To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
This job series has an Individual Occupation Requirement (IOR). The IOR must be met, in addition to the specialized experience requirement for the grade level. Applicants who do not demonstrate that they meet the IOR in their application documents are ineligible for further consideration. Evidence of the Individual Occupational Requirement must be reflected in your application materials. Transcripts are required to document educational requirements.
Individual Occupation Requirements for all 0510 Accountants:
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.
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. 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;
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 (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
GS-14 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. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to:
- Produces standard and highly specialized financial reports;
- Prepares VA financial data for submission to Treasury, OMB, Congress, GAO, OIG, internal and external auditors;
- Develops, analyzes, and evaluates current and long-range plans for the financial management operations;
- Creates, monitors, and executes corrective action plans and programs to address audit weaknesses;
- Develops training on financial management topics involving agency wide applications, policies and procedures;
- Prepare detailed accounting analysis, reviews and reconciliations and assist with analysis and solutions for difficult and complex technical accounting matters to assure accuracy of data in new accounting system; and
- Formulates, reviews, and develops Department financial policies, plans and procedures.
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.
Evidence of specialized experience must be supported by detailed documentation of like duties performed in positions held on your resume. You will need to provide work experience information such as hours per week, full-time/part-time status, and starting/ending dates of employment (month and year format) to establish you have one (1) full year of specialized experience at the required grade level.
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.
Physical Requirements: The work is principally sedentary. Work may also require walking and standing in conjunction with regular work and attendance at meetings and conferences away from the work site. Some employees may carry light items. No special physical effort or ability is required to do the work.
For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at
http://://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.