IT Specialist (PlcyPln)

Summary

The incumbent in this position serves as an IT Specialist (PLCYPLN) in the Office of IT Enterprise Governance (ITEG), Compliance, Risk, And Remediation (CRR), Office of Information and Technology (OIT), Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The primary purpose of this position is to serve as an IT Specialist in support of the Service and as project leader/COTR for the VA-wide procurement and sustainability of Information technology assets.

Duties

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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:

• Drafts IT policies and plans and coordinates implementation with the organization's staff and users.
• Writes papers on IT issues such as the implementation of emerging technologies for executive directors and for use across the organization.
• Develops and disseminates informational material to a wide range of agency stakeholders.
• Develops written guidance and policies concerning the nature and purpose of the organizations programs, projects and/or areas concern.
• Serves as the project leader and Contracting Officer's Technical Representative (COTR) on major projects that are performed by commercial contractors.
• Monitors the technical performance of contractors to ensure they are meeting technical requirements and customer needs.
• Evaluates the impact of changes in business needs on current IT policy, conducts feasibility studies, identifies solutions, and presents recommendations to management.
• Develops and monitors metrics used in evaluating the accomplishment of IT goals and objectives.
• Assists other organizations in developing business cases including establishing IT performance metrics, non-functional and functional requirements, service level agreements, monitoring and reporting plans, and anticipated total cost of ownership.
• Evaluates specific information technology products to determine their suitability for use within the organization and determines appropriate pricing based on market conditions.
• Identifies and evaluates future and emerging technologies in data processing.
• Analyzes highly complex technical IT issues in planning, documenting, and implementing congressional and executive level policy changes that impact IT resource requirements.
• Ensures compliance with plans, policies, standards, infrastructures, and architectures that establish framework for the management of all IT programs.
• Provides expert analysis and policy advice on complex areas of compliance and/or program issues.

Position Description/PD#: IT Specialist (PlcyPln)/PD17345A

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required

Travel Required: Occasional travel may be required as needed for this position.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8AM-4:30PM; Tour of duty will be determined based on organizational needs.

Compressed/Flexible: As determined by the Agency Policy

Virtual: This is not a virtual position .

Physical Demands: The work is sedentary and does not require any special physical effort. Duties may require lifting and carrying computer equipment such as monitors and printers.

Working Conditions: The work area is adequately lighted, heated and ventilated. The work environment involves everyday risks or discomforts that require normal safety precautions.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• You may be required to serve a probationary period
• Selectee is subject to background/suitability investigation
• Selected applicant will be required to complete an online onboarding process
• This position is subject to pre-employment and random drug testing.
• Complete the initial online assessment.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements ( 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, all qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement 08/20/2025.

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. 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.

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 five 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: experience in communicating new governance and strategic planning activities that may have a direct impact on an organization; assists other organizations in developing processes and tools; develops informational material for a wide range of agency stakeholders.

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.

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.

Education

There is no substitution of education for experience at the grade level(s) of this announcement.

Additional information

VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, 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 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 well-qualified, applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors if applicable, and must be proficient in most of the requirements of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website which can be found at ;br>
Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

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.

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.

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.

A selectee receiving a first appointment to the Federal Government (Civil Service) is entitled only to the lowest step of the grade for which selected. The display of a salary range on this vacancy shall not be construed as granting an entitlement to a higher rate of pay.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

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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.