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Chief Budget Strategist, GS-0501-15 NF

National Science Foundation
U.S. National Science Foundation

Summary

The Chief Budget Strategist provides management, planning, and analytical guidance to all elements of the organization with respect to the Federal budget process, including the development of responses to budgetary questions and concerns from the Office of Management and Budget, Congress, and other stakeholders in the organization's programs. The incumbent serves as a key member of the Directorate or Office front office.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
04/13/2026 to 04/20/2026
Salary
$169,279 - $197,200 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 15
Location
Few vacancies in the following location:
Alexandria, VA
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
NCS/High Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
Yes
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
NSF-26-12903722
Control number
864865000

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) agency employee on OR eligible for permanent competitive service appointments.

Duties

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As a Chief Budget Strategist, you will perform the following duties:

  • Serve as the organization's expert on budget formulation and execution, overseeing the planning, development, justification, implementation, and monitoring of the budget, including preparing the annual budget plan.
  • Evaluate the effects of different budgetary arrangements over the short and long term and formulates contingency plans
  • Responsible for developing the organization's portion of the annual NSF budget request.
  • Work with the Budget Division and relevant offices to plan, prepare, and analyze annual budgets for the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and Congress, addressing financial and budget cycle issues.
  • Oversee budget execution activities and initiatives to address resource allocation challenges impacting mission operations, including collecting data on all Directorate or Office resources
  • Ensure effective and consistent internal financial controls by establishing, maintaining, reviewing, and improving processes as needed.
  • Participate in the Directorate or Office front office leadership team, collaborating with senior staff internally and externally on budget, legislation, policy, and financial operations matters.
  • Ensure compliance with NSF and OMB budget policies, maintains knowledge of appropriations law, and monitors authorization and appropriation processes.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  1. You must be a US citizen.
  2. Selectee will be required to have a background investigation prior to onboarding.
  3. Selectee may be required to serve a 2-year trial/1-year probationary period.
Additional Requirements:
Time in Grade Requirement: Applicants who have held a General Schedule (GS) position within the last 52 weeks must have 52 weeks of Federal service at the next lower grade/equivalent.

You must meet eligibility and qualification requirements within 30 days of the closing date.

You must answer all job-related questions in the NSF eRecruit questionnaire and any external assessment that is included.

All online applicants must provide a valid email address. If your email address is inaccurate or your mailbox is full/blocked, you may not receive important communication that could affect your consideration for this position.

It is NSF policy that personnel employed at, or Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) individuals detailed to, NSF are not permitted to participate in foreign talent recruitment programs. Failure to comply with this NSF policy could result in disciplinary action up to and including removal from Federal Service or termination of an IPA assignment and referral to the Office of Inspector General.

NSF has determined that all of its positions are eligible for telework. Work suitable for telework depends on job duties; therefore, employees must receive approval from their supervisor for telework and have a telework agreement in place. Entering into a telework agreement is voluntary.

Qualifications

To qualify at the GS-15 level, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-14 Level in the federal service performing all aspects of budget and financial management for an organization.

Examples of experience include: planning and managing the formulation, justification, and execution of an organization's budget; assessing short- and long-term impacts of financial strategies for an organization; preparing annual financial reports for the Office of Management and Budget and Congress; and analyzing financial resources to resolve any subsequent issues or problems with the federal budget process.

Experience refers to paid/unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training/experience that translates directly to paid work. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Education

Education may enhance skills required for this position; however, no substitution of education for specialized experience may be made at this level.

Additional information

Relocation Expenses will not be paid.

This position is excluded from the bargaining unit.

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP)
ICTAP and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP or CTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your ICTAP or CTAP eligibility; 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement; and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified you must meet the following: OPM qualification requirements for the position, all selective factors, where applicable; special OPM approved qualifying conditions for the position; is physically qualified with reasonable accommodation, where appropriate, to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry; and receives a rating of at least "Very Good" on the questionnaire. You must provide proof of eligibility with your application to receive selection priority. Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of ICTAP or CTAP eligibility, or a copy of your separation personnel action form.
Additional information regarding ICTAP or CTAP eligibility is available from OPM's Career Transition Resources.

Veteran's Preference:
If you are entitled to veterans' preference, you should indicate the type of veterans' preference you are claiming on your resume. Your veterans' preference entitlement will be verified by the employing agency. For 5-point veterans' preference, please provide your DD-214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty), official statement of service from your command if you are currently on active duty, or other official documentation (e.g., documentation of receipt of a campaign badge or expeditionary medal) that proves your military service was performed under honorable conditions. For 10-point veterans' preference, please submit a Standard Form (SF) 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, DD-214, and the VA letter or other required documentation as specified on the SF-15.

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. 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 the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.

This announcement may be used to fill like positions in other organizations within the National Science Foundation.

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.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position.

To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

  • Accountability
  • Arithmetic/Mathematical Reasoning
  • Attention to Detail
  • Customer Service
  • Decision Making
  • Flexibility
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Learning
  • Reasoning
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork


Applicants eligible for selection preference under the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) must meet the agency definition of "well qualified." At NSF, this means a score of 90.0 or higher.

In the merit promotion selection process, formal performance appraisals may be considered if voluntarily submitted by the applicant.

To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12903722

National Science Foundation

Come join our talented workforce and help us keep the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) at the frontier of discovery!

NSF is on the leading edge of discovery in areas from astronomy to geology to zoology and beyond. In addition to funding research in traditional academic areas, the agency also supports innovative ideas, novel collaborations and numerous projects that may seem like science fiction today, but become the reality of tomorrow.

NSF ensures that research is fully integrated with education so that today's revolutionary work will also be training future scientists and engineers. We are also at the forefront of federal business and operations best practices, ensuring accountability and efficacy of the work we do.

Become a part of our mission to maintain and strengthen the vitality of the US science and engineering enterprise. For over 70 years, NSF has remained the premier Federal agency supporting basic research at the frontiers of discovery across all fields, as well as science and engineering education at all levels.

Agency contact information

Talent & Acquisition Management Branch
Email
erecruit@nsf.gov
Address
US National Science Foundation
401 Dulany Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
US

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