Special Assistant Job in Washington, DC

Vacancy No. CCLQ-12746212-25-KB Department Office of the Secretary
Salary $142,488.00 to $185,234.00 Grade 14 to 14
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 6/11/2025 Close Date 6/16/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Status Candidates
Locations:
Washington, DC


Summary

This position serves as Special Assistant to Deputy Secretary, VA (DEPSECVA) in the Office of the Secretary, VA, and reports directly to the career Executive Officer to the DEPSECVA with responsibility for initiating a wide variety of assignments, including those of a sensitive and confidential nature.

This opportunity is only open to displaced/CTAP eligible employees. IAW 5 CFR. 330.601, CTAP eligibles must hold or have held at least GS-14 position. This must be supported by the SF-50.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

This announcement is ONLY open to those VA employees eligible for CTAP, the Career Transition Assistance Program

Duties

  • Provides expert advice and recommendations to senior leadership on a wide range of complex and sensitive issues, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and objectives.
  • Conducts thorough research and analysis on emerging trends, potential risks, and opportunities relevant to the organization, synthesizing information to support strategic decision-making.
  • Serves as a key liaison between senior leadership and various departments, facilitating the flow of information and ensuring clear communication of objectives, priorities, and expectations.
  • Prepare detailed reports, briefing materials, and presentations for senior leaders, summarizing findings and offering actionable insights to inform policy development and program implementation.
  • Develops approaches to resolve difficult administrative problems.
  • Analyzes and evaluates the effectiveness of administrative operations in meeting the established goals and objectives of the DEPSECVA office.
  • Performs comprehensive management analysis and evaluation, taking into consideration factors such as cost effectiveness, attainment of project goals and objectives, and compliance with pertinent legal and regulatory guidelines.
  • Provides basic quantitative and qualitative analysis and evaluation concerning operations in meeting established goals, measures, and objectives.
  • Serves as a senior analyst responsible for designing and conducting comprehensive management studies and establishes study methods and techniques to be utilized in program studies and audits.
  • Studies program operations, new legislation, automated systems, management initiatives, and the operation of interacting programs and organizations to develop new and modified operating instructions and training material.

Promotion Potential: This is being recruited for at the full performance level

Work Schedule: Fulltime
Compressed/Flexible: Unavailable
Telework: Not available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: 000030
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

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
  • 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 dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.

Qualifications

Specialized Experience: To qualify, applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the grade of GS13. Specialized experience is defined as work that involves. (1) Employing multiple approaches to problem solving to identify a range of options regarding process improvement; (2) Evaluating programmatic data to resolve inconsistencies; (3) Making recommendations on course of action necessary to rectify program issues; (4) Conducting root cause analysis to recommend evidence-based techniques for the enhancement of the delivery of services; (5) Translating complex customer data and requirements into practical solutions that advance mission objectives, ensuring alignment with overarching strategic goals; and (6) Understanding diverse viewpoints and concepts to provide strategic advice to leadership and develop communications strategies.

Grade Requirement: IAW 5 CFR. 330.601, CTAP eligible applicants must hold or have held a GS-14 position. This must be supported by the SF-50.

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:
  • Analytical Reasoning
  • Analytical Thinking
  • Communication
  • Communications
  • Decision Making
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Planning and Evaluating
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance


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: 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 http://://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

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 (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 for this vacancy. To be found well-qualified, applicants must meet the following qualifications: Serving as a principal advisor to a Senior Executive on high level programs that directly effect a Department's initiatives and priorities. 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/.

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.

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.

Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact 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.

Required Documents

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

  • Performance Appraisal
  • Resume
  • Separation Notice (RIF)
  • SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action


The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please use this checklist to make sure you have included other documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), documentation to support Veterans Preference claims, or ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees). You will not be contacted for additional information.
  • Cover Letter
  • Other (1)
  • Performance Appraisal
  • Resume
  • Separation Notice (RIF)
  • SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action


SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action (if applicable for Time in Grade and/or Eligibility):
  • Most recent SF-50 (Current Federal Employees must provide an SF-50 dated 1-12-2025 or later; Current Federal Wage System (WG/WL/WS) employees must provide one dated within one year of the closing date)
    • ATTENTION: You may need to submit more than one SF-50 if we cannot verify that you meet time-in-grade by your most recent SF-50. For example, if your most recent SF-50 is a General Adjustment, we need your most recent SF-50 dated 1/14/24 and another SF-50 to verify time-in-grade. Examples of SF-50s for time-in-grade verification include your last within-grade increase or promotion to highest grade held. A promotion SF-50 shows when you started the grade level and a within-grade increase verifies that you were at that grade level for at least one year. Failure to provide your most recent SF-50 dated 1/12/2025 or later and other SF-50s to verify time-in-grade will result in you being disqualified. We cannot verify time-in-grade based on the grade and step you are currently on alone.
  • Award SF-50's do not provide sufficient information and will not be accepted for the purpose of verifying time-in-grade
  • Examples of appropriate SF-50s to include in addition to your most recent SF-50's include:
    • Within grade increases at the highest grade held; or
    • Promotions with an effective date more than one year old; or
    • SF-50's at the highest grade held with an effective date more than one year old."
Veterans' Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire. You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.). If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference" with required proof as stated on the form. Documentation is required to award preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/vetpref/index.aspx.

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

All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 06/16/2025 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12746212.

  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 and complete the occupational questionnaire.
  2. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.
NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.

To verify your application is complete, log into your USA JOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Application page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. To return to an incomplete application, log into your USA JOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USA JOBS account or your application will be incomplete.

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.

Agency contact information

Kellis Booth
Address
Office of the Secretary
810 Vermont Ave NW
Washington, DC 20420
US

Next steps

Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. After we receive application packages (including all required documents) and the vacancy announcement closes, we will review applications 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. Referred applicants will be notified as such and may be contacted directly by the hiring office for an interview. All referred applicants receive a final notification once a selection decision has been made.

You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USA Jobs account and clicking on Applications. Information regarding your application status can be found in the USAJobs Help Center.


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


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