Skip to main content
U.S. flag
 

IT Specialist (Policy and Planning)

Department of Veterans Affairs
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Information and Technology
Infrastructure Operations (IO)

Summary

Join VA's Infrastructure Operations (IO) to deliver and maintain secure, high-availability IT and cloud solutions. Help protect and modernize mission-critical systems and support quality services for Veterans. Work in a dynamic, innovative environment as an Apply Now! Located in the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary (PDAS)/Infrastructure Operations (IO)/Enterprise Service Management (ESM)/Product Services & Platform Management(PSPM).

Overview

Help
Accepting applications
Posted yesterday · Apply by 07/23/26
Due by 11:59 p.m. ET on July 23, 2026
Location
3 vacancies in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$107,446 - $139,684 per year

The salary listed is the base salary. Once a selection has been made and the location known, the salary with locality will be determined.

Pay scale & grade
GS 14
Promotion potential
None
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
Yes
Drug test
No
Security clearance
Other
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
DHA-IOS-26-ARC-13002512-BU
Control number
876302700

This job is open to

Help

Clarification from the agency

ALL US CITIZENS DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: This position is being filled using Direct-Hire Authority (5 CFR 337.201) for this occupation. This announcement will NOT be used for changing duty locations. If selected, and you are a current VA employee, and not on an approved exemption, you will continue to report to your current duty location. This is not a remote position.

Videos

Duties

Help

  • Leads engineering services and technical oversight for critical, national initiatives related to enterprise hardware platform and operating system solutions, shaping VA's IT architecture.
  • Performs comprehensive hardware platform and OS needs assessments; develops short- and long-term growth plans to ensure the VA's evolving business needs are met securely and cost-effectively.
  • Initiates and leads engineering studies, modeling, and analysis for the introduction of new technologies and solutions to address problems with national-level impact.
  • Coordinates and collaborates with stakeholders and cross-organizational entities to ensure end-to-end integration and optimal technological outcomes for enterprise hardware and operating system solutions.
  • Acts as senior engineer and technical authority for all aspects of enterprise IT hardware platforms, operating systems, management tools, provisioning, security, and usage/capacity planning.
  • Develops and evaluates standardized enterprise hardware and OS solution configurations; provides technical oversight throughout the solution life cycle, from implementation through disposal.
  • Provides mastery-level technical guidance and oversight for Reliability, Maintainability, and Availability (RMA) analyses of integrated IT solutions, supporting platform efficiency, reliability, and resource aggregation.
  • Reviews IT platform acquisition proposals, prepares technical analyses and recommendations for executive management, and provides consultation on complex or unusual problems and integration of new technologies.

This is a Bargaining Unit Position.

This position is primarily aligned to the following NICE Cybersecurity Workforce Framework work roles:

NCWF Code: 651 Category. Work in this category includes performing OPM GDS
Cybersecurity Category / Specialty Area: Research and Development Specialist [SPTRD-
001] tasks, as defined by the NIST SP 800-181 National Cyberskills Workforce
Framework (NCWF). Develops and maintains business, systems, and information
processes to support enterprise mission needs; develops information technology (IT)
rules and requirements that describe baseline and target architectures.


For more information about these work roles, where they fit within the larger Cyber Workforce, and how they can support your unique career journey, please visit the Cyber Career Pathways tool on the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Careers and Studies website: https://niccs.us-cert.gov/workforce-development/cyber-career-pathways

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.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8 am-4:30 pm
Compressed/Flexible: Upon supervisor discretion.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: IT Specialist (Policy and Planning)/PD18758A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized

Requirements

Help

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
  • May serve a probationary period.
  • A complete application package; Resume, SF-50s, 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 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 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, 07/23/2026.

You must meet the Basic Requirements, Specialized Experience, and Selective Placement Factors to qualify for this series as described below.

Basic Qualifications Requirements

EXPERIENCE:
To qualify for this position, you must have information technology-related experience demonstrating all of the four competencies listed below. Ensure that this experience is clearly described in your resume:

  1. Attention to Detail - Is thorough when performing work and conscientious about attending to detail.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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 for GS-14: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-13 level in enterprise platform and telecommunications engineering. This experience must include expert level design, integration, and life-cycle management of large scale IT infrastructure supporting mission critical healthcare and benefits systems; mastery of engineering policies, processes, standards; best practices for compute, data, storage, networking and telecommunications, and platform services; demonstrated leadership of cross functional infrastructure projects from requirements through implementation and operations; applying capital investment and business case analysis such as cost benefit, total cost of ownership, and return on investment to enterprise infrastructure solutions; aligning recommendations with capital planning regulations, policies, cyber-security requirements, and strategic business needs; translating complex technical options into clear, risk informed, business focused recommendations for senior leadership.

-AND-

Selective Placement Factor: In addition to the basic qualifications and specialized experience described above, you must meet the following requirement(s) to be considered qualified for the position: Experience with expert-level design, integration, and life-cycle management of large-scale IT infrastructure supporting mission-critical healthcare and benefits systems, as well as demonstrated mastery of engineering policies; experience with enterprise infrastructure engineering-including platforms, storage, hybrid cloud, cloud, data center, and telecommunications engineering-within a large organization or government agency (over 200,000 employees, over 100 facilities, and over 20,000 servers).

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; religious; 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/.

Education

There is no educational substitution for this position at this grade level.

Additional information

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

This is not a remote position. OIT has multiple worksites at various duty locations, and the individual(s) selected may be assigned to any federal government work site. This announcement will NOT be used for changing duty locations. If selected, and you are a current VA employee, and not on an approved exemption, you will continue to report to your current duty location.

  • Albany, NY
  • Anaheim, CA
  • Atlanta, GA
  • Aurora, CO
  • Austin, TX
  • Cleveland, OH
  • Davidson, TN
  • Denver, CO
  • Detroit, MI
  • Eatontown, NJ
  • Hines, IL
  • Houston, TX
  • Long Beach, CA
  • Los Angeles, CA
  • Murfreesboro, TN
  • Nashville, TN
  • Orlando, FL
  • Philadelphia, PA
  • Pittsburgh, PA
  • Salt Lake City, UT
  • San Antonio, TX
  • Shepherdstown, WV
  • Tampa, FL
  • Washington, DC
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.

A selectee receiving a first appointment to the Federal Government (Civil Service) is entitled only to the lowest step of the grade for which selected. The display of a salary range on this vacancy shall not be construed as granting an entitlement to a higher rate of pay.

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 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/.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire

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:

  • Accountability
  • Attention to Detail
  • Customer Service
  • Decision Making
  • Flexibility
  • Influencing/Negotiating
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Learning
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Reasoning
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork


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 337.201) for this occupation.

Agency contact information

Recruitment Team One A
Email
VAOITOPSHRRPTeam1A@va.gov
Address
DAS for Information Technology - 116
810 Vermont Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20240
US

Visit our careers page

Learn more about what it's like to work at Deputy Assistant Secretary for Information and Technology, what the agency does, and about the types of careers this agency offers.

https://digital.va.gov/careers/

Your session is about to expire!

Your USAJOBS session will expire due to inactivity in 8 minutes. Any unsaved data will be lost if you allow the session to expire. Click the button below to continue your session.