Clarification from the agency

This announcement will remain open through the posted closing date of May 15, 2026. However, only applications received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the date the applicant count is reached will be accepted and considered. The applicant count is reached when the first 500 applications are received. Applications submitted after 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on that date will not be considered, even though the announcement may remain open until the closing date.

Supports the Director of Special Reviews Division in advising the Secretary on all matters of the Department relating to accountability, including accountability of employees of the Department, retaliation against whistleblowers, and such matters as the Secretary considers similar and affect public trust in the Department.

Prepares reports and recommendations to the Secretary regarding matters of accountability and similar matters affecting public trust in the Department.

Conducts programmatic audits, reviews, and evaluations according to government auditing standards to identify systemic issues, gaps, and areas for improvement.

Conducts interviews, performs site visits, prepares and administers surveys, and drafts and revises reports.

Independently drafts audit or review plans, which include scope and methodology, applicable research, objectives audit questions, and data collection and measurement strategies (qualitative and quantitative analysis) that apply rigorous approaches for meeting objectives.

Provides expert quantitative/qualitative analysis that effectively and efficiently accomplishes audit, review or evaluation objectives.

Collaborates with VA administrations and program offices to develop and conduct evaluations, reviews, and audits to test compliance with the VA's implementation of recommendations from audits and investigations.

Documents the research process, findings, and implications; drafts sections of reports, prepares written analysis summaries when appropriate.

Prepares draft reports and briefings for agency and departmental decision-makers on findings, recommendations and implications on VA programs, practices, and policies. Incumbent must be able to utilize data to explain complex evaluations, statistical, and data analysis methodologies and findings to non-technical audiences and stakeholders.

Maintains competencies and training in areas related to government auditing and evaluation standards, data analytics, research methodologies, and qualitative and quantitative measurement methods.



Work Schedule: Required to work Monday through Friday with various tours available pending supervisory approval. May be subjected to change based on operational needs.
Compressed/Flexible: May be authorized by supervisor
Telework: Available - Ad Hoc telework (situational telework) as determined by the agency policy.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: 1600693
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Conditions of employment

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
• 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 identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• This position may be filled at the facility where the position is located (VA Central Office, Washington, DC) or in person - telework authorized (e.g., the employee may work at a VA facility or other VA-leased space other than the facility that is hiring the employee)

• 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.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 05/13/2026.

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.

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 complex, organization-wide programmatic audits or reviews (excluding financial or IT audits) or evaluations of organizational reporting climates according to government or private industry auditing or evaluation standards; independently planning, coordinating, and leading high-level interviews, employee focus groups, multi-day site visits, and surveys; independently analyzing complex qualitative and quantitative information to identify trends and root causes of non-compliance or deficiencies; and drafting written reports that include findings, conclusions, and recommendations and conducting briefings for agency and departmental decision-makers on these findings.

• Accountability
• Analysis and Problem Solving
• Analytical Thinking
• Attention to Detail
• Auditing
• Communications
• Customer Service
• Decision Making
• Flexibility
• Influencing/Negotiating
• Integrity/Honesty
• Interpersonal Skills
• Learning
• Organizational Performance Analysis
• Planning and Evaluating
• Reading Comprehension
• Reasoning
• Self-Management
• Stress Tolerance
• Teamwork

Note: Resume must include job title and employer name, number of hours worked per week, start and end dates (including month and year), list of duties and responsibilities for each position held. In addition, if the experience was a federal position, you must list series and grade for each position held. Failure to include this information may result in an ineligible rating. A full year of work is considered to be 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.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal/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:

A well-qualified candidate for the GS-14 Special Reviews Analyst position within the Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection (OAWP) will possess at least 3 years of experience performing high-level programmatic audits, evaluations, and reviews in a large, mission-driven, and highly regulated organization.

This role demands a strategic thinker and skilled analyst with an impactful record in which they have independently led multiple rigorous, organization-wide evaluations, have directed one or more analyst's efforts during these evaluations, and have provided actionable recommendations with clear outcomes that strengthened organizational accountability, improved processes, or enhanced whistleblower protections.

The well-qualified candidate will clearly demonstrate the following:

• Leading one or more analysts in conducting multiple complex, organization-wide programmatic audits or reviews (excluding financial or IT audits) in accordance with government or private industry auditing or evaluation standards.
• Developing and overseeing sophisticated review plans-including scope, methodology, data collection, risk considerations, and evaluation criteria-that demonstrate strategic thinking and adherence to rigorous standards.
• Conducting or leading evaluations of organizational reporting climates (e.g., whistleblower reporting) according to government or private industry standards and applying customer-experience principles and human-centered design methodologies, with documented results that improved organizational reporting processes or responsiveness.
• Planning, coordinating, and executing multi-day site visits that included interviews with executives and key staff, coordinating dozens of employee interviews across a team of analysts, leading multiple focus groups, collecting and reviewing extensive documentation, and managing all associated logistics to ensure consistent data quality and synthesis of findings.
• Independently planning and conducting high-level interviews, focus groups, surveys, and stakeholder engagements outside of site-visit contexts, with demonstrated ability to gather and synthesize diverse perspectives into actionable findings.
• Conducting complex qualitative and quantitative analysis to identify systemic issues, trends, and root causes of non-compliance, and demonstrating how this analysis informed recommendations or organizational change.
• Translating complex, technical, or sensitive evaluation findings into clear, actionable insights tailored to non-technical leadership audiences, enabling informed decision-making at senior levels.
• Collaborating proactively with internal and external oversight entities to evaluate corrective actions, monitor implementation, and assess compliance, contributing to sustained organizational improvement.
• Demonstrating consistent adherence to high ethical standards, confidentiality requirements, transparency expectations, and sound judgment when handling sensitive or protected information.
• Maintaining and applying advanced professional knowledge of auditing standards, evaluation methodologies, data analysis tools, and performance measurement frameworks through ongoing professional development.

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/.

Physical Requirements: Work is sedentary and involves no unusual physical effort or environmental stress. Some travel may be required.

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/.

How you will be evaluated

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

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. SEE THE REQUIRED DOCUMENT SECTION BELOW FOR MORE INFORMATION REGARDING THE SF-50S NEEDED TO VERIFY TIME-IN-GRADE.

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.

Resumes must clearly document like duties performed in your positions and demonstrate the impact of the specialized experience that shows outcomes, accomplishments, and contributions resulting from your work.

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an 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.

Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be contacted for an interview. Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

Area of Consideration: Eligible applicants will be reviewed and referred in the following order:

• All current, permanent VA Employees in the VACO Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection
• All other current, permanent VA employees
• All other applicants

Applicant Count: This announcement will remain open until the closing date, 05/13/2026, or when the applicant count is reached, whichever is earlier. The applicant count is the point at which the first 500 applications are received. All applications submitted that day up to 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on the date the applicant count is reached will be accepted and considered.