This Staff Assistant position is located in the Office of Management's (OM) front office in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Central Office Headquarters, Washington, DC and reports to the Supervisory Executive Assistant. The incumbent fulfills the functions of a Staff Assistant to OM executive leaders including but not limited to, Chief of Staff, the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Management (PDAS), and Assistant Secretary for Management.
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 01/26/2026. 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-14 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-13. 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 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-14 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 as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-13 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Leading the development, review, and implementation of policies, directives, program initiatives, and regulations, while resolving complex policy and operational issues affecting multiple internal and external stakeholders. Conducting research and analysis on sensitive management and organizational topics and preparing high-level briefings, decision memoranda, and written products for senior executives. Structuring and delivering department-wide, congressional, and public communications and outreach, and representing senior leadership when providing authoritative guidance to stakeholders. Performing executive-level review and coordination of correspondence and recurring reports requiring senior leadership concurrence or signature, briefing executives on policy implications, and recommending courses of action. 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. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Accountability Administration and Management Communication Decision Support Organizational Awareness 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. Physical Requirements: The work is principally sedentary, and travel is normally not required. No special physical demands are required. The work involves normal risks or discomforts associated with an office environment. The work area is usually adequately lighted, heated and ventilated. 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 the formulation, critical review, and enterprise-level integration of policies, directives, program initiatives, and regulatory actions, including advising senior leadership on policy impacts, risk mitigation, and alignment with Departmental and Administration priorities. Resolving highly complex, cross-cutting policy and operational issues that span multiple organizational components and external partners, using advanced analytical techniques, stakeholder negotiation, and strategic problem-solving to drive consensus and implement sustainable solutions. Conducting in-depth research and synthesis of sensitive and high-risk management topics and producing executive-level decision memoranda, briefings, and strategic analyses for principal deputies, chiefs of staff, or equivalent officials, requiring sound judgment and strict confidentiality. Designing, structuring, and leading department-wide, congressional, and public messaging and outreach strategies, and representing senior leadership when providing authoritative guidance to internal and external stakeholders on matters involving oversight bodies, customer concerns, or high-visibility inquiries. Executing executive-level review and adjudication of complex correspondence requiring senior leadership concurrence or signature, resolving substantive policy conflicts with originating offices, briefing senior officials on implications and risks, and recommending defensible courses of action. Coordinating, consolidating, and directing the preparation of recurring and ad hoc reports under senior leadership jurisdiction, critically reviewing and editing contributions from multiple components to ensure technical accuracy, policy consistency, and readiness for external scrutiny. 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 Washington, DC. This includes all locations that fall within a 50 mile driving distance from 810 Vermont Ave., NW Washington, DC 20420.
Duties include but are not limited to: This position participates, with the Supervisory Executive Director, the PDAS and Chief of Staff, in the development of long- and shortrange plans, goals, and objectives. Assists in the development and review of policies, directives, program initiatives, and VA regulations. Resolves complex policy and operational problems, which cross organizational lines within and outside OM. Assists in the development and review of Department-wide program and budget plans. Assesses the impact of proposed plans on VA operating programs and reviews for consistency with the Secretary's goals, objectives and plans. Prepares findings and recommendations for the PDAS's and Chief of Staff approval and proposes relevant changes, as necessary. Oversees for the PDAS and/or Chief of Staff, through the Supervisory Executive Assistant, the implementation of new policies, procedures or program objectives. Keeps the PDAS and Chief of Staff informed of any problem areas and resolves problems with the Deputy Assistant Secretaries (DAS) and Directors within OM, and other VA components. Is authorized to speak for and commit the PDAS and/or Chief of Staff to courses of action within established policy guidelines. Conducts evaluation, analyses and reviews of programs and operations under the jurisdiction of the PDAS and Chief of Staff. These evaluations may form the basis for new policies or program initiatives and may impact the VA's relationships with other Government agencies. Findings and recommendations will result in more efficient and effective service to Veterans and achievement of Department goals and objectives. Based on studies and evaluations, proposes policy changes to the PDAS and/or Chief of Staff. Coordinates the development of such policies with the PDAS and/or Chief of Staff and top officials of OM and throughout VA. Conducts or oversees the conduct of policy analysis and/or special studies relating to offices under the PDAS's and Chief of Staff jurisdiction, both in VA Central Office and the field. As a recognized expert, the incumbent reviews for the PDAS and/or Chief of Staff plans and policy proposals which may involve exception cost, controversy, and/or intensive outside interest. Serves on task groups with Department representatives to address specific issues. Ensures that timely and responsible solutions are obtained. Conducts executive review of correspondence in assigned areas requiring the concurrence or signature of the PDAS. Resolves significant problems relating to such correspondence with the originating and concurring offices. Briefs the PDAS and/or Chief of Staff on the nature and policy implications of the correspondence and recommends courses of action. Coordinates, consolidates, and directs final preparation of recurring reports, based on knowledge of the programs under the PDAS's and Chief of Staff jurisdiction, and reviews and edits items contributed by OM components. Performs research on management topics and prepares documents for the PDAS and/or Chief of Staff. Certain topics may be sensitive and confidential. Prepares briefing documents (analysis, charts, special study reports) for the PDAS and/or Chief of Staff for use in briefings and or presentations to the Secretary, other VA management officials, and other Government or private sector organizations. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Location: The selectee will be required to report on-site at 810 Vermont Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20420. Telework: Available - Ad Hoc telework (situational telework) as determined by the agency policy. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: PD55070A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required