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Lead Operations Specialist

Department of Veterans Affairs
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Congressional Affairs
Office of Congressional and Legislative Affairs

Summary

This position serves as a Management and Program Analyst within the Office of Congressional & Legislative Affairs (OCLA). This position is non-supervisory and directly reports to OCLA's Chief of Staff. The incumbent will provide high-level and complex programmatic, administrative, analytical, and policy expertise to OCLA. The purpose of this position is to assist the OCLA's Chief of Staff in managing a variety of administrative and policy programs and support services.

Overview

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Accepting applications
This job will close when we have received 100 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—Ad Hoc telework (situational telework) as determined by the agency policy.
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$143,913 - $187,093 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 14
Promotion potential
None
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
Not Required
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
CCLQ-13053044-26-DB
Control number
883319900

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

This job is open to current permanent Department of Veteran Affairs employees, current permanent Federal employees of other agencies, and other status eligible applicants. See the eligibility section in the questionnaire for a list of all eligible statuses and the How You Will Be Evaluated section below for more details.

Duties

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***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION***

This position serves as a principal advisor to OCLA's Chief of Staff, carrying responsibility for managing, evaluating, and executing highly complex administrative, technical, and operational programs and special projects. The incumbent will govern daily operational workflows, lead the deployment of agency-wide regulations, and optimize resource distribution to achieve operational excellence. This role requires advanced strategic thinking capabilities, to include experience in driving operational efficiency, substantial experience in human resources management, fiscal administration, and enterprise-level systems redesign, and the ability to translate high-level federal directives into compliant, actionable operational procedures.

Duties include, but are not limited to:

The incumbent plans and assists in managing major OCLA administrative programs and projects to include developing long-range program plans, goals, objectives, milestones, and evaluates the effectiveness of programs.

Conducts rigorous evaluations of internal organizational systems to pinpoint bottlenecks and engineering solutions for maximum efficiency.

This position's work includes developing, analyzing data, making recommendations, and implementing new or modified work methods, organizational structures, management and administrative processes and procedures for creating administering program services, knowledge management systems, guidelines and procedures, and automating work processes for the conduct of program operations. This includes development of standard operating procedures, tracking systems and supporting implementation initiatives.

Formulate comprehensive strategic briefs, executive summaries, and action plans to guide executive decision-making. Present findings and recommendations to leadership and colleagues to optimize operational efficiency.

Performs and manages a variety of administrative and technical workflows and processes within the office.

Establishes and continually reviews, updates, and develops complex operational and support service office procedures that affect the orderly and efficient flow of work within the office and with parties and agencies outside the organization. The incumbent is responsible for ensuring OCLA is complaint with directives and requirements related to these programs.



Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm EST.
Location:The selectee will be required to report on-site at 810 Vermont Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20420.
Telework: Available - Ad Hoc telework (situational telework) as determined by the agency policy.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: PD20488A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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.
  • 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
  • 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 identification 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 one year probationary period or two 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 one year probationary period or two year 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, 09/08/2026.

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-14 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-13. 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. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to some former Federal employees applying for reinstatement, as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. See the Required Document section below for more information regarding the SF-50s needed to verify time-in-grade.


You may qualify based on your experience and as described below:

  • Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-13 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 planning and managing major administrative programs, including developing long-range plans, goals, objectives, and milestones, and evaluating program effectiveness against established criteria.
    • Experience developing and recommending new or revised management policies, procedures, and administrative practices, and assisting in their implementation across an organization or program office.
    • Applying advanced analytical methods and project management techniques to independently assess complex administrative and operational issues, producing recommendations that improve organizational efficiency.
    • Providing confidential advisory support to senior leadership on the evaluation of administrative programs, including assessing the progress and outcomes of high-visibility projects.
Evidence of this specialized experience must be supported by detailed documentation of like duties performed in positions held on your resume. You will also need to provide work experience information such as hours per week, full-time/part-time status, and starting/ending dates of employment (month and year format) to establish you have one (1) full year of specialized experience at the required grade level.


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: Resume must include job title and employer name, number of hours worked per week, start and end dates (including month and year), list of duties and responsibilities for each position held. In addition, if the experience was a federal position, you must list series and grade for each position held. Failure to include this information may result in an ineligible rating. A full year of work is considered to be 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.

Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary, although some slight physical effort may be required.

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/.

  • 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:
  • Applied advanced analytical and project management expertise to independently resolve complex, cross-cutting administrative and policy issues, producing recommendations that measurably improved operational efficiency at the department level.
  • Directed the design, revision, and rollout of management and administrative policies and procedures adopted as standard practice across the organization, coordinating implementation with senior leadership and affected offices.
  • Functioned as the principal advisor on program and project performance, independently evaluating the effectiveness of administrative operations and delivering findings that informed executive decision-making on high-visibility initiatives.
  • Independently approved and adjusted the direction of ongoing projects and programs, including policy and long-range planning efforts, and applying sound judgment in situations with significant ambiguity and minimal precedent.
  • Established long-range strategic plans, goals, objectives, and evaluation criteria for major administrative programs, and independently assessed program outcomes against those criteria to drive continuous improvement.
  • Spearheaded the creation and continuous refinement of operational and support service procedures - including new program services, guidelines, and process automation - ensuring efficient workflow within the department and seamless coordination with external agencies and congressional offices.

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/.


Local Commuting Area: The local commuting area for this position is defined as a radius of 50 miles from Washington, D.C. This includes all locations that fall within a 50-mile driving distance from 810 Vermont Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20420.

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 (HRA) at The Fair Chance Act.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. 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://appsupport.usastaffing.gov/hc/en-us/sections/28980686389652-Reasonable-Accommodation-Information

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.

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 for this position:

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



A resume which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, with dates specified in month and year, and indicates hours worked per week. If military or a civilian Federal employee, you must include your rank and/or grade. IMPORTANT NOTE: Only two (2) pages of your resume, starting at your work experience will be reviewed to determine your technical qualifications for this position based on the specialized experience. Additional information beyond your resume (e.g., cover letters, links to additional information) will not be reviewed. In describing your experience, please be clear and specific. We may 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 an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be contacted 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.

Area of Consideration: Eligible applicants will be reviewed and referred in the following order:

  • All current, permanent VA Employees in the Office of Congressional and Legislative Affairs
  • All other current, permanent VA employees
  • All other applicants (if status)


Applicant Count: This announcement will remain open until the closing date, 09/08/2026, or when the applicant count is reached, whichever is earlier. The applicant count is the point at which the first 100 applications are received. All applications submitted that day up to 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on the date the applicant count is reached will be accepted and considered.

During the application process, you will 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.

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Congressional Affairs

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

Dorian Bruce
Phone
909-602-4590
Email
Dorian.Bruce@va.gov
Address
Immediate Office of the Assistant Secretary for Congressional Affairs
810 Vermont Ave NW
Washington, DC 20420
US

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