Program Analyst

About the role

This position is located in the VR&E Service, Veterans Benefits Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs. VR&E's mission is to provide all services and assistance necessary to enable eligible Veterans with service-connected disabilities to obtain and maintain suitable employment.

The incumbent serves as a Program Analyst for VR&E Service, performing qualitative & quantitative data collection and analysis, & project management duties.

What you will do

• Develops, revises, and implements VR&E business processes and automated information systems across all phases of system development.
• Identifies opportunities for automation or business policy improvements and recommends corresponding changes.
• Conducts comprehensive program studies related to VA benefits and services and recommends program modifications.
• Assesses policy impacts on VR&E operations and proposes changes when policies negatively affect program performance.
• Coordinates with Regional Offices, OIT, VBA Central Office, contractors, and other stakeholders to revise operations.
• Contributes to short- and long-range planning and independently conducts studies on procedures and system designs.
• Performs project management tasks, including defining scope, resources, schedules, and planning for improvement initiatives.
• Leads business user teams to analyze needs and define functional requirements for improved processes and automation.
• Develops functional and technical specifications, converts business rules, and guides technical design decisions.
• Leads testing activities, develops test cases, ensures security/audit features, prepares documentation, supports training, and performs additional duties supporting VR&E's mission.
• Promotion Potential: This position is at the full performance level.
• Work Schedule: Full time, Monday through Friday Compressed/Flexible: Not available Telework: Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
• Position Description/PD#: Program Analyst; 39283-A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

• 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.
• 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 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.

How you will be evaluated

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): Business Process Reengineering - Knowledge of methods, metrics, tools, and techniques of Business Process Reengineering.

Requirements Analysis - Knowledge of the principles and methods to identify, analyze, specify, design, and manage functional and infrastructure requirements; includes translating functional requirements into technical requirements used for logical design or presenting alternative technologies or approaches.

Project Management - Applies principles, methods, or tools for developing, scheduling, coordinating, monitoring, evaluating, and managing projects and resources, including technical performance.

Technology Management - Integrates technology into the workplace; develops strategies using new technology to manage and improve program effectiveness; understands the impact of technological changes on the organization.

Oral Communication - Expresses ideas and facts to individuals or groups effectively; makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others; facilitates an open exchange of ideas. 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.

Documents you must provide

• To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package to include the documents detailed below.
• Resumes may not exceed two pages and must be legible for review of eligibility, minimum qualifications and other position requirements listed in the job announcement.
• Your resume and supporting documentation will be verified.
• Failure to submit the documents as specified may result in loss of consideration for this job announcement.
• Resume: Contact Information: Name and how best to contact you, including email address and phone number Relevant Work Experience: For each relevant work experience, make sure you include: Job Title and Employer (including series and grade for any Federal positions) Start and end dates with month/year (e.g., 05/2019 - 08/2022) The number of hours you worked per week Ensure work experience descriptions are aligned with the job announcement and address all required qualifications.
• Brief descriptions should demonstrate your ability to perform the tasks at the required level as stated in the job announcement Optional Details: When relevant, include: Current Security Clearance Job-related training Language skills Organizations and affiliations Professional publications Eligibility for special programs (e.g., military spouses, individuals with disabilities, etc.) A copy of your most recent NON-award SF-50.
• The SF-50 must indicate proof of status and should identify your position title, series, grade, step, salary, tenure and type of service (Competitive or Excepted).
• Your SF-50 reflecting when you entered your highest grade To verify you meet Time-in-Grade requirements, also submit a SF-50 reflecting when you entered your highest grade held (e.g. Promotion, Appointment, etc.).
• Current VBA Employees seeking a reassignment/change to lower grade: you must submit a copy of your most recent SF-50 (non-award) AND the SF-50 placing you into your current position.
• An SF-50 showing 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: Award and General Adjustment SF-50's do not provide sufficient information will not be accepted for the purpose of verifying time in grade.
• Recommended SF-50's include Within Grade Increases (WGI), Promotions and Appointments.
• Additional Documents accepted: Most recent Performance Appraisal (VA Form 0750) CTAP documentation - RIF notice, SF-50 showing VA employee, and performance appraisal Please use this checklist to make sure you have included all documents required for your application.
• You will not be contacted for additional information.

What to expect next

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. 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. To view the announcement status or your application status: Visit ***

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.

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 (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 *** 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. 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.

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