Summary This position is located in the Office of Management (OM), Office of Actuarial Services (OAS). Under the direction of the Executive Director of Actuarial Services (VA's Chief Actuary), OAS is responsible for developing, monitoring, and updating actuarial models to support the mission of ensuring maximum transparency and accountability with respect to actuarial benefit liabilities reported in VA's audited financial statements. Responsibilities Major Duties: Updating actuarial valuations with new data and assumptions. Analyzing large amounts of data and performing experience analyses used to recommend assumption and model changes. Providing technical review of other actuaries' work, which could include running an alternative model. Preparing or updating annual valuation reports, experience studies, deliver presentations to management and auditors. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 4:30 pm Telework: Ad-hoc telework (situational telework) available as determined by the agency policy. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description Title/PD#: Actuary (Benefits)/PD00165A and PD20806A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized for highly qualified candidates Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Physical Requirements: The work is sedentary, some work may require periods of walking, standing, bending, or driving a motor vehicle. Employees frequently carry research records and other similar materials. The work does not require any special physical effort. Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level. Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the 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 identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. 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. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement. Selective Placement Factor: This position includes a skill, knowledge, ability or other worker characteristic basic to -and essential for- satisfactory performance of the job. Selective Placement Factors are a prerequisite to appointment and represent minimum requirements for a position. Applicants who do not meet it are ineligible for further consideration. Evidence of the Selective Placement Factor must be reflected in your resume. The Selective Placement Factor for this position is: Must have obtained one of the following actuarial credentials from the Society of Actuaries (SOA): Associate of the Society of Actuaries (ASA) or Fellow of the Society of Actuaries (FSA), as evidenced by an official transcript and certificate or by the applicant's presence in The Actuarial Directory. AND Must have a minimum number of years of relevant retirement, disability or annuity benefits actuarial experience (five (5) years for GS-13; eight (8) years for GS-14). Individual Occupational Requirements GS-13 or Equivalent Grade Level: Paragraph A. One year of actuarial experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-12; AND A. A bachelor's degree that included courses in actuarial science, mathematics, relevant statistics, business, finance, economics, insurance, or computer science totaling at least 24 semester hours. This course work must have included a minimum of 12 semester hours of mathematics that included differential and integral calculus and one or more courses in mathematics for which these calculus courses were prerequisites. OR B. Combination of education and experience that includes both of the following requirements: Technical work experience in actuarial support work or in mathematics; and Completion of a minimum of 24 semester hours of courses in actuarial science, mathematics, relevant statistics, business, finance, economics, insurance, or computer science at a four year college or university. This course work must have included a minimum of 12 semester hours of mathematics that included differential and integral calculus and one or more courses in mathematics for which these calculus courses were prerequisites. OR Paragraph B. Applicants may qualify for a position at grade levels GS-07 through GS-13 using the "Special Alternate Means" provisions described below. Applicants for all grade levels must complete a minimum of 24 semester hours of courses in actuarial science, mathematics, relevant statistics, business, finance, economics, insurance, or computer science at a four year college or university. This course work must have included a minimum of 12 semester hours of mathematics that included differential and integral calculus and one or more courses in mathematics for which these calculus courses were prerequisites. Successful completion of appropriate examinations offered by the Society of Actuaries(SOA), the Casualty Actuarial Society(CAS), or the Joint Board for the Enrollment of Actuaries(JBEA), as evidenced by an official SOA or CAS transcript, and specialized experience described below is fully qualifying at the grade levels shown below: GS-13 or Equivalent Grade Level: One year of professional actuarial experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 level AND Associateship in the Society of Actuaries or the Casualty Actuarial Society or being an Enrolled Actuary. You must also qualify based on your experience as described below: Specialized Experience: GS-13 Grade Level: One year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the federal service); experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) and other characteristics to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience includes: Experience applying actuarial methods to perform annual valuations, assumption studies, actual-to-expected analyses, or liability calculations while collaborating with actuaries and other subject matter experts. Experience using analytical software, such as Excel, SAS, R, SQL, or similar tools to extract, validate, and analyze data. Experience updating or assisting in the preparation of actuarial reports, documentation, and presentations for management, auditors, or other stakeholders. Individual Occupational Requirements GS-14 or Equivalent Grade Level: Paragraph A. One year of actuarial experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-13; AND A. A bachelor's degree that included courses in actuarial science, mathematics, relevant statistics, business, finance, economics, insurance, or computer science totaling at least 24 semester hours. This course work must have included a minimum of 12 semester hours of mathematics that included differential and integral calculus and one or more courses in mathematics for which these calculus courses were prerequisites. OR B. Combination of education and experience that includes both of the following requirements: Technical work experience in actuarial support work or in mathematics; and Completion of a minimum of 24 semester hours of courses in actuarial science, mathematics, relevant statistics, business, finance, economics, insurance, or computer science at a four year college or university. This course work must have included a minimum of 12 semester hours of mathematics that included differential and integral calculus and one or more courses in mathematics for which these calculus courses were prerequisites. You must also qualify based on your experience as described below: Specialized Experience: GS-14 Grade Level: One year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-13 grade level in the federal service); experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) and other characteristics to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience includes: Extensive experience independently developing, maintaining, and enhancing actuarial valuation models, analyses and code used to produce actuarial benefit liabilities. Extensive experience providing technical review of actuarial models, analyses, and code, ensuring compliance with actuarial standards, federal financial requirements, and appropriate documentation controls. Experience preparing complex actuarial analyses, and presenting financial impacts and recommendations to management, auditors, and other stakeholders. 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. Local Commuting Area by Location: The local commuting area for this position is defined as a radius of 50 miles from Washington, DC. This includes all locations that fall within a 50 mile driving distance from 810 Vermont Ave NW, Washington, DC 20420. Education There is no educational substitute for the GS-13/14 level. Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. 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. VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. 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 well-qualified, applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors if applicable, and must be proficient in most of the requirements of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website which can be found at https://www.opm.gov/. 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 and request information about the Alternate Application process, please contact the Agency Contact listed for this Job Opportunity Announcement (JOA).
