Accountant

US Immediate Office of the Assistant Secretary for Management; Hines (IL); On-site; USD 78,000 - 105,000; Full time

Job summary

The Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Benefits Administration Finance Center in Illinois is seeking an Accountant to perform professional accounting activities and provide financial management support for VA benefit payment programs and related systems.

Under supervision, you will administer automated accounting systems, analyze funding, and ensure compliance with GAAP and VA directives. Strong communication with stakeholders is essential for success.

Qualifications

• Proven knowledge of GAAP and authoritative guidance (GAO, Treasury, OMB, VA directives).
• Experience applying financial analysis to budgeting, funding, and payments.
• Excellent written and oral communication with stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Applies federal accounting principles to resolve complex accounting issues within benefit payment programs.
• Administers and reconciles automated accounting systems across multiple appropriations.
• Performs budget analysis, forecasting, and funds control to certify beneficiary payments.
• Evaluates internal controls, serves as audit liaison, and supports process improvements.
• Communicates complex accounting concepts clearly and conducts training for staff.

Skills

GAAP knowledge

Financial analysis

Communication skills

Education

Accounting degree with 24 semester hours in accounting

Combination of education and experience with accounting coursework or CPA/CIA

Job description

This position is located at the Veterans Benefits Administration Finance Center (VBAFC) and is organizationally aligned within the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Management. The incumbent serves as an Accountant under the supervisions of a Supervisory Accountant and is responsible for conducting professional accounting activities and providing financial management support for VA benefit payment programs and all systems administered or influenced by the VBA Finance Center. To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/14/2026.

You may qualify based on your experience and education as described below:

Individual Occupational Requirements:

This position includes an Individual Occupation Requirement. Individual Occupational Requirements are requirements e.g., experience or education, for particular occupational series or positions within a series and are used in conjunction with a group coverage (generic) standard. Applicants who do not meet the Individual Occupational Requirements are ineligible for further consideration. A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

• 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. 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

Specialized Experience:

You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-11 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to:

• Applies federal accounting principles and authoritative guidance (GAO, Treasury, OMB, VA directives) to resolve complex and recurring accounting issues within benefit payment programs.
• Administers and reconciles integrated, automated accounting systems, ensuring accuracy and integrity of general ledger, subsidiary records, and financial transactions across multiple appropriations.
• Performs budget analysis, cost analysis, forecasting, and planning to support funds control, verify funding availability, and certify beneficiary payments.
• Evaluates and documents internal controls, serves as audit liaison, and drives process improvements through automation and system enhancements.
• Communicates complex accounting concepts clearly, both orally and in writing to stakeholders, delivers presentations, and training, and collaborates with internal and external partners to resolve financial management issues.

Note

Resume must include job title and employer name, number of hours worked per week, start and end dates (including month and year), list of duties and responsibilities for each position held. In addition, if the experience was a federal position, you must list series and grade for each position held. Failure to include this information may result in an ineligible rating. A full year of work is considered to be 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.

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/.

Local Commuting Area:

The local commuting area for this position is defined as a radius of 50 miles from Hines, IL. This includes all locations that fall within a 50-mile driving distance from 5000 S. 5th Avenue, B215, Hines, IL 60141.