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IT Specialist (Sys Admin)

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

Summary

This position is located within the Office of Infrastructure Operations (IO) service line under the Office of Information Technology (OIT). IO provides efficient, secure, and reliable infrastructure services with availability, capacity and timeliness that match our customer's demands. We relentlessly focus on exceptional customer service, risk-based Zero Trust cybersecurity, a best-in-class workforce, and putting the Veteran first in everything we do.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Posted yesterday · Apply by 06/22/26
Due by 11:59 p.m. ET on June 22, 2026
Location
2 vacancies in the following locations:
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$106,437 - $138,370 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 13
Promotion potential
13
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
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
Not Required
Position sensitivity and risk
High Risk (HR)
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
I0-26-CO-12983230
Control number
873076000

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

ALL US CITIZENS DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: This position is being filled using Direct-Hire Authority (5 CFR 337.205) for this occupation. Current OIT employees with competitive status and ICTAP/CTAP eligible.

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Duties

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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.

Major Duties:

  • Detailed technical knowledge of IBM z/OZ mainframe operating systems software in one or more of its component areas (operating systems design, virtual machine design, database design and implementation, data communications subsystem design, transaction processing subsystem, storage administration and performance and capacity management).
  • Provides technical expertise to and works with customers and systems analysts/programmer personnel in all areas related to mainframe systems.
  • Plans and coordinates the installation upgrade and maintenance of mainframe systems software and/or hardware, including complex and sophisticated systems involving interagency, vendor and higher-level management coordination; and evaluates, selects and coordinates the acquisition of related software and hardware.
  • The work involves planning and coordinating the installation, testing, operation, troubleshooting, and maintenance of mainframe hardware and software systems.
  • Achieves recovery from system malfunctions; manages the installation and integration of system fixes, updates , and enhancements.
  • Knowledge of the principles, methods, and tools (for example, surveys, system performance measures) to assess the effectiveness and practicality of information technology systems.
  • Identifies issues and analyzes information to draw accurate conclusions, ensuring careful attention to detail. Dissects problems and information into their meaningful parts, and uses logic and judgment to evaluate alternatives and develop solutions.
  • Ability to monitor measures or indicators of system performance and availability.
  • Evaluates unusual circumstances and considers different approaches in dealing with incomplete and conflicting data.
  • Understands the VA's mission and uses this knowledge to guide actions; provides outstanding customer service and represents the organization effectively.
Position Description/PD#: IT Specialist (Sys Admin)/PD10513A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required
Telework: ADHOC telework may be authorized at management discretion.
Travel Required: Up to 5% travel may be required, as needed, for this position.
Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 4:30 pm; Tour of duty may be subject to change based on organizational needs.
Compressed/Flexible: As determined by the Agency Policy.
Virtual: This is NOT a virtual position.
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.
Working Conditions: The work area is adequately lighted heated, and ventilated. Some employees may occasionally be exposed to circuitry of electronic equipment during testing and must apply precautions to avoid personal injury.
Designated Drug Testing Position: Not applicable
This is NOT a bargaining unit position

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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • This announcement will NOT be used for changing duty locations. If selected, and not on an approved exemption, you will continue to report to your current duty location.
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, all qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement-06/19/2026

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

Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-12 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Specialized experience includes planning, installing, configuring, testing, implementing, and managing the mainframe systems environment in support of VA IT architecture and business needs. Serves as the technical authority in IBM mainframe systems hardware and software and provides support for the development and implementation of short and long-range Department Information Technology (IT) activities.

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.

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/.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.

Education

There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

Additional information

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.

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

If selected you will be required to report to one of the following locations:

  • Phoenix, Arizona
  • Little Rock, Arkansas
  • Long Beach, California
  • Los Angeles, California
  • Oakland, California
  • San Francisco, California
  • Denver, Colorado
  • Washington, District of Columbia
  • Miami, Florida
  • Orlando, Florida
  • Saint Petersburg, Florida
  • Tampa, Florida
  • Atlanta, Georgia
  • Dublin, Georgia
  • Chicago, Illinois
  • Hines, Illinois
  • North Chicago, Illinois
  • Des Moines, Iowa
  • Baltimore, Maryland
  • Bedford, Massachusetts
  • Boston, Massachusetts
  • Detroit, Michigan
  • Minneapolis, Minnesota
  • Saint Louis, Missouri
  • Eatontown, New Jersey
  • Albany, New York
  • Syracuse, New York
  • Cleveland, Ohio
  • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  • Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
  • Columbia, South Carolina
  • Nashville, Tennessee
  • Arlington, Texas
  • Austin County, Texas
  • Dallas, Texas
  • Houston, Texas
  • San Antonio, Texas
  • Seatac, Washington
  • Seattle, Washington
  • Clarksburg, West Virginia
  • Martinsburg, West Virginia
  • Parkersburg, West Virginia
  • Shepherdstown, West Virginia
  • Tomah, Wisconsin


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.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/.

Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities [i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities], and/or Disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. Contact the Agency Contact for information on how to apply under this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator.

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:

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?

DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: This position is being filled using Direct-Hire Authority (5 CFR 337.205) for this occupation.
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The Office of Information and Technology (OIT) thrives on diversity. We recruit, develop, and sustain a 16,000+ team of employees and contractors who use their talents and backgrounds to deliver technologies and services that improve the Veteran experience. With Fortune 500 executives, lifelong public servants, government leaders, and service members transitioning out of the military - we have built a team whose primary motivation is to serve. That motivation drives us to identify improvement areas, become change agents, and transform OIT into a lean, agile, Veteran-focused enterprise.

Agency contact information

Recruitment Team One C
Email
vaoitopshrrpteam1c@va.gov
Address
DAS for Information Technology - 200
1615 Woodward St
Austin, TX 78772
US

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