Summary CCS designs and maintains world-class connectivity, collaboration, and support services that produce measurable business value with secure, redundant, and reliable connections across the enterprise. We deliver a delightful user experience, empowering internal and external VA customers, with robust offerings for video and web conferencing, telephony, secure messaging, collaboration, and more, built on a resilient network infrastructure. Responsibilities The position is located in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Office of Information and Technology (OIT), Connectivity & Collaboration Services (CCS), Unified Communications (UC). UC provides enterprise-level support to develop customer-specific telephony, contact center, video conferencing, and web conferencing solutions from customer requirements analysis and development through life-cycle retirement. The incumbent serves as the technical advisor to the UC Director providing advice, guidance, and recommendations on all aspects of the Pillar. Responsible for planning, organizing, and managing technical and administrative functions of UCI programs, systems, projects, business operations, processes, and actions; and maintenance and enhancement of systems, services, security, and facilities. Develops internal and external communications and accountability mechanisms. Serves as a strategic and technical advisor to the UC Director with oversight on all facets of the UC program including coordinating the activities of all sub-organizational units within UC to ensure strategic planning, program execution and operations, administrative, fiscal, acquisition, sustaining all direction, guidance, oversight, and communications commitments are met. Ensures VA's strategic plan, mission, and values are integrated into UC strategies, objectives, plans, and services. Uses specialized knowledge in long-range and annual work planning and reviews of IT capabilities to advise on the proposed formulation, management, and execution of program resources (personnel and funding) and other management matters through an understanding of requirements and policies based on capabilities and resources. Develops, adapts, and leads implementation of new UC policies, processes, best practices, and requirements. Develops and monitors meaningful performance metrics used to evaluate the accomplishment of program and project goals and objectives. Provides policy guidance and assists users in defining requirements. Creates, coordinates, and conducts presentations and briefings and prepares internal and external Al reports, white papers, position papers, and Executive Decision Memoranda outlining recommendations concerning supported infrastructure projects and operations. Coordinates response input from Director, Deputy Directors, and other UC personnel as necessary to ensure thorough, timely and accurate responses. Facilitates the effective exchange of information between stakeholders and all interested parties by sponsoring meetings and teleconferences; coordinating sessions. Assists in developing presentations, products, and materials in response to Action Items. Responsible for managing internal and external reports. Prepares white papers, position papers, and Executive Decision Memoranda outlining recommendations concerning UC-supported infrastructure projects and operations. This position is primarily aligned to the following NICE Cybersecurity Workforce Framework work roles: 801 - Program Manager For more information about these work roles, where they fit within the larger Cyber Workforce, and how they can support your unique career journey, please visit the Cyber Career Pathways tool on the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Careers and Studies website: https://niccs.us-cert.gov/workforce-development/cyber-career-pathways Position Description/PD#: IT Specialist (Policy and Planning)/PD202940 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; 8am - 4:30pm Compressed/Flexible: As determined by the Agency Policy Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Remote: This is not a remote position. Physical Demands: The work is primarily sedentary in nature. No special physical demands required. Working Conditions: The work is performed in a well-lighted, climate-controlled office environment. 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. Selectee is subject to background/suitability investigation. Selected applicant will be required to complete an online onboarding process. This position is subject to pre-employment and random drug testing. Complete the initial online assessment and USAHire Assessment, if required. To be considered for this position, applicants must complete all required steps in the 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 (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-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, 08/28/2025. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-14 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-13. 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. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement. You must meet the Minimum Qualification Requirements and Specialized Experience to qualify for this series as described below. Minimum Qualifications Requirements EXPERIENCE: To qualify for this position, you must have information technology-related experience demonstrating all of the four competencies listed below. Ensure that this experience is clearly described in your resume: Attention to Detail - Is thorough when performing work and conscientious about attending to detail. 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. 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. 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 for GS-14: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular competencies/knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position and is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Such experience is typically gained in the IT field or through the performance of work where the primary concern is IT. Specialized experience is defined as developing policy and strategic plans to drive toward organization goals and program effectiveness for large enterprise-class IT infrastructure systems; applying advanced information technology principles, standards, concepts, methods, and processes for large enterprise-scale IT infrastructure programs; experience authoring executive level communications of various @types for decision-making and accountability with internal and external audiences. 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; religious; 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. It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those who have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment. Education EDUCATIONAL SUBSTITUTION: There is no educational substitution for this position at this grade level. Additional Information This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. Receiving Service Credit or 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. Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities [i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities], and/or Disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. 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. 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 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/. Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA. 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
