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Director - National Work Queue

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Benefits Administration
Office of Field Operations

Summary

This position serves as the Director over the National Work Queue (NWQ), within the Office of Field Operations (OFO). The NWQ is a system used to manage compensation and pension workload by distributing claims to Regional Offices across the country for processing. A dedicated team oversees the system, analyzing workloads, adjusting distribution settings, and ensuring claims are assigned for processing in accordance with Agency expectations.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Location
1 vacancy in the following locations:
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—This position is eligible for situational (ad hoc) telework only. The selectee is required to report to the official duty station each scheduled workday. Telework may be approved only on a case-by-case basis with supervisory approval. Routine or recurring telework is not authorized for this position.
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—Relocation benefits are offered to relocate to Washington, DC ONLY.
Salary
$126,384 - $164,301 per year

Salary shown is "Base" salary. Actual salary with locality adjustment to be determined upon selection.

Pay scale & grade
GS 15
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
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
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
Yes
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
101-OFO-13073776-26-ZG-NBU
Control number
886330800

Duties

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Specific duties include:

  • Serves as a full operational Director for NWQ, reporting to the Deputy Director, Operations Management, the Assistant Deputy Under Secretary for Field Operations, Operations Management (ADUSFO-OM) and the Deputy Under Secretary for Field Operations (DUSFO).
  • Works closely with the Deputy Director, Operations Management to ensure the National Work Queue is effective in its approach to fulfilling program objectives.
  • Serves as an expert advisor and consultant to officials and managers within or outside the agency providing guidance and direction in the interpretation of and among program offices and activities aligned with OFO.
  • Provides advice and guidance to senior VBA leadership in all phases of daily management of the organization, and its impact on the organization.
  • Establishes or alters NWQ goals and objectives as mission dictates. Communicates information to senior management for effective evaluation of program operations and milestones.
  • Provide leadership to staff members who serve as project managers and as consultants to senior level VBA management, area offices and regional offices, on highly visible, complex, and difficult issues associated with the effectiveness of VBA field operations as they relate to the delivery of benefits and services to Veterans nationwide.
  • Directs the staff's efforts in planning, organizing and conducting difficult and complex improvement programs involving people, processes and technology. Provides oversight and guidance to internal employees on IT improvement initiatives and speaks for the ADUS to advocate for scope, budget and timeframes for IT initiatives to improve NWQ capabilities.
  • Establishes or alters NWQ goals and objectives as mission dictates. Communicates information to senior management for effective evaluation of program operations and milestones.
  • Exercises a high degree of program management expertise and managerial competence to direct and coordinate planning of new and diverse projects, to accomplish long and short-range goals, to advise on the solution to very complex problems, evaluate program results, and render decisions.
  • Develops policies and plans to implement immediate and long range goals and objectives of the NWQ.
  • Reviews provided analysis, extracts, and summarizes which identifies significant trends and issues for impact on NWQ.
  • Provides guidance to staff members on methods for analyzing workload data, interpreting trends and taking appropriate actions, to include elevating issues and recommendations to senior level leadership.
  • Forecasts and estimates program requirements using special reports, statistical and graphical analysis, project summaries from schedules, flow charting, review of work methods, evaluation of obligation and expenditure rates, cost analysis, etc.
  • Prepares programmatic reports, justifications, charts, graphs, statistical and brief narrative data, etc. for top level presentations and briefings.
  • Provides information and decisions to members of Congress, national representatives of service organizations, department officials, representatives of other elements of VA, and other agency representatives regarding NWQ operations.
  • Hears and resolves grievances and complaints that are not resolved by subordinate supervisors and reviews serious disciplinary problems. Coordinates with EEO counselors and officials, and employees to resolve formal and informal complaints. Actively supports special programs such as EEO, safety, internal controls, etc.

Work Schedule: Full Time, Mon-Fri, 8:00am - 4:30pm
Compressed/Flexible: Not Available
Telework: This position is eligible for situational (ad hoc) telework only. The selectee is required to report to the official duty station each scheduled workday. Telework may be approved only on a case-by-case basis with supervisory approval. Routine or recurring telework is not authorized for this position.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Director - National Work Queue; PD375830
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized for candidates relocating to Washington, DC ONLY.
Relocation expenses and services (Permanent Change of Station - PCS) are authorized. PCS covers the relocation of a household for government convenience when transferring between duty stations. By accepting PCS, the selectee agrees to remain in Federal service for 12 months after the move. Failure to complete the service period may require repayment of PCS expenses. Click here for more information./
Financial Disclosure Report: Required. This position requires completion of a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE-450) under 5 C.F.R. § 2634.904(a). The selectee must submit the form before entering on duty and annually thereafter.

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 period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
Additional Conditions of Employment are as follows:
  • 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 or trial period
  • Selectees are required to serve a one-year supervisory probationary period if not previously completed in a Federal position.
  • 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 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.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement: 09/30/2026.

TIME-IN-GRADE REQUIREMENT: As a current Federal, GS employee you must meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

  • For a GS-15 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-14 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. 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.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENT: You may qualify based on your experience as described below:
GS-15 Grade Level:
Specialized Experience:
  • Experience in analyzing project management processes, identifying trends, and using data to monitor progress and determine program needs.
  • Experience in formulating strategies to enhance program efficiency, effectiveness, and compliance with regulations and new directives.
  • Experience in building, assessing, and approving business requirements for major information technology (IT) programs in a no-fail critical operation.
  • Experience establishing organizational vision and implementing strategic plans in a continuously changing environment.
  • Experience building coalitions internally and with other Federal agencies, State and local governments, nonprofit and private sector organizations, foreign governments, or international organizations to achieve agency objectives.
  • Experience with building teams and improving the employee experience through proactive practices to resolving conflicts, attend to morale and organizational workplace issues, handling administrative, labor management, and EEO issues, and taking disciplinary action as appropriate.
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.
Physical Requirements: Employment is sedentary; the employee sits comfortably to do the work. There may be some walking; standing; bending; carrying light items, such as papers, books, small parts; or boxes. No special physical demands are required to perform the work.

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

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 your 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. 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.

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), https://www.va.gov/EMPLOYEE/documents/The-Fair-Chance-to-Compete-Act.pdf

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: Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. (https://appsupport-usastaffing.opm.gov/hc/en-us/sections/45063131363475-Reasonable-Accommodation-Information)

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

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 (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

  • Accountability
  • Customer Service
  • Decisiveness
  • Flexibility
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Problem Solving
  • Resilience
  • Creative Thinking
  • Partnering
  • Team Building
  • Technology Management
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.

To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link:https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13073776

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?

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").

As a VA professional, your opportunities are endless. With many openings in the multiple functions of VA, you will have a wide range of opportunities and leadership positions at your fingertips.

Agency contact information

Zachary Gordon
Phone
313-596-7200
Email
Zachary.Gordon@va.gov
Address
VBA Human Resources Center - Central Office
810 Vermont Ave NW
Washington, DC 20420
US

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https://vacareers.va.gov/

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