Deputy Director

Summary

This position is located in the Office of Operations, Office of Acquisition, Logistics, and Construction (OALC), Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The Office of Operations is responsible for establishing acquisition policy; overseeing acquisition workforce management, strategy, and initiatives; managing executive correspondence and communications; and providing centralized administrative, operational, and human capital support functions across VA's acquisition enterprise.

Duties

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The Deputy Chief of Staff (DCOS) serves as the principal advisor and alter ego to the Chief of Staff (COS) in directing, coordinating, and overseeing the full range of executive operations, strategic initiatives, and administrative management functions in support of the Executive Directors, Head of Contracting Activity (HCAs) and OALC senior leadership. The incumbent exercises a high degree of independent judgment in managing sensitive and high-visibility matters, resolving complex operational issues, and ensuring the effective functioning of the front office and the broader acquisition organization.

Serve as the Deputy Chief of Staff and principal deputy to the Chief of Staff, a Senior Executive Service (SES) position. The incumbent shares in the direction and coordination of the Office of Operations and acts for the Chief of Staff within the scope of delegated authority. In the absence of the Chief of Staff, the incumbent assumes responsibility for front-office operations and exercises delegated decision-making authority on operational, administrative, and program matters.

Serve as the principal deputy to the Chief of Staff, assuming full responsibility for front office operations in the Chief of Staff's absence, including decision-making authority on time-sensitive and sensitive matters.

Plan, organize, and direct the daily operations of the Office of Operations, ensuring alignment with the priorities of the Executive Director and OALC leadership.

Manage the flow of information, taskers, and decision papers to and from the Office of the Executive Director, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and appropriate level of review.

As the first-line supervisor of five (5) FTEs, the incumbent performs the full range of supervisory duties, including:

Plan, assign, and review of the work of subordinate staff, setting priorities and deadlines consistent with front office and organizational needs.

Evaluate staff performance, prepare and deliver annual and interim performance appraisals, and identify and address performance or conduct issues, up to and including recommending disciplinary or adverse actions when warranted.

Approve leave, certify time and attendance, and manage staffing needs, including participating in the selection, hiring, and onboarding of new employees.

Identify developmental and training needs of subordinate staff and provide or arrange for training to build staff capability, including cross-training to ensure continuity of front office operations.

Lead or participate in the development of strategic plans, performance metrics, and organizational assessments for the acquisition enterprise.

Analyze proposed legislation, regulations, and VA/OALC policy issuances to determine impact on acquisition workforce management, strategy, and operations, and provide recommendations to senior leadership.

Coordinate the development and staffing of acquisition policy issuances, ensuring consistency with statutory and regulatory requirements (e.g., FAR, VAAR) and VA strategic goals.

Manage special projects and initiatives assigned by the OALC Chief of Staff, often involving novel or precedent-setting issues with enterprise-wide impact.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm EST.

Return to Office (RTO): RTO mandates are in affect and selectees will be required to report to in person work unless they have an approved exemption.

Location: The selectee will be required to report on-site at 10300 Spotsylvania Ave, Suite 400, Fredericksburg, VA 22408.

Telework: Available - Ad Hoc telework (situational telework) as determined by the agency policy.

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: PD005490

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• 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
• You may be required to serve a probationary period
• 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.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a one year probationary period or two 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 one year probationary period or two year trial 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, 10/07/2026.

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-15 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-14. 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 some former Federal employees applying for reinstatement, as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. See the Required Document section below for more information regarding the SF-50s needed to verify time-in-grade.

Grade Requirement: IAW 5 CFR 330.607, CTAP eligible applicants must hold at least a GS-15 or equivalent grade (determined by your representative rate) in their permanent position of record by the closing date of this announcement. This must be supported by the SF-50 submitted. See the Required Document section below for more information regarding the SF-50s needed to verify.

You may qualify based on your experience described below:

• Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-14 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to:
  
  • Experience in directing, coordinating, and overseeing the work of staff to accomplish mission priorities and align outputs with organizational standards.
  • Providing advice, counsel, and instructions to employees on work assignments and administrative matters to drive clarity, performance, and adherence to policy.
  • Evaluating staff performance by preparing and delivering annual/interim appraisals and addressing performance or conduct issues to improve outcomes.
  • Managing front office operations by organizing daily workflows and controlling taskers and decision papers to ensure timely, accurate executive readiness.

Evidence of this specialized experience must be supported by detailed documentation of like duties performed in positions held on your resume. You will also 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.

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: 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.

Physical Requirements: Work is sedentary. The incumbent may occasionally carry light materials such as briefing books,

laptops, or files. No special physical demands are required.

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/.

The 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 found well qualified, applicants must meet the following qualifications:

• Leading multifaceted supervisory and managerial programs that integrate workforce planning, operational alignment, and enterprise-level performance oversight.
• Applying advanced advisory judgment to resolve complex operational and administrative issues impacting organizational mission execution.
• Evaluating staff performance through comprehensive assessment strategies, including targeted improvement plans and corrective action interventions.
• Conducting strategic planning and organizational assessments to optimize acquisition enterprise structures, workforce capabilities, and performance metrics.
• Overseeing executive correspondence governance by ensuring accuracy, compliance, and alignment with senior leadership standards across high-visibility initiatives.
• Establishing enterprise correspondence control systems that enforce suspense accountability, elevate quality assurance, and support executive decision workflows.

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/.

Local Commuting Area: The local commuting area for this position is defined as a radius of 50 miles from Fredericksburg, VA. This includes all locations that fall within a 50-mile driving distance from 10300 Spotsylvania Ave, Suite 400, Fredericksburg, VA 22408.

Education

There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

Additional 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 (HRA) at The Fair Chance Act.

Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

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