund transfers, verify affected appropriations and accounts, and record transactions.
• Estimate accruals for personal services and other services, assign accounting codes, and enter accrual information into the financial system.

Benefits

• Federal employee benefits package available to the employee and family; specific benefits depend on position and eligibility.
• VA may, upon request and approval before appointment, credit job-related non-federal experience or active-duty uniformed military service toward the annual-leave accrual rate.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed