Financial Accounts Technician

Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to current, permanent Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center employees and CTAP eligible only.

Duties to include but not limited to:

• Performs financial technician duties supporting the Vocational Rehabilitation Program (VRP), including accounting, payroll, billing, payment processing, fund control, and financial recordkeeping activities.

• Processes payroll for veterans participating in the Compensated Work Therapy (CWT) Program and other VRP components by entering, coding, verifying, and maintaining payroll information in an automated payroll system.

• Reviews payroll actions for accuracy, completeness, internal consistency, and compliance with applicable pay regulations, policies, procedures, and compensation requirements, including overtime, holiday, and special pay rates.

• Computes and prepares out-of-system payroll payments and maintains payroll records and related reports to ensure accurate and timely submission.

• Responds to veterans' written and verbal inquiries regarding payroll and payment issues and researches discrepancies to determine appropriate corrective action.

• Examines invoices, claims, and other requests for payment to verify accuracy, adequate supporting documentation, required certifications, regulatory compliance, contract provisions, pricing agreements, and proper authorization.

• Determines the appropriate appropriation and fund control point for expenditures and ensures payments are made only when authorized and sufficient funds are available.

• Coordinates with vendors, receiving personnel, and other appropriate parties to identify, research, and resolve discrepancies involving invoices, payments, obligations, and supporting documentation.

• Performs fiscal support activities involving the processing of receiving and disbursing documents, maintenance of financial data, vendor payment inquiries, and establishment of internal financial controls.

• Monitors available funds and assists in ensuring sufficient funding is available to support day-to-day financial transactions and VRP activities.

• Establishes and maintains veterans' direct deposit accounts with designated financial institutions and ensures related information is processed accurately.

• Examines, verifies, classifies, and maintains financial accounts and accounting data, including determining appropriate general ledger, journal, subsidiary account, debit, and credit entries.

• Reviews purchase orders, contracts, travel orders, bills of lading, and other financial documents to verify authorization, proper appropriation, account coding, and availability of funds.

• Records and maintains obligations against appropriated and non-appropriated funds and Fund Control Points and liquidates obligations upon notification that goods or services have been received.

• Prepares vendor invoices and other fiscal documents for payment and verifies amounts against original obligation documents; researches and follows up on discrepancies with vendors and receiving offices.

• Maintains accounting records and supporting documentation for multiple VRP program components and performs reconciliation and corrective actions when accounting discrepancies or errors are identified.

• Serves as timekeeper for the Vocational Rehabilitation Program and provides backup timekeeping support for Mental Health Service.

• Serves as a point of contact for vendors, VA employees, patients, family members, visitors, and representatives of community, state, and federal agencies to obtain, provide, and clarify financial or program-related information.

• Performs administrative and clerical support functions, including maintaining procedures manuals and memoranda, monitoring changes to applicable policies and regulations, preparing reports, and prioritizing workload to meet established deadlines.

• Provides courteous and timely customer service to veterans, families, visitors, and VA personnel in accordance with VHA customer service standards.

• Protects sensitive financial, patient, and employee information in accordance with the Privacy Act, applicable VA/VHA policies, and information security requirements.

• Maintains knowledge of applicable accounting procedures, financial regulations, VA directives, policies, and automated financial systems and applies established guidelines to resolve routine and nonstandard transactions.

• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm. Work schedule may change based on the needs of the agency.
Telework: Not Authorized.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Financial Accounts Technician/PD102680
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized.
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not 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. 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)

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial 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, 10/13/2026.

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-06 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05. 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:

• Specialized Experience: You must have one 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: Experience performing financial or accounting support work involving payroll, invoices, claims, obligations, payments, financial records, and account reconciliation; reviewing financial documents for accuracy, authorization, proper accounting classification, and compliance with applicable regulations and procedures; maintaining and reconciling accounting data; resolving financial discrepancies; monitoring funds and processing financial transactions using automated accounting or financial systems.

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.

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following Competencies for this position:

• Arithmetic/Mathematical Reasoning
• Customer Service
• Flexibility
• Integrity/Honesty
• Interpersonal Skills
• Reasoning
• Teamwork

Your experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. 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. IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

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.

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

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

• Resume

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
• Other (1)
• Performance Appraisal
• Resume
• Separation Notice (RIF)
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action

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.

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

NOTE: Participation in the seasonal influenza program is a condition of employment and a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). It is a requirement that all HCP to receive annual seasonal influenza vaccination or obtain an exemption for medical or religious reasons. Wearing a face mask is required when an exemption to the influenza vaccination has been granted. HCP in violation of this directive may face disciplinary action up to and including removal from federal service. HCP are individuals who, during the influenza season, work in VHA locations or who come into contact with VA patients or other HCP as part of their duties. VHA locations include, but are not limited to, VA hospitals and associated clinics, community living centers (CLCs), community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs), domiciliary units, Vet centers and VA-leased medical facilities. HCP include all VA licensed and unlicensed, clinical and administrative, remote and onsite, paid and without compensation, full- and part-time employees, intermittent employees, fee basis employees, VA contractors, researchers, volunteers and health professions trainees (HPTs) who are expected to perform any or all of their work at these facilities. HPTs may be paid or unpaid and include residents, interns, fellows and students. HCP also includes VHA personnel providing home-based care to Veterans and drivers and other personnel whose duties put them in contact with patients outside VA medical facilities.

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.

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