Staff Accountant

Veterans Health Administration • Portland, OR

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Staff Accountant position is located in the Accounting section of Fiscal Service at the Portland Campus of the Portland VA Medical Center. The incumbent performs technician-level work in direct support of budget, accounting, auditing, fiscal, and/or financial management functions. This is a multi-grade career ladder position that may be filled at GS-07, GS-09, or GS-11. Duties and independence increase by grade, with GS-11 representing the full-performance level. Promotion to the full-performance level may occur without further competition when regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met; promotion is at the supervisor’s discretion and selection at a lower grade does not guarantee promotion.

The incumbent formulates financial reports; advises management on regulatory requirements and changing program operations; develops accounting structures, procedures, and automated-system instructions; and provides accounting information and guidance to program officials. The position applies costing methodologies and analyzes agreements to help ensure the VA recoups costs. It also supports financial audits, analysis, and evaluations across Fiscal Service functions, and prepares, analyzes, and submits financial statements, reports, and audits to local and VA Central Office management and other organizations.

The position verifies, analyzes, and reconciles numerous computer-generated accounting reports and ledger accounts, including cash, accounts receivable, accounts payable, general ledger, reimbursable earnings, obligations, costs, and funds status. In the absence of the Chief, Accounting, the incumbent coordinates workload activities and provides guidance on technical issues.

The work schedule is Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Pacific time. Telework may be authorized; eligibility is discussed during the interview. This is not a virtual position. Relocation and recruitment incentives are not authorized. Physical requirements are not inherent to the work beyond what can be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment; a pre-placement physical examination is not required.

Applicants must be U.S. citizens and meet applicable time-in-grade, education, and specialized-experience requirements by the announcement closing date. A qualifying accounting education or an allowed combination of education and experience is required, along with grade-specific qualifications. The position is subject to a background/security investigation, a required influenza vaccination program, and a one-year probationary or two-year trial period, as applicable.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship is required.
• Meet applicable time-in-grade requirements by the announcement closing date: 52 weeks at GS-05 for GS-07; GS-07 for GS-09; or GS-09 for GS-11, for applicants to whom the requirement applies.
• Meet the basic accounting qualification requirement through an accounting degree; a related degree with 24 semester hours in accounting; or an allowed combination of accounting experience, education, and training providing professional accounting knowledge, with one of the specified accounting-course, certification, or education-and-experience alternatives.
• For GS-07, have one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-05, qualifying education, superior academic achievement, or an allowed combination of education and experience.
• For GS-09, have one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-07, qualifying education, or an allowed combination of education and experience.
• For GS-11, have one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-09, qualifying education, or an allowed combination of education and experience.
• Specialized experience may include applying accounting principles and concepts; using cost accounting and auditing methods; extracting and analyzing data from accounting systems; analyzing accounting subsystems under applicable accounting standards, laws, and regulations; and, at higher grades, assisting with or collaborating on automated accounting systems.
• For GS-07 education substitution, have one year of graduate-level education in a related field; superior academic achievement may also qualify under the stated criteria.
• For GS-09 education substitution, have two years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or an equivalent graduate degree in accounting or a related field.
• For GS-11 education substitution, have three years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a doctoral degree in accounting or a related field.
• Submit transcripts if qualifying based in whole or in part on education; foreign education requires the specified foreign-equivalency documentation.
• Complete the required application steps, including the online assessment, and any applicable onboarding and identification requirements.
• Register for Selective Service if applicable to males born after December 31, 1959.
• Complete a background/security investigation and participate in the VA seasonal influenza vaccination program.
• Serve the applicable one-year probationary period or two-year trial period.

Responsibilities

• Formulate financial reports and recommend accounting policies and procedures for organizations served.
• Advise management on regulatory requirements and changes in program operations.
• Develop accounting structures and procedures to address regulatory or legislative changes.
• Help management apply financial data and recommend solutions to difficult accounting problems.
• Reconcile cash, accounts receivable, accounts payable, and other general ledger accounts; resolve differences between subsidiary ledger balances and general ledger control accounts.
• Provide accounting information and guidance to program officials.
• Develop segments of automated accounting systems and prepare procedural instructions for their development or implementation.
• Review, analyze, and validate domestic and/or foreign business-industry financial and statistical data.
• Apply costing methodologies to recognize, determine, accumulate, and report activity costs for management information purposes.
• Prepare cost analyses for Medical Center areas by analyzing buying and selling agreements to ensure the VA recoups costs.
• Assist with financial audits, analyses, and evaluations of financial operations and related procedures under the Fiscal Service Quality Assurance System.
• Prepare, analyze, and submit financial statements, reports, and audits to local management, VA Central Office management, and other agencies or organizations.
• Verify, analyze, and reconcile computer-generated accounting reports, including trial balance, control-point listings, operating ledger updates, reimbursable earnings and collections, funds status, cost and FTEE listings, accounting reconciliations, general ledger accounts, and obligation reports.
• In the absence of the Chief, Accounting, coordinate workload activities and provide guidance on technical issues.

Benefits

• Federal employees and their families have access to a comprehensive benefits package; specific eligibility depends on position type, and applicants are directed to contact the hiring agency for information about benefits offered.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level