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Program Manager (Operations Chief)

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Benefits Administration
Medical Disability Examination Office (MDEO)

Summary

How MDEO Accomplishes Our Mission: Administer and oversee multi billion dollar international federal contracts; Develop DBQs and examination procedures; Audit vendor performance; Provide error trend feedback; Monitor examination data and create training. Additionally, MDEO serves as VBA's primary POC for C&P exams.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Posted today · Apply by 07/20/26
Due by 11:59 p.m. ET on July 20, 2026
Location
1 vacancy in the following locations:
Work site options
Telework eligible
No
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$107,446 - $139,684 per year

Salary shown is the basic pay WITHOUT locality pay. Once selections are made the locality pay WILL BE added to the salary based on the duty location.

Pay scale & grade
GS 14
Promotion potential
None
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
25% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Appointment type
Permanent
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
Yes
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
Moderate Risk (MR)
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
101-MDEO-12999283-26-ST-NBU
Control number
875763200

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

This vacancy announcement is open ONLY to current, permanent MDEO employees and current/former VA employees who are CTAP eligible.

Duties

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Specific duties include:

  • Carrying out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization's policies and applicable laws. Plans and assigns work, sets priorities, advises employees on program goals and objectives, and makes decisions on work problems presented by subordinate employees.
  • Assuring timely accomplishment of the assigned tasks by keeping in touch with the progress of work and adjusting in accordance with established priorities. Checking on work in progress and reviewing completed work to see that supervisor instructions on work sequences, procedures, methods and deadlines have been met.
  • Evaluating program performance metrics, whether internally or externally produced, and briefs leadership on the implications of status, trends, and risk insights gained through the incumbent's analysis.
  • Responsible for leading the operations team who monitors and evaluates performance of MDEO contract exam providers to ensure compliance with the Performance Work Statement.
  • Serving as a key advisor to the Assistant Director and/or Deputy Executive Director on program policies, procedures, and contract effectiveness.
  • Collaborating with VA/VBA contracting office(s), Veterans Health Administration, Office of Field Operations, and District Offices.
  • Responsible for oversight of drafting procedures, directives, and guidelines, as necessary; develop and coordinate efforts between all employees and management to build consensus on the establishment of appropriate procedures; responsible for shepherding proposed procedures through the appropriate process and the final dissemination and implementation of newly devised procedures.
  • Regularly advising senior management officials on complex, sensitive, controversial and highly sensitive issues which may impact or shape the future direction of MDE program.

Work Schedule: Full time, Monday through Friday
Compressed/Flexible: Not Available
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Program Manager (Operations Chief); PD 389790
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required

Requirements

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Conditions of 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, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
  • 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
  • Selectees are required to service a one-year supervisory probationary period if not previously completed in a Federal position.
  • Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process
Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements I-9 Acceptable Documents.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement: 07/20/2026.

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.

  • For a GS-14 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-13 level.
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.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENT: You may qualify based on your experience as described below:
GS-14 Grade Level:
  • Specialized Experience: To qualify for this position, applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-13 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience: The applicant must document knowledge of program management pertaining to planning, development and execution of worldwide programs and be able to prepare various documents including program justifications.

Volunteer Experience: 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.

Full vs. Part-Time Employment: Full-time employment is considered to be at least 35 hours per week. Part-time experience will be credited on a pro-rated basis; when including part-time employment in your resume you must specify the average hours worked per week.

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/.

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 (TJO). Please visit the Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP), va.gov/EMPLOYEE/docs/The-Fair-Chance-to-Compete-Act.pdf for more information.

The 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 (have a final rating of 85 or more) for this vacancy. 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/.

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.

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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

  • Project Management - Applies principles, methods, or tools for developing, scheduling, coordinating, monitoring, evaluating, and managing projects and resources, including technical performance.
  • Leadership: Inspires, motivates and guides others toward goal accomplishment; coaches, mentors, and challenges subordinates; adapts leadership styles to a variety of situations; models high standards of honesty, integrity, trust, openness, and respect for the individual by applying these values to daily behaviors.
  • Task management: Ability to plan, organize and prioritize multiple tasks simultaneously and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
  • Supervision: Ability to manage and/or supervise (plan, organize, direct, control, review, etc) the work activities of subordinates.
  • Oral Communication: Expresses information (for example. Ideas or facts) to individuals (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial) makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately.
  • Advisory: Ability to advise, provide managerial advice, and serve as a technical advisor to senior-level executives.
  • Written Communication: Write material to include policies and portrayal of statistical data in a clear, concise, organized and convincing manner to internal and external contacts.

Supervisory Situational Judgement Test: Applicants will be required to complete a Supervisory Situational Judgment Test (SSJT) as part of the assessment process for this position. The SSJT evaluates judgment, decision-making, and leadership competencies associated with effective supervision in a Federal work environment. This is not a timed test, however, the assessment is expected to take approximately 45 minutes or less to complete. This assessment is required for all applicants. If you do not complete the assessment, it will result in an incomplete application and you will receive no further consideration. 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.

Veterans Benefits 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." How would you like to become a part of a team providing compassionate care to Veterans?

Agency contact information

Stephen Todd
Phone
(313) 596-7240
Email
Stephen.Todd3@va.gov
Address
VBA Human Resources Center - Central Office
810 Vermont Ave NW
Washington, DC 20420
US

Visit our careers page

Learn more about what it's like to work at Veterans Benefits Administration, what the agency does, and about the types of careers this agency offers.

http://www.va.gov/jobs

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