Lead Program Analyst

Summary

This position is located in the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), Office of Field Operations (OFO), and reports to the Deputy Director of a business line. This position serves as the Lead Management Analyst within a team of analysts who are responsible for supporting OFO. The position can be located in one of the following locations, subject to OFO approval - Washington, DC, Denver, Philadelphia, St. Paul, or Winston-Salem.

Duties

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Major Duties:

• Performs analytical, planning, evaluative, and advisory work affecting VBA's nationwide workload operations. Prepares program reports, justifications, charts, graphs, statistical analyses, narrative assessments, memoranda, executive correspondence, and responses to congressional, White House, media, stakeholder, and other inquiries. Presents findings, recommendations, alternatives, and briefings to VBA leadership and defends operational strategies and resource needs.
• Assists with developing, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating nationwide operational controls. Identifies trends, inefficiencies, inconsistencies, and problem areas; evaluates policies and directives for workload impacts; conducts program reviews; and recommends actions to improve effectiveness, efficiency, quality, consistency, and continuous improvement. Provides analytical support for OFO operations, ensures stakeholder commitments and targets are met, and resolves conflicts among parties with competing interests.
• Leads the team in identifying, assigning, distributing, and balancing work based on priorities, workflow, skills, and occupational specialization. Adjusts assignments to meet deadlines and ensures each employee contributes to team products. Estimates and reports progress toward milestones, promotes consensus, and represents the team before management, program officials, stakeholders, and the public.
• Communicates the organization's strategic plan, mission, vision, and values; maintains reference materials, project files, records, policies, and procedures; prepares required reports and administrative information; and keeps leadership informed of organizational climate, accomplishments, risks, and training needs. Provides consultation and comprehensive briefings to senior management.
• Meets with senior leaders, congressional staff, VSOs, agency officials, subject-matter experts, and other stakeholders to exchange information, investigate issues, and secure decisions. Coordinates work-related communications and represents the team in obtaining resources and resolving major problems.
• Coaches, facilitates, negotiates, and builds consensus; trains or arranges training for team members; supports employee development; resolves informal complaints and refers formal grievances or appeals appropriately. Recommends personnel and performance-management actions, including assignments, reassignments, promotions, schedule changes, peer reviews, and appraisals. Communicates clearly and respectfully in difficult situations and performs other duties as assigned.
• The incumbent performs other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday to Friday 8am-4:30pm EST

Compressed/Flexible: Compressed NotAvailable

Telework: This position is eligible for situational (ad hoc) telework only. The selectee is required to report to the official duty station each scheduled workday. Telework may be approved only on a case-by-case basis with supervisory approval. Routine or recurring telework is not authorized for this position.

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Lead Program Analyst in the Project and Program Management Division; PD39908ARelocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized.

Financial Disclosure Report: Not Requiredter.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary 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.Additional Conditions of Employment are as follows:

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• You may be required to serve a probationary or trial 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 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.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement:10/26/2026.

TIME-IN-GRADE REQUIREMENT: As a current Federal, GS employee you must meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

• For a GS-14 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-13 level.
• If you are a current VBA employee requesting reassignment or change to lower grade via this vacancy announcement, you must currently hold the GS- 14 or higher and the promotion potential of your current position must be at least None.

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.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENT: You may qualify based on your experience as described below:

GS-14 Grade Level:

• Specialized Experience: Specialized Experience is defined as experience diagnosing problems within the organization and implementing plans and means to make improvements and/or implement changes; or experience developing the design of business processes, systems, technology, and/or job roles for a division within a VA Office.

Volunteer Experience: 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.

Full vs. Part-Time Employment: Full-time employment is considered to be at least 35 hours per week. Part-time experience will be credited on a pro-rated basis; when including part-time employment in your resume you must specify the average hours worked per week.

Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary although some slight physical effort may be 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/.

Additional information

VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.

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 your current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified (have a final rating of 85 or more) for this vacancy. 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/.

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.

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 (TJO). Please visit the Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP), https://www.va.gov/EMPLOYEE/documents/The-Fair-Chance-to-Compete-Act.pdf

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: Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. (https://appsupport-usastaffing.opm.gov/hc/en-us/sections/[redacted]5-Reasonable-Accommodation-Information)

For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.

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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.

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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.