Financial Manager ( Chief Financial Officer)

Summary

This Chief Financial Manager position is located in the Finance Service Line, at the VA Connecticut Healthcare Systems location. This position is also offering Recruitment Incentive or Relocation incentive to highly qualified candidates.

Duties

The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) serves as the financial manager for the VA Connecticut Healthcare System (VACHCS). The Chief Financial Officer provides sound recommendations and advice to the Associate Medical Center Director, Medical Center Director and Executive Leadership Team concerning the administration and coordination of Fiscal policy, programs, and system designs within Fiscal Service and VACHCS.
Duties include but are not limited to:

• The incumbent provides technical and administrative supervision to a team of employees through subordinate supervisors. The incumbent provides direct supervision to the Deputy Chief Financial Officer..
• The incumbent establishes performance standards and evaluates the performance of subordinate supervisors, makes determinations on grievances, recommends training, and approves leave of subordinate supervisors.
• The incumbent hears grievances as second level supervisor, reviews recommendations for hiring, promotion, and adverse actions made by subordinate supervisors, and supports and implements established Equal Employment Opportunity policies and programs.
• Provides advice, counsel, and instruction on technical and administrative matters. Hears and resolves employees' complaints and refers the more serious unresolved cases to a higher-level supervisor or manager.
• The Chief Financial Officer provides leadership and financial services to a large complex healthcare system. Effective financial management is necessary to support the fundamental mission of the medical facility which is to provide acute care, outpatient care and long-term care for veterans through general health/medical programs, various medical specialty services and allied health services.
• The incumbent is also responsible for the supervision and control of all facility business functions, to include General Ledger Accounting, Budget, Voucher Audits, Agent Cashier, Payroll, Accounts Receivable, Patient Funds, Fee Basis, Auditing, and General Post Funds.
• Oversees the design of a complete accounting system for a large program used within a network of operating sites.
• Studies the accounts, reports and procedural instructions within an extensive area and considers legislative and program background materials to identify need for revision.
• The CFO is the final authority in matters pertaining to the accounting systems, including the accounting structure to properly reflect the nature of transactions and to implement tools such as journals, subsidiary records, statements, and reports.
• The CFO administers an accounting system designed to track, reconcile, and report on agency administered programs and/or appropriations for which the agency has legislative oversight responsibility.
• The CFO is a member of the VISN Finance Budget Committee which is responsible for making recommendations to the VISN Executive Leadership Board regarding all aspects of the VISN level financial management. This includes distribution of budgets and reserves, policy changes regarding VERA, appeals of funding levels, and establishing policies for VISN funding for catastrophic events.

• Veterans' Preference does not apply for internal or other current permanent Federal agency employees.
• Interchange Agreements with Other Merit System: Employees who occupy medical or medical-related positions and were appointed under 38 U.S.C. 4701(1) or (3) [formerly 38 U.S.C. 4104 (1) and (3)] must be serving in a full-time position without time limit and have served continuously for at least one year in this other merit system to be eligible to convert to the Title 5 System. Some exceptions to this rule may apply if you have previously acquired tenure under a Title 5 appointment.
• Selectee required to serve one year supervisory/managerial probationary period.
• Current and former Federal employees must submit copies of their most recent SF-50, (Notice of Personnel Action). The SF-50 must identify the position title, series, grade, step, tenure and type of service (Competitive or Excepted). In some cases, more than one SF-50 may be required to show a higher grade previously held.
• This position is covered by locality-based comparability pay.
• This position is in the Competitive Service.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• 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 all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 07/24/2026.
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-14 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-13. 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. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:

• Individual Occupational Requirement: This position requires professional accounting knowledge. You must meet one of the two basic education requirements described below in order to receive further consideration for this position:
  • 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:
    • 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
    • A certificate as Certified Public Accountant or a Certified Internal Auditor; 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 in accounting, provided that (a) the applicant has successfully worked at the full-performance level in accounting, auditing, or a related field, e.g., (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 of obtaining a degree in accounting or in a related field such as business administration, finance, or public administration, and (c) except for literal non-conformance to the requirement of 24 semester hours in accounting, your education, training, and experience fully meet the specified requirements.

• Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-13 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Provide analysis and advice in the design, adaptation, and installation of automated accounting systems; Develop auditing techniques to evaluate integrated analysis of a financial and systems programs; Oversees accounting, budgeting, and workload/cost analysis for a facility or agency; Demonstrates active participation in the financial planning, analysis, and reporting for the facility or agency; Manages and controls resources or funds to a large complex healthcare system, agency or hospital.

• Accounting
• Administration and Management
• Auditing
• Financial Management

Education

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.
Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.
This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.
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.

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.