Supervisory Program Specialist

About the role

This position is located within the Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), Office of the Under Secretary for Benefits (OUSB), Office of Strategic Support and Initiatives (OSSI).

OSSI provides strategic visioning, alignment, and planning advice; strategic and operational planning guidance; and risk management and coordination across Business Lines. The Deputy Director serves as a principal advisor to the OSSI Director, Deputy Chief of Staff and Chief of Staff.

What you will do

• Strategic Program and Project Management Leads and supports the Director, OSSI in providing centralized program and project management, including strategic guidance, integration, implementation, and modernization of VBA-wide initiatives.
• Program Integration and Coordination Ensures vertical and horizontal integration of major VBA programs by coordinating across OSSI, VBA senior leaders, and external stakeholders to align priorities, requirements, and long-range plans.
• Oversight of Major VBA Programs and Projects Exercises delegated authority to manage large, complex programs; ensures efficient, effective, and timely execution in alignment with objectives, schedules, funding, and customer satisfaction standards.
• Resource, Risk, and Performance Management Oversees project resources, enterprise risk management activities, performance metrics, and quality controls to ensure projects stay within approved scope, cost, and schedule thresholds.
• Development and Review of Project Plans and Documentation Develops, reviews, and approves project plans and documentation; monitors progress through briefings, reports, and milestone reviews; determines corrective actions to address delays or issues.
• Leadership for Management Processes and Technical Integration Provides leadership to improve management processes and ensure effective integration of technical functions including planning, contracting, IT, engagement, budget, and resource management.
• Strategic Planning and Organizational Improvement Supports VBA's evidence-based planning efforts, identifies opportunities for growth or improvement, recommends action plans, and facilitates development of strategic workstreams.
• Liaison and Advisory Responsibilities Serves as a liaison to business line leads and VBA leadership; raises obstacles, advises on decisions, provides authoritative guidance on projects and initiatives, and ensures OSSI operational continuity.
• Organizational and Personnel Management Supervises Chiefs, Analysts, and support staff; manages all aspects of personnel actions including hiring, assigning work, resolving issues, evaluations, performance standards, discipline, promotions, awards, and training.
• Development of Long-Range Organizational Plans Leads development of long-range organizational goals and plans, ensuring alignment with VBA priorities, governance structures, and performance expectations.
• Promotion Potential: None Work Schedule: Full time, Monday through Friday 8am - 4:30pm Compressed/Flexible: Compressed 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#: Supervisory Program Specialist; PD417430 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required This is not a bargaining unit position

Requirements

• As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may 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.

Education

There is no education substitution for the GS-15 grade level.

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): Organizational Awareness: Knows the organization's mission and functions, and how its social, political, and technological systems work and operates effectively within them; this includes the programs, policies, procedures, rules, and regulations of the organization.

Problem Solving: Identifies problems; determines accuracy and relevance of information; uses sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives, and to make recommendations. Project Management: Applies principles, methods, or tools for developing, scheduling, coordinating, monitoring, evaluating, and managing projects and resources, including technical performance.

Team Building: Manages group processes; encourages and facilitates cooperation, pride, trust, and group identity; fosters commitment and team spirit; works with others to achieve goals. 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:*** 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 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.

Documents you must provide

• To apply for this position, you must provide a complete application package to include the documents detailed below.
• Failure to submit the required documents may result in your application being considered incomplete and you being deemed ineligible.
• It is your responsibility to ensure your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date.
• We will not request additional documentation or accept late or missing documents after the announcement has closed.
• Resume, limited to 2-pages, detailing specialized experience and competencies as they relate to this position.
• For each position in your resume, you must specify the start and end dates (month/year) and a description of duties.
• If the position was Federal, you must also indicate the grade level.
• Resumes containing a general summary of all positions held, not specifying start/end dates, and/or not including Federal grade level(s) are insufficient to determine basic qualifications.
• 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 (e.g., Promotion, Appointment, etc.) in order to verify time-in-grade requirements.
• Additional Documents accepted: Most recent Performance Appraisal (VA Form 0750) CTAP documentation - RIF notice, SF-50 showing VA employee, and performance appraisal.
• Please 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.
• SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action (if applicable for Time in Grade and/or Eligibility): Most recent SF-50 if you are a current or former Federal employee 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 Award 50's do not provide sufficient information and will not be accepted for the purpose of verifying time-in-grade.
• Examples of appropriate 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.

What to expect next

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.

Referred applicants may be contacted at any time during the hiring process. Please check all forms of communication (including email, voicemail, and spam folders), based on the contact information provided with your application, regularly to ensure you don't miss any updates.

Failure to respond to communications may result in you being disqualified from consideration.

You will receive a final notification of results once a 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.

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