IT Specialist (Policy and Planning)

Summary This position is located in Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Office of Information and Technology (OIT) serving as an IT Specialist (Policy and Planning) providing leadership, vision, and direction for the use of information technology systems supporting the organization's business objectives and requirements; ensures the integration of IT programs and services; exercises full authority and responsibility for formulating, determining, and influencing IT policies. Learn more about this agency Duties OIT Mission: The mission of the Office of Information and Technology (OIT) is to collaborate with our business partners to create the best experience for all Veterans. OIT Vision: To become a world-class organization that provides a seamless, unified Veteran experience through the delivery of state-of-the-art technology. Major Duties: Develop an understanding of the needs and requirements of information end-users. Monitor and report the usage of knowledge and management assets and resources. Plan and manage the delivery of knowledge management projects. Lead efforts to promote the organization's use of knowledge management and information sharing. Promote knowledge sharing between information owners/users through an organization's operational processes and systems. Provides advice, oversight, and direction for multiple national IT programs. Provides expert-level policy and planning guidance, direction, and oversight to the Pillars executing IT software and automation, information assurance, information security, technology investments and initiatives. Serves as the senior authority for cross-cutting initiatives and portfolio management efforts and aligns the organization's technical vision with its business strategy and integrating technologies. Collaborates with the Division Director to develop, maintain, and oversee execution of a technology plan that supports organizational needs while providing direction in all technology-related issues. Provides advice, oversight, and direction for a portfolio consisting of multiple national IT infrastructure programs to support and defend major principal policy and business decisions in support of the VA mission, ultimately impacting and supporting the plans, goals, and effectiveness of IT infrastructure programs pillar and agency wide. Position Description/PD#: IT Specialist (Policy and Planning)/PD19699A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required Telework: No - ADHOC telework may be authorized at management discretion. Travel Required: Up to 25% travel may be required for this position. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 4:30 pm. Compressed/Flexible: As determined by the Agency Policy. Virtual: This is NOT a virtual position. Physical Demands: The work is sedentary. Working Conditions: The work is performed in a typical office setting. Travel may be required approximately 25% of the time. Designated Drug Testing Position: Not applicable Requirements Conditions of employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 Subject to background/security investigation May serve a probationary period. A complete application package; Resume, SF-50s, etc. Only resumes up to TWO total pages will be accepted. Resumes must be legible so they can be reviewed for position requirements listed in the job announcement. File size must not exceed 5MB. 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. This is not a remote position. OI&T has multiple worksites at various duty locations, and the individual(s) selected may be assigned to any federal government work site. This announcement will NOT be used to change duty locations. If selected, and you are a current VA employee, and not on an approved exemption, you will continue to report to your current duty location. 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. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 05/28/2026. 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 the GS-14 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-13 federal level. 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. Applicants must meet all requirements when a request is received to fill a vacancy. You may qualify based on your experience as described below: Basic Requirements Experience:Experience must be IT related; the experience may be demonstrated by paid or unpaid experience and/or completion of specific, intensive training (for example, IT certification), as appropriate. For all positions individuals must have IT-related experience, demonstrating each of the four competencies listed below. The employing agency is responsible for identifying the specific level of proficiency required for each competency at each grade level based on the requirements of the position being filled. Attention to Detail - Is thorough when performing work and conscientious about attending to detail. Customer Service - Works with clients and customers (that is, any individuals who use or receive the services or products that your work unit produces, including the general public, individuals who work in the agency, other agencies, or organizations outside the Government) to assess their needs, provide information or assistance, resolve their problems, or satisfy their expectations; knows about available products and services; is committed to providing quality products and services. Oral Communication - Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately. Problem Solving - Identifies problems; determines accuracy and relevance of information; uses sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives, and to make recommendations. AND 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. Specialized experience is defined as: Providing technical advice, oversight, and direction for multiple national IT programs and infrastructure initiatives to support agency-wide policy and business decisions; Coordinating strategic planning and program performance evaluation, including assessing organizational efficiency and effectiveness using qualitative and quantitative methods; Developing strategies and methods for implementing new laws, government-wide or VA directives, industry standards, and other external requirements impacting IT operations; Managing and leading major technical programs, including streamlining IT guidance, developing IT and security policies, and overseeing technical and strategic plans for critical infrastructure systems; Conducting organizational studies and developing metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of IT policy and planning programs and resource allocations; Preparing and delivering briefings and reports to senior leadership and stakeholders on IT policy, planning, and program improvements; Ensuring compliance with organizational goals, vision statements, and strategic artifacts, and contributing substantive input to official policies and directives; Maintaining awareness of industry and government trends and facilitating collaboration and conflict resolution across organizational lines. 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. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/. 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/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act. Veterans' Preference: Since the Direct-Hire Authority is being used, traditional Veterans' Preference rules do not apply. Qualified veterans will, however, be given full consideration for this position. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and 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 well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. 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/. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. If selected you will be required to report to one of the following locations: Long Beach, CA Los Angeles, CA Anaheim, CA Aurora, CO Denver, CO Washington, DC Orlando, FL St. Petersburg, FL Tampa, FL Atlanta, GA Hines, IL Detroit, MI Eatontown, NJ Albany, NY Cleveland, OH Philadelphia, PA Pittsburgh, PA Nashville, TN Davidson, TN Murfreesboro, TN Arlington, TX Austin, TX Houston, TX San Antonio, TX Salt Lake City, UT Shepherdstown, WV If space is not immediately available a temporary exception to telework may be granted. If/when workspace is identified, the employee is expected to report to their assigned duty location. Expand Hide  additional information 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 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. Review our 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.