Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open only to current permanent VA employees nationwide, current permanent federal employees nationwide, veterans, military spouses, Schedule A eligible applicants, and CTAP/ICTAP eligible applicants, and Peace Corps & AmeriCorps Vista eligible applicants.

Major duties include but are not limited to:

• The incumbent operates in an environment characterized by the presence, in a significant and substantial degree, of both short and long-range instability due to funding fluctuations and changing program priorities which require frequent and extensive revisions of financial and manpower plans and operations.
• The incumbent provides top management, as well as all secondary levels of management, with staff advice and assistance in comptroller, manpower, and internal controls matters.
• Incumbent advises the Executive Leadership (i.e. Director, Associate Directors, Chief of Staff, Associate Director Patient Care Services) on important financial matters; evaluates the financial policies, plans, programs, operations and methods of communication to assure that management decisions include appropriate consideration of their impact on financial resources.
• Incumbent is the first line supervisor for all directorate employees. Incumbent provides leadership, direction and coordination of financial management, budgetary/accounting management, internal controls, manpower management, and management analysis programs.
• Incumbent is responsible for examining and reporting upon work progress and program
  accomplishment in financial terms. Plans and assigns work to subordinates. Develops performance standards and evaluates performance. Interviews and selects candidates for positions, hears and resolves complaints and effects discipline as necessary. Incumbent Identifies training needs for assigned staff.
• Incumbent assigns overall objectives and functional responsibilities to subordinates. Assists by giving advice and guidance in accomplishment of assigned missions to ensure efficiency and effectiveness in utilization of basic resources such as manpower, materials and funds.
• Consults with management and advises subordinate activities on major program activities, objectives and goals, priorities, identification of needs, resolution of problem areas, and other matters to assure optimum management of the health care system resources within the framework of legislative, VA and VACO requirements, policies, procedures and guidance.
• The incumbent is a member of the Director's senior advisory and executive boards and routinely attends formal and informal management sessions contributing financial advice. The incumbent is a member of the Administrative Executive Council, Executive Management Board, Position Management Board, Compliance and Business Integrity Committee, Resource Management and Planning Committee and Operations Council. The expert knowledge of the incumbent is considered pertinent at each stage of budget planning, formulation and decision-making process.
• The advice and recommendations of the Chief Financial Officer are solicited on routine as well as the most complex problems effecting medical center operations. The advisory support by the incumbent is provided with full consideration of the short and long-range planning goals of the medical center and service operations. Incumbent performs other duties as assigned.
• Plans, reviews and analyzes all facility operational programs to include supplies, facilities and services. Incumbent provides an effective system of financial control throughout the health care system.
• The incumbent assures consistency in the interpretation and application of financial management regulations and procedures throughout the VA Medical Center. Incumbent provides top management with advice, assistance, and necessary coordination with respect to controversial, inconsistent, or conflicting requirements.
• Incumbent provides ongoing reports to management to ensure financial accountability across the health care system.

Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm
Telework: This position is authorized for ad hoc telework.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Chief Financial Officer/PD134590
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Authorized

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.
• You may be required to serve a probationary period
• 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 dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• 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.

Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 03/11/2026.

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.

Individual Occupational Requirements

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

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.

AND
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;
• A certificate as Certified Public Accountant or a Certified Internal Auditor, obtained through written examination; 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 of paragraph A, provided that (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; (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 (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.

AND

In addition to meeting the basic requirement described above, you must also meet the following specialized experience requirement to qualify for this position at the GS-13 level:

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: One (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-13 level in Federal service that has equipped you with the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to successfully perform the duties of as Chief Financial Officer, GS-0505-14. Specialized experience includes: Expert knowledge of accounting principles, procedures, and policies in order to manage, provide advice, and make sound judgements regarding assets, liabilities, fund balances, expenses, and revenues; skill in analyzing, interpreting, and applying complex legislation, regulatory decisions to develop budgetary plans, policies, and guidance and to make adjustments to the budget; providing managerial oversight to a full range of fiscal activities such as general ledger accounting, budget, teller, transportation, and payroll in accordance with various laws and regulations; and experience developing long-range financial plans, goals, objective, and milestone and evaluating the effectiveness of financial management efforts within the network of financial organizations assigned.

NOTE: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. 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; religious; 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. 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/.

Physical Requirements: The work is sedentary. Typically, the employee may sit comfortably to do the work. However, there may be some walking; standing; bending; carrying of light items such as papers, books, small parts, etc. No special physical demands are required to perform the work. The incumbent will need to have the ability to verbally communicate and hear (aid permitted) using a telephone and must be able to type and operate computer equipment as an essential part of their position. The incumbent must be able to work closely with internal and external customers in a face to face setting.

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:

• Budget Administration
• Financial Analysis
• Leadership
• Problem Solving

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.

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/.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview. Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.

Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

• Resume
• Transcript

The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please make sure you have included other documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), documentation to support Veterans Preference claims, or ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees). You will not be contacted for additional information.

• Cover Letter
• DD-214/ Statement of Service
• Disability Letter (Schedule A)
• Disability Letter (VA)
• License
• Other (1)
• Other (2)
• Other (3)
• PCS Orders
• Professional Certification
• Proof of Marriage Status
• Resume
• Separation Notice (RIF)
• SF-15
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action (if applicable for Time in Grade and/or Eligibility):

• Most recent SF-50 if you are a current or former Federal employee
• An SF-50 showing 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
• Award 50's do not provide sufficient information and will not be accepted for the purpose of verifying time-in-grade.
• Examples of appropriate SF-50's include:
  • Within grade increases at the highest grade held; or
  • Promotions with an effective date more than one year old; or
  • SF-50's at the highest grade held with an effective date more than one year old.

Veterans' Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire. You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.). If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference" with required proof as stated on the form. Documentation is required to award preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit Feds Hire Vets - Veterans - Job Seekers - Veterans' Preference.

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