This position is located in the Office of Management (OM), Office of Actuarial Services (OAS). Under the direction of the Executive Director of Actuarial Services (VA's Chief Actuary), OAS is responsible for developing, monitoring, and updating actuarial models to support the mission of ensuring maximum transparency and accountability with respect to actuarial benefit liabilities reported in VA's audited financial statements.
Summary
This position is located in the Office of Management (OM), Office of Actuarial Services (OAS). Under the direction of the Executive Director of Actuarial Services (VA's Chief Actuary), OAS is responsible for developing, monitoring, and updating actuarial models to support the mission of ensuring maximum transparency and accountability with respect to actuarial benefit liabilities reported in VA's audited financial statements.
ALL US CITIZENS and CTAP/ICTAP eligible applicants.
DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: This position is being filled using Direct-Hire Authority (5 CFR 337.201) for this occupation.
Update monthly health claims data models for IBNR.
Update monthly incurred health claims forecast models.
Analysis of large amounts of health claims and referral data to identify trend drivers.
Provide technical review of other actuaries' work, which could include running an alternative model.
Prepare or update reports and other documents intended for management and auditors.
Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 4:30 pm Telework: Ad-hoc telework (situational telework) available as determined by the agency policy. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description Title/PD#: Actuary/PD20806A and PD00165A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Physical Requirements: The work is sedentary, some work may require periods of walking, standing, bending, or driving a motor vehicle. Employees frequently carry research records and other similar materials. The work does not require any special physical effort. Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level.
Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
A complete application package; Resume, Transcripts, etc.
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 may 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:
performance and conduct; needs/interests of the agency; if 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, if required, 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.
Selective Placement Factor:
This position includes a skill, knowledge, ability or other worker characteristic basic to -and essential for- satisfactory performance of the job. Selective Placement Factors are a prerequisite to appointment and represent minimum requirements for a position. Applicants who do not meet it are ineligible for further consideration. Evidence of the Selective Placement Factor must be reflected in your resume.
The Selective Placement Factor for this position is: Must have obtained one of the following actuarial credentials from the Society of Actuaries (SOA): Associate of the Society of Actuaries (ASA) or Fellow of the Society of Actuaries (FSA), as evidenced by an official transcript and certificate or by the applicant's presence in The Actuarial Directory.
Individual Occupational Requirements
GS-13 or Equivalent Grade Level:
Basic Requirements
Applicants may qualify for actuary positions by meeting the requirements described in either paragraph A OR paragraph B below.
Paragraph A.
Applicants may qualify for the following grade levels by meeting the educational and/or experience requirements described below.
Applicants may qualify for higher grade levels by meeting all of the following requirements:
One year of actuarial experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-12;
AND
A course of educational study which is a bachelor's degree that included courses in actuarial science, mathematics, relevant statistics, business, finance, economics, insurance, or computer science totaling at least 24 semester hours. This course work must have included a minimum of 12 semester hours of mathematics that included differential and integral calculus and one or more courses in mathematics for which these calculus courses were prerequisites.
OR
Paragraph B.
Special Alternate Means of Qualifying for Positions at GS-07 through GS-13 or Equivalent Grade Levels
Applicants may qualify for a position at grade levels GS-07 through GS-13 using the "Special Alternate Means" provisions described below. Applicants for all grade levels must complete a minimum of 24 semester hours of courses in actuarial science, mathematics, relevant statistics, business, finance, economics, insurance, or computer science at a four year college or university. This course work must have included a minimum of 12 semester hours of mathematics that included differential and integral calculus and one or more courses in mathematics for which these calculus courses were prerequisites.
Successful completion of appropriate examinations offered by the Society of Actuaries(SOA), the Casualty Actuarial Society(CAS), or the Joint Board for the Enrollment of Actuaries(JBEA), as evidenced by an official SOA or CAS transcript, and specialized experience described below is fully qualifying at the grade levels shown below:
GS-13 or Equivalent Grade Level:
One year of professional actuarial experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 level
AND
Associateship in the Society of Actuaries or the Casualty Actuarial Society or being an Enrolled Actuary.
Specialized Experience:
GS-13 Grade Level: One year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the federal service); experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) and other characteristics to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience includes:
Assisting with updating models supporting Incurred But Not Reported reserves (IBNR) and incurred claims forecasts; perform medical claims trend analysis.
Utilizing actuarial and data analysis tools such as Microsoft Excel, SQL, R, or SAS to extract, manipulate, and analyze data
Communicating analytical findings in written and verbal formats, and frequently collaborating with fellow actuaries and cross-functional colleagues.
Individual Occupational Requirements
GS-14 or Equivalent Grade Level:
Paragraph A.
Applicants may qualify for the following grade levels by meeting the educational and/or experience requirements described below.
Applicants may qualify for higher grade levels by meeting all of the following requirements:
One year of actuarial experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-13;
AND
A course of educational study which is a bachelor's degree that included courses in actuarial science, mathematics, relevant statistics, business, finance, economics, insurance, or computer science totaling at least 24 semester hours. This course work must have included a minimum of 12 semester hours of mathematics that included differential and integral calculus and one or more courses in mathematics for which these calculus courses were prerequisites.
Paragraph B.
One year of professional actuarial experience equivalent to at least the GS-13 level
AND
Associateship in the Society of Actuaries or the Casualty Actuarial Society or being an Enrolled Actuary.
Specialized Experience:
GS-14 Grade Level: One year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-13 grade level in the federal service); experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) and other characteristics to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience includes:
Producing Incurred But Not Reported reserves (IBNR) and incurred claims forecasts; identifying key drivers of medical trend through investigation and analysis of medical claims.
Studying health plan utilization of beneficiaries with other health insurance (e.g., Medicare); experience with health risk analysis.
Utilizing actuarial and data analysis tools such as Microsoft Excel, SQL, R, or SAS to extract, manipulate, and analyze data
Displaying excellent communication (drafting and editing written actuarial communications, articulating information to a variety of internal and external audiences, including presentations to management), and frequently collaborating with fellow actuaries and cross-functional colleagues.
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.
Local Commuting Area by Location:
The local commuting area for this position is defined as a radius of 50 miles from Washington, DC. This includes all locations that fall within a 50 mile driving distance from 810 Vermont Ave NW, Washington, DC 20420.
The local commuting area for this position is defined as a radius of 50 miles from Frederick, MD. This includes all locations that fall within a 50 mile driving distance from 7485 New Horizon Way, Frederick, MD 21703
The local commuting area for this position is defined as a radius of 50 miles from St. Paul, MN. This includes all locations that fall within a 50 mile driving distance from 1 Federal Drive, Building 1, Suite 4500, St. Paul MN 55111-4050
The local commuting area for this position is defined as a radius of 50 miles from Austin, TX. This includes all locations that fall within a 50 mile driving distance from 7600 Metropolis Dr., Austin, TX 78744.
Education
There is no educational substitute for the GS-13/14 level.
Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education.
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 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:
GS-13:
Supported updates to IBNR reserve models and incurred claims forecasts by performing detailed medical claims trend analysis.
Assisted in studying health plan utilization, including beneficiaries with Other Health Insurance, and contributed to health risk analysis efforts.
Used advanced Excel, SQL, R, and SAS skills to extract, clean, and analyze large actuarial datasets in support of modeling and reporting.
Prepared clear written summaries and briefings and collaborated with actuaries and cross-functional teams to validate findings and ensure analytical accuracy.
GS-14:
Independently produced IBNR reserve estimates and incurred claims forecasts, identifying key medical trend drivers through advanced claims analysis.
Conducted senior-level analyses of health plan utilization, including Other Health Insurance (e.g., Medicare), and performed health risk evaluations to inform actuarial assessments.
Applied expert skills in Excel, SQL, R, and SAS to design and execute complex data extraction, transformation, and analytical processes supporting actuarial models.
Delivered clear and technically rigorous actuarial communications, including reports, memos, and presentations to management; collaborated with actuaries and cross-functional teams to guide methodological discussions and validate findings.
Receiving Service Credit for 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.
This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
If you are unable to apply online and request information about the Alternate Application process, please contact the Agency Contact listed for this Job Opportunity Announcement (JOA).
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.
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.
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.
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. Applicants will be referred in the order in which they were received.
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.
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.
Most recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, which for current employees, must be effective the first pay period (01/11/2026 or later) of the current calendar year. The SF-50 should note your current position or most recently held position, tenure, type of position occupied (i.e., Excepted or Competitive), grade level and duty location. (Text version SF-50s or Request for Personnel Action SF-52s are not acceptable.) Non-GS employees (including Federal Wage System and pay band employees) who do not receive annual pay adjustments in January, must submit a SF-50 dated within one year of the closing date of this announcement.
Please review the above list(s) to ensure you have included all necessary documents required for your application. Not every applicant will require the same documents, therefore it is the applicants responsibility to ensure that their application package includes all necessary documents to determine qualifications and eligibility for appointment, such as a copy of your SF-50, transcript, ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees).You will not be contacted for additional information. Applicants will be deemed ineligible if supporting documentation is not submitted.
Veterans' Preference: Since the Direct-Hire Recruitment Authority is being used, traditional Veterans' Preference rules do not apply. Qualified veterans will, however, be given full consideration for this position.
Applications are accepted online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 06/02/2026 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12960146.
1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
2. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.
NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date. You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USA Jobs account and clicking on Applications. Information regarding your application status can be found in the USAJobs Help Center.
To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
Office of Asset Enterprise Management
810 Vermont Ave NW
Washington, DC 20240
US
Next steps
After the vacancy announcement closes, applicants are evaluated to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
Most recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, which for current employees, must be effective the first pay period (01/11/2026 or later) of the current calendar year. The SF-50 should note your current position or most recently held position, tenure, type of position occupied (i.e., Excepted or Competitive), grade level and duty location. (Text version SF-50s or Request for Personnel Action SF-52s are not acceptable.) Non-GS employees (including Federal Wage System and pay band employees) who do not receive annual pay adjustments in January, must submit a SF-50 dated within one year of the closing date of this announcement.
Please review the above list(s) to ensure you have included all necessary documents required for your application. Not every applicant will require the same documents, therefore it is the applicants responsibility to ensure that their application package includes all necessary documents to determine qualifications and eligibility for appointment, such as a copy of your SF-50, transcript, ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees).You will not be contacted for additional information. Applicants will be deemed ineligible if supporting documentation is not submitted.
Veterans' Preference: Since the Direct-Hire Recruitment Authority is being used, traditional Veterans' Preference rules do not apply. Qualified veterans will, however, be given full consideration for this position.
Applications are accepted online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 06/02/2026 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12960146.
1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
2. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.
NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date. You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USA Jobs account and clicking on Applications. Information regarding your application status can be found in the USAJobs Help Center.
To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
Office of Asset Enterprise Management
810 Vermont Ave NW
Washington, DC 20240
US
Next steps
After the vacancy announcement closes, applicants are evaluated to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
