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Program Analyst - Finance - Technical Career Field (TCF) Trainee

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration
Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center

Summary

The Technical Career Field (TCF) is a national workforce development program within VHA that was designed to replenish technical staff in critically identified positions.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Posted today · Apply by 06/01/26
Due by 11:59 p.m. ET on June 1, 2026
Location
Work site options
Telework eligible
No
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$50,969 - $66,261 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 7
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
Not required
Appointment type
Permanent
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Represented by a union
No
Drug test
No
Security clearance
Other
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
Financial disclosure required
No
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
CBTB-12940577-26-JS
Control number
870516400

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

This vacancy is open to current permanent VHA employees only. This includes Career/Career Conditional or Excepted Service (i.e. Canteen, Hybrid, Title 38, etc. with an interchange agreement and one year of service in that position) and Career Transition CTAP employees. This does not include temporary, term or intermittent appointments.

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Duties

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The TCF career fields represent those technical fields where VA-specific knowledge and experience is desirable for success in the field. Individuals selected follow a formal training plan for two years during which they are trained, coached, and supervised by a preceptor. Preceptors are selected annually, through an extensive application process, for their technical expertise, their commitment to training and the suitability of their facility as a training location. *Selectees will be required to sign Mobility, Training, and Continued Service Agreements.

This is a developmental position leading to a GS-11, performing assignments intended to broaden skills and provide practical experience leading to progressively more complex assignments performed under progressively less supervision. 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.

The incumbent is a member of the team responsible for providing operational support to Decision Support System (DSS) for the VA Southeast Network (VISN 7). DSS is the managerial cost accounting system for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).It is an automated financial and clinical support system designed for managerial applications providing healthcare service to our veteran patients. DSS integrates financial, clinical workload, and patient data and VHA financial systems.

Duties include, but are not limited to:

  • Responsible for accurate data processing and system maintenance.
  • Performs monthly data processing tasks associate with the operations and maintenance of DSS, ensures processing procedures are completed reliably and in a timely manner.
  • Performs DSS structure maintenance for the Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) and/or medical center.
  • Maintenance activities may include but not limited to the structural framework; the enhancement of cost and/or product identification; and the enhancement of relative value units.
  • Provides knowledgeable, effective, and courteous service related DSS to VISN and medical center management and/or staff and works effectively with his/her colleagues within the DSS community.
  • May be responsible for representing DSS at facility-based meetings, providing training and education, completion of special projects and/or reporting, and interpreting and analyzing various DSS reports for staff.
  • Contacts various levels of personnel throughout the medical center, VISN, Central Office, other medical centers and businesses.
  • Protects printed and electronic contacting sensitive data in accordance with the provisions of the Privacy Action of 1974 and other applicable laws, federal regulations, VA statues and VHA policy.
  • Performs other duties as assigned.
Work schedule: 8:00a.m. - 4:30p.m., Monday through Friday (subject to change based on needs of the organization)
Compressed/Flexible Schedule: Not Available
Position Description Title/PD#: Program Analyst - Finance - Technical Career Field (TCF) Trainee/PD01525A

Requirements

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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
  • 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.
  • Training-Service Agreement and Mobility Agreement required
  • Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)
As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial 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 or trial 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, 06/01/2026.

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-7 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-5. 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. 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 education and/or experience as described below:

  • Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-5 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Experience using Microsoft applications such as Word, Excel, Power point and Outlook; analyzing existing automated systems to determine type of financial and clinical information, knowledge and use of analytical and evaluative techniques for hospital and national databases, provides interpretation of resource resource allocation results, cost accounting reports, completing data collection, data analytics, creation and maintenance of databases, knowledge of computerized data bases, and to format data into a presentation; coordinating with others between various units and offices to accomplish work related projects; analyzing work flow to determine potential problem areas and making recommendations to correct; and advising others on processes or procedures. OR,
  • Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have completed 1 full year of graduate level education or superior academic achievement that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. (Transcripts must be submitted). OR,
  • Superior Academic Achievement (S.A.A): S.A.A. is based on (1) class standing, (2) grade-point average, or (3) honor society membership. *Class standing -- Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses. *Grade-point average (G.P.A.) -- Applicants must have a grade-point average of: 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on their official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2years of the curriculum. *Election to membership in a national scholastic honor society -- Applicants can be considered eligible based on membership in one of the national scholastic honor societies recognized by the Association of College Honor Societies listed below. Agencies considering eligibility based on any society not included in the following list must ensure that the honor society meets the minimum requirements of the Association of College Honor Societies. Membership in a freshman honor society cannot be used to meet the requirements of this provision. (Transcript required). OR,
  • Combination of Education and Experience: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education beyond a Bachelor's degree. (Transcripts must be submitted).
You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:
  • Attention to Detail
  • Customer Service
  • Flexibility
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Learning
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Reasoning
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork
,

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.

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/.

Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary and requires long periods of time working and keyboarding at a computer workstation. It may involve some walking, standing, bending, or carrying of light items.

Education

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

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. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Additional information

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. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience.. 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 or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

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.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact 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.

For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.

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.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

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.

Veterans Health Administration

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?

The VA has adopted Core Values and Characteristics that apply universally across the Department. The five Core Values define "who we are," our culture, and how we care for Veterans, their families and other beneficiaries. The Values are Integrity, Commitment, Advocacy, Respect and Excellence ("I CARE"). That's why we created the Technical Career Field (TCF) Program - one of the largest training programs at VA. TCF positions equip professionals (including veterans) with the specialized knowledge they need to support the delivery of quality health care for our Nation's veterans.

Agency contact information

JANICE STAKELY
Phone
2059338101
Fax
334020
Email
JANICE.STAKELY@VA.GOV
Address
Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center
3701 Loop Road East
Tuscaloosa, AL 35404
US

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