Deputy Director

Summary

This position is located in the Office of Operations, Office of Acquisition, Logistics, and Construction (OALC), Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The Office of Operations is responsible for establishing acquisition policy; overseeing acquisition workforce management, strategy, and initiatives; managing executive correspondence and communications; and providing centralized administrative, operational, and human capital support functions across VA's acquisition enterprise.

Duties

The Deputy Chief of Staff (DCOS) serves as the principal advisor and alter ego to the Chief of Staff (COS) in directing, coordinating, and overseeing the full range of executive operations, strategic initiatives, and administrative management functions in support of the Executive Directors, Head of Contracting Activity (HCAs) and OALC senior leadership. The incumbent exercises a high degree of independent judgment in managing sensitive and high-visibility matters, resolving complex operational issues, and ensuring the effective functioning of the front office and the broader acquisition organization. Serve as the Deputy Chief of Staff and principal deputy to the Chief of Staff, a Senior Executive Service (SES) position. The incumbent shares in the direction and coordination of the Office of Operations and acts for the Chief of Staff within the scope of delegated authority. In the absence of the Chief of Staff, the incumbent assumes responsibility for front-office operations and exercises delegated decision-making authority on operational, administrative, and program matters. Serve as the principal deputy to the Chief of Staff, assuming full responsibility for front office operations in the Chief of Staff's absence, including decision-making authority on time-sensitive and sensitive matters. Plan, organize, and direct the daily operations of the Office of Operations, ensuring alignment with the priorities of the Executive Director and OALC leadership. Manage the flow of information, taskers, and decision papers to and from the Office of the Executive Director, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and appropriate level of review. As the first-line supervisor of five (5) FTEs, the incumbent performs the full range of supervisory duties, including: Plan, assign, and review of the work of subordinate staff, setting priorities and deadlines consistent with front office and organizational needs. Evaluate staff performance, prepare and deliver annual and interim performance appraisals, and identify and address performance or conduct issues, up to and including recommending disciplinary or adverse actions when warranted. Approve leave, certify time and attendance, and manage staffing needs, including participating in the selection, hiring, and onboarding of new employees. Identify developmental and training needs of subordinate staff and provide or arrange for training to build staff capability, including cross-training to ensure continuity of front office operations. Lead or participate in the development of strategic plans, performance metrics, and organizational assessments for the acquisition enterprise. Analyze proposed legislation, regulations, and VA/OALC policy issuances to determine impact on acquisition workforce management, strategy, and operations, and provide recommendations to senior leadership. Coordinate the development and staffing of acquisition policy issuances, ensuring consistency with statutory and regulatory requirements (e.g., FAR, VAAR) and VA strategic goals. Manage special projects and initiatives assigned by the OALC Chief of Staff, often involving novel or precedent-setting issues with enterprise-wide impact. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm EST. Return to Office (RTO): RTO mandates are in affect and selectees will be required to report to in person work unless they have an approved exemption. Location: The selectee will be required to report on-site at 10300 Spotsylvania Ave, Suite 400, Fredericksburg, VA 22408. Telework: Available - Ad Hoc telework (situational telework) as determined by the agency policy. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: PD005490 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 10/07/2026. 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-15 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-14. 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 some former Federal employees applying for reinstatement, as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. See the Required Document section below for more information regarding the SF-50s needed to verify time-in-grade. Grade Requirement: IAW 5 CFR 330.607, CTAP eligible applicants must hold at least a GS-15 or equivalent grade (determined by your representative rate) in their permanent position of record by the closing date of this announcement. This must be supported by the SF-50 submitted. See the Required Document section below for more information regarding the SF-50s needed to verify. You may qualify based on your experience described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-14 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Experience in directing, coordinating, and overseeing the work of staff to accomplish mission priorities and align outputs with organizational standards. Providing advice, counsel, and instructions to employees on work assignments and administrative matters to drive clarity, performance, and adherence to policy. Evaluating staff performance by preparing and delivering annual/interim appraisals and addressing performance or conduct issues to improve outcomes. Managing front office operations by organizing daily workflows and controlling taskers and decision papers to ensure timely, accurate executive readiness. Evidence of this specialized experience must be supported by detailed documentation of like duties performed in positions held on your resume. You will also need to provide work experience information such as hours per week, full-time/part-time status, and starting/ending dates of employment (month and year format) to establish you have one (1) full year of specialized experience at the required grade level. 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: Resume must include job title and employer name, number of hours worked per week, start and end dates (including month and year), list of duties and responsibilities for each position held. In addition, if the