IT Specialist Job

Vacancy No. SPM-24-SD-12541975-BU Department Deputy Assistant Secretary for Information and Technology
Salary $147,637.00 to $191,900.00 Grade 15 to 15
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 10/1/2024 Close Date 10/7/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Washington, DCChicago, ILAlbany, NYPittsburgh, PA


Job Description (Please follow all instructions carefully)

Summary

Manage acquisitions and orchestrate human capital to deliver and sustain software products to, and in support of, Veterans. Leads initiatives in concert with Infrastructure Operations (IO) and Product Engineering (PE) that allow business customers have a "one stop shop" for applications. As an IT Digital Advisor in SPM, you will have the opportunity to enhance the value and impact of VA's IT products and deliver quality IT services to Veterans and their families. Apply today!

This job is open to

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.

Duties

Major Duties:

  1. Uses expertise to spearhead efforts in the use of modem technology development and management approaches through the application of intensive/expert and diversified knowledge of advanced digital delivery practices, theories and concepts as well as drawing heavily upon best practices from the consumer internet industry such as human-centered design, DevOps, and agile development processes.
  2. Program expert in establishing, managing, leading, administering, developing, and delivering digital services program activities.
  3. Uses their deep understanding of the characteristics of successful digital services and how they are built both inside and outside government, including user-centered design and development practices to lead major initiatives, provide consultation on systems or policy
    proposals, expanding adoption of modem technology and approaches to enable rapid execution against agency missions in improving the Veteran digital experience, and/ or provide technical, policy, and programmatic guidance to VA leaders at the most senior level.
  4. Conceptualizes new methods, principles, and concepts to resolve broad systemic programmatic problems to deliver better government services to the American people through technology and design. Will lead the transformation of critical services using best practices and new approaches to support government modernization efforts.
  5. Conceives, plans, and manages broad, emerging, and/or critical large-scale agency programs, serves as an expert throughout the agency on major nation-wide/government-wide program issues of Congressional interest, involving unprecedented factual concerns, requiring balancing of conflicting interests of extreme intensity involving future program and product application of the program's product or results, or because the extreme magnitude of the program ultimately affects the Nation's economy or foreign economies.
  6. Provides leadership in the areas of IT policy, IT budget, IT portfolio management, and IT strategic planning. The incumbent serves as an expert and key technical policy advisor to the Director of the Digital Service, the CTO and the CIO, and other senior leadership on IT management and related regulation, legislation and policy.
Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm
Position Description/PD#: IT Specialist/PD18493A
Compressed/Flexible: Available
Telework Eligible: Yes
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized
Physical Requirements: Not required
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required
Travel Required: Occasional, 15% or less

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job.
  • Subject to a background/suitability investigation.
  • May serve a probationary period.
  • Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
  • A complete application package; Resume, Transcripts, etc.
  • Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 10/07/2024.
  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:
Working with senior leadership and other stakeholders to develop product strategy and vision; making decisions or recommendations that significantly influence important customer IT policies or programs; teach best practices to product managers; planning design efforts across multiple design teams or product lines, contribute to strategies by tying design activities to business outcomes; building trust with stakeholders to align around shared outcomes and developing programs for practice improvement at a single team or product line level or Planning, developing, coordinating, and executing a programs operational budget, allocating resources, and monitoring cost throughout the life cycle; identifying, analyzing, and managing operational workflow; and setting work priorities for others and evaluating work outcomes.

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.


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/.

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://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

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

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.

Benefits

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

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. Applicants will be referred in the order in which they were received.

  1. 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.
  2. Planning and Evaluating: Organizes work, sets priorities, and determines resource requirements; determines short- or long-term goals and strategies to achieve them; coordinates with other organizations or parts of the organization to accomplish goals; monitors progress and evaluates outcomes.
  3. Information Technology Program Management: Knowledge of the principles, methods, and tools for the coordinated management of an IT program to include providing oversight of multiple IT projects, integrating dependent schedules and deliverables, and related activities (for example, benefits management, life cycle management, program governance)
  4. Strategic Thinking: Formulates effective strategies consistent with the business and competitive strategy of the organization in a global economy. Examines policy issues and strategic planning with a long-term perspective. Determines objectives and sets priorities; anticipates potential threats or opportunities.

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

  • Resume


Other accepted documents:
  • Cover Letter
  • DD-214/ Statement of Service
  • Disability Letter (Schedule A)
  • Disability Letter (VA)
  • License
  • Other (1)
  • Performance Appraisal
  • Resume
  • SF-15
  • SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action


Please review the above list(s) to ensure you have included all necessary documents required for your application. Not every applicant will require the same documents, therefore it is the applicants responsibility to ensure that their application package includes all necessary documents to determine qualifications and eligibility for appointment, such as a copy of your SF-50, transcript, ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees). Applicants will be deemed ineligible if supporting documentation is not submitted. You will not be contacted for additional information.

Veterans' Preference: Since the Direct-Hire Recruitment Authority is being used, traditional Veterans' Preference rules do not apply. Qualified veterans will, however, be given full consideration for this position.

Applications are accepted online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include the initial online questionnaire and submission of the required documentation specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. To preview the application questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12541975. The application process is as follows:

  1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USA JOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents.
  2. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
  3. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date, 10/07/2024. NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.
  4. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice.
  5. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.
  6. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.
  7. Set aside at least 3 hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link. NOTE: Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused.
For more general information, system requirements, reasonable accommodation information, and to request assistance regarding the USA Hire Assessments, review the following resources: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=USA_Hire_Assessments

To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.

To view the announcement status or your application status: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/howto/application/status/.
Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.

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://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire

NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.

Agency contact information

Recruitment Team One B
Address
DAS for Information Technology - 116
810 Vermont Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20240
US
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

After the vacancy announcement closes, applicants are evaluated to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email.

Additional Locations


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.