Summary

This position is located in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Budget and Program Analysis, Program Analysis Division, Credit, Natural Resources and Operations Branch. The incumbent provides advice and guidance on the planning and implementation of USDA's budgetary priorities. This involves coordinating, planning, developing, and executing special critical and/or sensitive assignments, position papers, proposals, and recommendations for OBPA as well as USDA agencies nationwide.

Duties

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• Synthesizes complex financial and program data to produce precise, transparent, and strategically aligned budget submissions that support high-stakes USDA decision making and uphold statutory and policy requirements.
• Manages fund allocations and leads the review and refinement of execution requests, ensuring all proposals are accurate, defensible, and fully aligned with Departmental priorities.
• Develops clear, data-driven responses to emerging policy and budget issues and shapes budget policy that reflects legislative requirements and advances efficient, effective use of Departmental resources.
• Oversees internal controls and financial business practices to ensure sound financial management and safeguard government resources, making informed decisions that strengthen accountability and protect Departmental funds.
• Provides authoritative guidance to Mission Area leadership, USDA officials, and budget offices, ensuring budget estimates and execution decisions are accurate, defensible, and strategically aligned with Departmental priorities.
• Independently develops, justifies, and presents complex analyses to support senior-level decision making.
• Serves as the senior budget analyst and technical authority for budget formulation, justification, and execution across the assigned portfolio, ensuring high-quality, strategically aligned budget products.
• Anticipates legislative and administrative impacts, advises leadership on strategic implications, and leads the development of improved budgetary control methods to strengthen accuracy, compliance, and resource stewardship.
• Assesses policy alternatives, costs, benefits, and budget impacts, identifying deficiencies in Departmental analyses, budgets, legislation, and regulatory or administrative proposals to strengthen accuracy, compliance, and resource stewardship.
• Provides expert guidance to program analysts on budget formulation, execution reviews, congressional impact assessments, and management improvement initiatives, ensuring analyses are timely, accurate, and aligned with Departmental priorities.
• Evaluates program activities and advises leadership on performance, long-range planning needs, and the impacts of legislative or regulatory changes to strengthen strategic decision making and program effectiveness.
• Uses advanced analytical, forecasting, and modeling techniques to assess risks, evaluate data, and inform strategic resource decisions, strengthening long-range planning and program performance.

Requirements

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Qualifications

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including time-in-grade restrictions, and specialized experience, as defined below.

Time in grade: Current federal employees applying for a promotion opportunity must meet time-in-grade (TIG) requirement of 52 weeks of service at the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the position being filled.

Minimum Qualifications: Applicants must meet the Specialized Experience requirements as shown below. If qualifying based on experience, your application or resume must clearly show that you possess the specialized experience requirements. Specialized experience is defined as experience that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled and has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position.

Specialized Experience:

GS-14: One year of specialized experience, equivalent to the GS-13 level in the Federal service or equivalent responsibility in the private sector/pay systems that has equipped the candidate with the particular competencies to successfully perform as a Budget Analyst. For this position, the specialized experience is experience performing all of the following: applying advanced federal budget formulation, justification, and execution techniques across complex funding structures; providing oversight of and adjustment to existing budgets through cost-benefit analyses and long-range analyses; performing sophisticated financial, legislative, and program analyses using advanced analytical, forecasting, and modeling tools; and, preparing executive level briefings related to budget execution.

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; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) or Reemployment Priority List (RPL): Visit the OPM website for information on how to apply as a CTAP or RPL eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP candidates must be rated and determined to be well qualified (or above) based on an evaluation of the competencies listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section and USA Hire assessment score. When assessed through a score-based category rating method, CTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100.

Farm Service Agency (FSA) County Employees: Permanent County employees without prior Federal tenure who are selected for a Civil Service position under Public Law 105-277 will be given a career-conditional appointment and must serve a 1-year probationary period.

If selected, you will be required to submit Form OGE-450 within 30 days of your initial appointment date, and annually thereafter. Selectee is subject to financial Disclosure Requirements in accordance with 5 CFR, Part 2635, Sub part E regarding business or personal transactions with applicants, borrowers, or business contacts who have or who are seeking business with this Agency. Selectee must be able to obtain and maintain a security clearance. If selected you will be subject to a National Agency Check and Inquiry (NACI) and a credit report.

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 here.

Incentives may be authorized.

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Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Benefits

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.