Accountant

Summary

This position is located at the Portland VA Medical Center in the Fiscal Service, Accounting section. The incumbent performs technician level work in direct support of budget, accounting, auditing, fiscal, and/or financial management function.

Duties

This position involves a multi-grade career ladder. The major duties listed below represent the full performance level of GS-11, however a selection can be made at any of the following grade levels: GS-07, GS-09 OR GS-11. At the GS-07 grade level, you will perform assignments of a more limited scope and with less independence. At the GS-09 grade level, you will progressively acquire the background necessary to perform at the full performance level of GS-11. Promotion is at the discretion of the supervisor and is contingent upon satisfactory performance.
Major duties include, but are not limited to:

• Demonstrates comprehensive knowledge of theories, practices, methods, and techniques of accounting, organizational or program practices, policies, and functions sufficient to analyze accounting systems and modify and adapt conventional accounting and analytical techniques to solve a variety of accounting problems.
• Formulates a variety of financial reports, serving as a member of a management team for organizations serviced and recommending established policies and procedures affecting accounting systems.
• Advises management on regulatory requirements and changing program operations.
• Devises accounting structures and procedures to satisfy regulatory or legislative changes.
• Assists management in applying financial data and recommending alternatives to resolve difficult problems.
• Reconciling cash, accounts receivable, accounts payable, and other general ledger accounts.
• Corrects all differences between the subsidiary ledger balances and the control account balances in the general ledger.
• Provides accounting information and guidance to program officials.
• Prepares procedural instructions for the development or implementation of automated accounting systems.
• Uses appropriate costing methodologies to recognize, determine, accumulate, and report costs of activities on a regular basis for management information purposes.
• Prepares cost analysis for various areas in the medical center by analyzing buying and selling agreements to ensure the VA recoups all costs.
• Assists in performing financial audits, analysis, evaluations, submissions of a variety of financial statements, and reports.
• Assists in verifying, analyzing, and/or reconciling a large number of computer generated reports.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• 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.
• Subject to background/security investigation
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet time-in-grade requirements and specialized experience within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement, 09/02/2026.
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 within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.

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

1. 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,
2. 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:
   1. Twenty-four semester hours in accounting or auditing courses of appropriate type and quality. This can include up to 6 hours of business law; OR
   2. A certificate as Certified Public Accountant or a Certified Internal Auditor, obtained through written examination; OR
   3. 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:
   4. 1. 1. (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;
         2. (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
         3. (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.

• Specialized Experience: You must have 1 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. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Applying accounting and auditing concepts and principals sufficient to work independently. Identify accounting problems, inaccurate records and reports, and the lack of inadequate documentary evidence to support financial statements. Utilizing commercial software programs to present financial data and analysis to customers. Develop reports comparing actual results to plans and budgets. Reconciling reports and financial data. Assembling information and making comparative and statistical analyses. Develop cost estimates. OR,
• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. Please see Education section; OR,
• Applicants may qualify based on superior academic achievement: Applicants must be in the upper third of their graduating class; OR have a GPA of 3.0 or higher; OR be a member of an Association of College Honor Societies. Please see Education section; OR,
• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify. Please see Education section.

• Specialized Experience: You must have 1 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: Applying accounting and auditing concepts and principals sufficient to recommend adaptations to guidelines and procedures. Identify significant account variances such as inadequate maintenance of fund controls and assists higher level staff in the proper research and reconciliation of all accounting records. Utilizing commercial software programs to present financial data and analysis to customers and provide advice and assistance. Develops and revises regulations for project and revolving fund accounting control and reporting instructions. Prepares and implements supplemental accounting procedures, reports, and modifications to existing procedures. Conducts daily examination of various accounting transactions and performs the necessary research to reconcile account balances. Develop reports comparing actual results to plans and budgets. Assembling information and making comparative and statistical analyses. OR,
• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. Please see Education section; OR,
• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify. Please see Education section.

• Specialized Experience: You must have 1 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: Applying accounting and auditing concepts and principals sufficient to recommend adaptations to guidelines and procedures and provide assistance. Identify source of problems, impact on other elements, and develops resolutions to problems. Reviews the work of accounting of other staff members to assure accuracy and conformity to policy and procedures. Work closely with systems personnel on the design of automated systems to facilitate the processing of accounting data. Conducts daily examination of various accounting transactions and performs the necessary research to reconcile account balances. Develop reports comparing actual results to plans and budgets. Assembling information and making comparative and statistical analyses. Makes independent decisions regarding unusual and complex transactions. Maintains oversight of the edit master files. OR,
• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. Please see Education section; OR,
• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify. Please see Education section.

Education

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/.
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.
Education requirements:
GS-7:

• Education: To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successful completion of one (1) year of graduate-level education in a related field such as business administration, finance, or public administration. This education must be obtained in an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college or university. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED).
• Superior academic achievement (S.A.A.) -- This provision covers advanced trainee positions that provide opportunities for advancement upon attaining required job skills and knowledge, require no prior experience, and have work classified at two-grade intervals. It recognizes students who have achieved superior academic standing as evidenced by one of the three methods described below. In order to be creditable under this provision, superior academic achievement must have been gained in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled.
  • S.A.A. is based on (1) class standing, (2) grade-point average, or (3) honor society membership.
    • Class standing: Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses.
    • Grade-point average (G.P.A.)-- Applicants must have a grade-point average of:
      • 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum.
      • 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on their official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or
    • Election to membership in a national scholastic honor society -- Applicants can be considered eligible based on membership in one of the national scholastic honor societies listed below. These honor societies are listed by the Association of College Honor Societies (external link). Agencies considering eligibility based on any society not included in the following list must ensure that the honor society meets the minimum requirements of the Association of College Honor Societies. Membership in a freshman honor society cannot be used to meet the requirements of this provision.
• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have possess equivalent combinations of successfully completed graduate level education (in excess of a bachelor's degree) and specialized experience to meet total experience requirements.

• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed 2 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree in accounting; or a degree in a related field such as business administration, finance, or public administration. This education must be obtained in an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college or university. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED). OR,
• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and graduate-level education as described above, beyond the first year.

• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in accounting; or a degree in a related field such as business administration, finance, or public administration. This education must be obtained in an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college or university. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED). OR,
• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and graduate-level education as described above, beyond the second year.

Additional information

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.
Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.
This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced 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 well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. 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/.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.