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IT Specialist (Artificial Intelligence)

Department of Veterans Affairs
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Information and Technology
Office of Information Technology

Summary

Advancing the use of Al across VA will improve the delivery of its services and operational effectiveness and support critical mission goals such as (but not limited to) improving customer experience, contributing to digital modernization, reducing healthcare provider burnout, improving quality of care, and contributing to benefits claims processing.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
05/08/2026 to 05/12/2026
Salary
$125,776 - $163,514 per year

The salary range listed reflects the Rest of US salary table. Upon selection, the salary may be adjusted to include the location of the selectee.

Pay scale & grade
GS 14
Location
Many vacancies in the following location:
Location Negotiable After Selection
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—Adhoc telework may be authorized at management discretion.
Travel Required
25% or less - Up to 25% travel may be required, as needed, 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
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
CTO-26-AH-12953225
Control number
868190900

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

This job is open to the Pubic and CTAP/ICTAP eligibles. ALL US CITIZENS DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: This position is being filled using Direct-Hire Authority (5 CFR 337.205) for this occupation.

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Duties

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Major Duties:

  • The IT SPECIALIST (Al) helps advance VA's Al priorities by applying their knowledge and expertise of Al/ML technologies and the product life cycle
  • Understanding the Al landscape and customer needs; Generating ideas for potential Al opportunities and applications; Defining and prioritizing which potential solutions to pursue.
  • Formulating product requirements for Al/ML technologies and systems to improve the customer experience of VA's services and/or to increase operational impact.
  • Using expertise in product management and Al/ML technologies, models, and applications to own, drive, lead, manage, or support the full product life cycle of Al/ML ­enabled solutions
  • Demonstrates technical expertise in Al/ML technologies, including generative and non­generative Al/ML algorithms, large language models, commercial and open-source models, model training practices, and data management.
  • Ensures, enables, advances, and accelerates the safe and responsible deployment and use of Al/ML at VA.
  • Adheres to government policies, regulations, responsible use standards, and guidelines when incorporating best practices from industry.
  • Communicates quantitative and qualitative impact of Al/ML systems to leadership and stakeholders.
Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm. Tour of duty may be subject to change based on organizational needs.
Travel Required: Up to 25% travel may be required, as needed, for this position.
Financial Disclosure Report: Not applicable
Designated Drug Testing Position: Not applicable
Compressed/Flexible: As determined by the Agency Policy
Telework: Adhoc telework may be authorized at management discretion.
Virtual: This is NOT a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: IT Specialist (Artificial Intelligence)/PD00093A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Physical Demands: The work is sedentary. Some work may require walking and standing in conjunction with travel and attendance at meetings and conferences away from the work site. Some employees may carry light items such as papers, books, or small parts, or drive a motor vehicle. The work does not require any special physical effort.
Working Conditions: The work area is adequately lit, heated, and ventilated. The work environment involves everyday risks or discomforts that require normal safety precautions. Some employees may occasionally be exposed to uncomfortable conditions.

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 for changing 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.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
  • To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.
  • Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required.
  • You may be required to serve a probationary period
  • 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 (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for 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.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 05/12/2026.

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

Selective Placement Factor: In addition to the minimum qualifications described above, you must meet the following requirement(s) to be considered qualified for the position: Experience developing, governing, and/or serving in a product management capacity for AI solutions including machine learning and large language models.

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: hands-on machine learning model development and deployment, evaluation of large-language-model (LLM)-based enterprise solutions, Al-focused product development, and/or establishment of Al governance and risk management practices.

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.
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 substitution of education for experience at the grade level(s) of this announcement.

Additional information

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

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.

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/.

If selected you will be required to report to one of the following locations:
Atlanta, GA
Cleveland, OH
Denver, Aurora, CO
Detroit, MI
Houston, TX
Los Angeles, Long Beach, Anaheim, CA
Nashville, Davidson, Murfreesboro, TN
Orlando, FL
Pittsburgh, PA
San Antonio, TX
Tampa, St. Petersburg, FL
Washington, DC
Hines, IL
Eatontown, NJ
Albany, NY
Philadelphia, PA
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.

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.

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. You will be assessed on the following Competencies for this position:

  • Accountability
  • Attention to Detail
  • Customer Service
  • Decision Making
  • Flexibility
  • Influencing/Negotiating
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Learning
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Reasoning
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork

USA Hire Assessments include a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment.

Your experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. 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. IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. 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.

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.

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

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.

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Information and Technology

OUR MISSION: To fulfill President Lincoln's promise "To care for those who have served in our nation's military and for their families, caregivers, and survivors" - by serving and honoring the men and women who are America's Veterans. How would you like to become a part of a team providing compassionate whole health care to Veterans?

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.

DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: This position is being filled using Direct-Hire Authority (5 CFR 337.205) for this occupation.

Agency contact information

Recruitment Team One D
Phone
000-000-0000
Email
vaoitopshr-randpteam1d@va.gov
Address
DAS for Information Technology - 103
810 Vermont Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20240
US

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Learn more about what it's like to work at Deputy Assistant Secretary for Information and Technology, what the agency does, and about the types of careers this agency offers.

https://digital.va.gov/careers/

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