Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 02/23/2026. 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-9 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07. For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09. 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: GS-09 Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-07 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Analyzing accounting transactions and system-generated reports for accuracy and compliance. Reconciling discrepancies in ledgers, cost accounts, and program fund balances. Preparing and reviewing financial and cost accounting reports on a regular basis. Applying federal GAAP, appropriation law, and VA policy to safeguard fund integrity. Supporting, configuring, and training users of VA accounting systems (e.g. IFCAP, FMS). Advising leadership on accounting issues and contributing to system or process enhancements. OR Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for the GS-09 grade level you must have 2 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree (such as LL.B. or J.D.) in a course of study that directly reflects the job-related KSAs/competencies necessary to satisfy the minimum qualifications and perform the duties of the Staff Accountant GS-11 Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-9 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Analyzing accounting transactions and system-generated reports for accuracy and compliance. Reconciling discrepancies in ledgers, cost accounts, and program fund balances. Preparing and reviewing financial and cost accounting reports on a regular basis. Applying federal GAAP, appropriation law, and VA policy to safeguard fund integrity. Supporting, configuring, and training users of VA accounting systems (e.g. IFCAP, FMS). Advising leadership on accounting issues and contributing to system or process enhancements. OR Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for the GS-11 grade level you must have 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in a course of study that directly reflects the job-related KSAs/competencies necessary to satisfy the minimum qualification and perform the duties of the Staff Accountant Preferred Experience: Demonstrated proficiency in federal accounting systems. Ability to interpret and apply federal financial regulations Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify for the grade levels listed above. Only graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be used to qualify for positions at grades GS-9 and GS-11. 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/.