Managerial Cost Accounting Analyst Trainee

Summary

The Technical Career Field (TCF) is a national workforce development program within VHA that was designed to replenish technical staff in critically identified positions. The MCAP (Managerial Cost Accounting Program) is an automated financial and clinical management support system designed for managerial applications providing healthcare services to veterans patients.

Duties

The TCF career fields represent those technical fields where VA-specific knowledge and experience is desirable for success in the field. Individuals selected follow a formal training plan for two years during which they are trained, coached, and supervised by a preceptor. Preceptors are selected annually, through an extensive application process, for their technical expertise, their commitment to training and the suitability of their facility as a training location. *Selectees will be required to sign Mobility, Training, and Continued Service Agreements.
This is a developmental position leading to a GS-09, performing assignments intended to broaden skills and provide practical experience leading to progressively more complex assignments performed under progressively less supervision. 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.
Major duties and responsibilities include:

• Development, implementation, and technical operations of the Asheville VAHCS MCA system.
• Work with standard operating procedures and various process inputting, tracking, and auditing systems and submit and maintain processing logs ensuring all activities are validated and documented.
• Maintains maintaining spreadsheets and data base to track labor mapping changes; monitor clinic utilization, display reports, and conduct audits.
• Represents the Medical Center in planning, proposing, defending, and coordinating clinical and cost accounting management systems and procedures to achieve optimum use of resources.
• Provides the Medical Center Management with all costs associated with the delivery of health care services in inpatient and outpatient areas.
• Ensures standardization of administrative functions of workload capture; cost allocation, RVUs and labor mapping
• Provides managers with costed patient care data and clinical quality/productivity analysis.
• Performs data processing, analysis, presentation, and technical support impacting the delivery of Asheville VAHCS patient care and allied health support services through the MCA program.
• Executes tasks within the Managerial Cost Accounting (MCA) subsystems. VA Conversion(VCNV), Account Level Budgeter (ALB), Department Cost Manager (DCM), Clinical Cost Manager (CCM) and Daily Cost Resource Profiler (DCR).
• Extracts cost and workload data from existing VHA clinical and financial computer data systems: Veterans Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture (VISTA), Patient Treatment File (PTF), Financial Management System (FMS), Personnel and Accounting Paid Integrated Data System (PAID), Consolidated Memorandum of Receipt (CMR), Event Capture, and Patient Care Encounters (PCE), etc
• Utilizing several software programs, including but not limited to Microsoft Word, Excel, Access, Outlook, CPRS, Inter/Intranet, DSS (Decision Support Services) vendor software, VISTA, and Event Capture, the incumbent will have a major role in developing and maintaining a large, complex database providing management with a data driven information system allocating hospital resources
• Ensures the accurate and timely documentation and submission of data required to prevent problems with MCA functions.
• Interpret national guidance to accommodate changing initiatives reflecting the unique, complex mission of a highly affiliated tertiary care health care system and tailor the process to fit and accommodate Asheville VAHCS.
• Provides education to health care system staff members and other VA personnel concerning MCA system requirements and the use of the data generated. Incumbent performs labor resource analysis and workload studies to ensure accurate allocation of resources to the appropriate healthcare production units
• Provides data on patterns of care and patient outcomes, as well as their source and cost implications, to VA clinical and administrative managers.

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 all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 08/03/2026.
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. 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:
GENERAL EXPERIENCE: You must have three (3) years of general experience, 1 year of which was equivalent to at least GS-4 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of generalized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Analyze problems to identify significant factors, gather pertinent data, and recognize solutions; Plan and organize work; and Communicate effectively orally and in writing. Such experience may have been gained in administrative, professional, technical, investigative, or other responsible work. Experience in substantive and relevant secretarial, clerical or other responsible work may be qualifying as long as it provided evidence of the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) necessary to perform the duties of the position to be filled. Experience of a general clerical nature (typing, filing, routine procedural processing, maintaining records, or other nonspecialized tasks) is not creditable. Trades or crafts experience appropriate to the position to be filled may be creditable for some positions.
-OR-
EDUCATION: Applicants may substitute education for the experience required. To qualify based on education for this grade level, you must have successful completed a full 4-year course of study in any field leading to a bachelor's degree, in an accredited college or university. (Transcript Required)
-OR-
COMBINATION: Equivalent combination of specialized experience and post high school education as described above that demonstrates my ability to perform the duties of this position. (Transcript Required)
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/.

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

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.
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. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. 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.
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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