Accounting Technician

Summary

Located in the Finance Office, Accounting Section of Northern Indiana Healthcare System. The incumbent handles various accounting tasks (obligations, payments, deposits, vendorizing, accounts receivable), travel assistance, contract officer representative, and agent cashier duties. Requires a strong understanding of Finance Office mission and functions, and the ability to work independently with minimal supervision.

Duties

The incumbent performs a variety of duties with payments of accounts in general ledger from Financial Management System (FMS), Integrated Funds Distribution, Control Point Activity, Accounting And Procurement (IFCAP/VISTA), Financial Accounting Service Payment And Collection (FASPAC), and Invoice Payment Processing System (IPPS). Some of those payments for processing include non-VA Care and Care in the Community, standardized obligation offsets, travel rejects, cashier reimbursements, employee reimbursements, veteran payments for beneficiary travel, canteen payment for inpatients and all other disbursements as authorized by CFO and director. Major duties include, but are not limited to: Processes, audits, and reconciles payments and accounts in multiple financial systems (FMS, IFCAP, IPAC/FASPAC, IPPS), including travel, vendor, reimbursement, and patient transactions for Medical Care, General Post, and Supply funds. Maintains and reconciles accounts, performs monthly/periodic auditing of fund control points, and provides related training. Administers agent cashier duties, including receipt, deposit, disbursement, and documentation of funds; ensures accuracy in deposits and negotiable items. Reviews, certifies, and processes invoices and payment documents, ensuring compliance with regulations and the availability of funds. Coordinates facility transactions and reporting with CPAC and Financial Service Center; contributes to internal control reviews and recommends improvements. Supports all accounting operations, especially during absences or peak workloads; assists with document validation, obligation management (1358's, travel, purchase orders), and fund control. Recovery (10%) Manages collection actions and repayment plans for outstanding debts; makes recommendations for legal enforcement or termination of collection efforts. Processes incoming funds, maintains statistical data, and reconciles accounts receivable records. Assists with DMC, IRS offsets, and Veteran payment plans; identifies and corrects billing errors. Organization & Customer Service (10%) Functions as backup travel coordinator (including Concur Government Edition), and Contract Officer Representative (COR). Compiles financial data/reports for leadership; maintains and reconciles assigned fiscal records. Communicates with internal/external stakeholders to resolve fund/payment/account inquiries. Maintains current knowledge of all financial guidelines, directives, and systems. Performs other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 0800 - 1630 Telework: This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Accounting Technician/PD92709A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized "VA Healthcare System Serving Ohio, Indiana and Michigan (VISN 10) advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being." Requirements

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, 08/25/2026. Time-In-Grade Requirement: You must meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-7 position, you must have completed at least 52 weeks (one year) at the GS-6 level. To confirm you meet this time-in-grade requirement, you must provide an SF-50 that clearly documents at least one full year of service at the GS-6 grade or higher. If your most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year and does not show one full year at GS-6 or higher (promotion, transfer, award, or data change), you must upload an additional SF-50 that clearly shows you meet the one-year time-in-grade requirement. These may be fr om previous years. Failure to provide the required SF-50(s) may result in loss of consideration due to insufficient documentation. 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 as described below: INDIVIDUAL OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENTS - Accounting Technician There are no Individual Occupational Requirements for this series. GRADE DETERMINATION GS-07 Specialized Experiences. You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS6 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Processing financial obligations; Resolving financial discrepancies using established procedures; Providing customer service; and Utilizing Microsoft Office programs. 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. 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. 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 of this position is primarily sedentary with some carrying of computer reports, boxes and ledgers. The work is performed in a normal office setting.

Education

There is no educational substitution at this grade level. How You Will Be Evaluated

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 Decision Making Flexibility Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Reading Comprehension Self-Management 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. Other Information

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act. Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.