Summary

This position is with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), in the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), Office of the Under Secretary for Benefits (OUSB). The Executive Management Officer to the Under Secretary for Benefits serves as an executive assistant and administrative advisor to the Under Secretary for Benefits (USB), performing special and analytical assignments independently and accomplishing highly complex projects for the OUSB.

Duties

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Specific duties include:

- Represents and acts on behalf of the Under Secretary for Benefits (USB) in official and unofficial capacities, engaging with public and private officials and providing high-level advisory and consultative services.

- Participates in complex, high-level negotiations involving processes, procedures, legislation, and VA- or Congressional-level guidance.

- Serves as liaison between the OUSB and VA/VBA senior leaders, uses judgment to prevent or resolve complex issues.

- Analyzes issues, goals, and initiatives, providing options and advising senior leadership on potential outcomes during planning and the formulation of processes.

- Develops, modifies, and ensures nationwide implementation of administrative procedures, processes, and management techniques.

- Participates in major management planning, process development, and decision-making sessions; evaluates draft procedures, organizational changes, and legislation for enterprise impact.

- Reviews organizational proposals, prepares briefings, recommends actions, and ensures efficient office operations through proactive management and problem resolution.

- Coordinates, reviews, and evaluates the effectiveness of administrative and operational processes across the OUSB and enterprise; serves on committees and manages speeches, briefings, and proceedings.

- Supervises a team of administrative professionals; assigns tasks and ensures deliverables are prepared correctly and timely. Conducts hiring, performance management, discipline, employee development, and approval of travel, leave, and work schedules.

- Conducts review of executive-level correspondence, such as briefing materials, congressional responses; responses to media queries; decision memos and white papers.

Promotion Potential: None

Work Schedule: Full time, Monday through Friday 8am - 4:30pm

Compressed/Flexible: Compressed Not Available

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#: Supervisory Program Specialist; PD380390

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required

This is not a bargaining unit position

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
• Selectees are required to serve a one-year supervisory probationary period if not previously completed in a Federal position.
• 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:09/21/2026.

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-15 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-14 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 GS-15.

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-15 Grade Level:

Specialized Experience:

• Includes, performing high-level program analysis and management, and executive advisory functions. Experience demonstrates the ability to provide guidance to senior executives; lead enterprise-wide initiatives; and evaluate the impact of legislation, process changes, and organizational proposals on agency operations.
• Specialized experience may be demonstrated by serving as a principal advisor to senior leadership; developing and implementing nationwide administrative or operational procedures; coordinating complex negotiations involving internal and external stakeholders; and/or ensuring the effective operation of an executive 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: 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/.

Education

There is no education substitution for the GS-15 grade level.

Additional information

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.

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

(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.