Special Assistant

Summary

The Special Assistant serves within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Office of the Chief of Staff, providing high-level administrative, policy, and operational support to executive leadership. The position analyzes complex programs, coordinates strategic initiatives, evaluates policies, and develops recommendations to support executive decision-making and advance VHA priorities and organizational objectives.

Duties

Major Duties include but are not limited to: Provides high-level advisory and administrative support to VHA executive leadership on sensitive policy, operational, and strategic issues affecting national programs and initiatives. Conducts complex program evaluations and organizational analyses to assess effectiveness, identify challenges, and recommend improvements to VHA policies and operations. Supports implementation of Secretarial priorities and strategic initiatives by coordinating activities, monitoring developments, and evaluating organizational progress. Develops policy recommendations, strategic alternatives, and analytical assessments to support executive decision-making and organizational objectives. Prepares executive briefings, reports, issue papers, presentations, and other materials communicating complex program findings and recommendations. Analyzes legislative developments, regulatory requirements, organizational policies, and emerging issues to determine their impact on VHA programs and operations. Coordinates with senior VA/VHA officials, Federal agencies, and external stakeholders to facilitate collaboration, resolve complex issues, and advance departmental priorities. Communicates VHA's mission, strategic vision, and policy direction to internal and external organizations while providing leadership with stakeholder feedback and recommendations. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 08:00-4:30pm Compressed/Flexible: Available Telework: This position may be authorized for ad hoc telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Ad hoc is defined as occasional, non-recurring telework. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Definition of Virtual Work: Employee works outside of original hiring duty station at a VA owned or leased space. Return to Office (RTO): RTO mandates are in effect and selectees will be required to report to in-person work unless they are approved for an exception or an exemption. Any approval for an RTO exception, exemption, or extension will happen after a tentative job offer, but before a final job offer. Position Description/PD#: Special Assistant/PD180410 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized 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, 10/19/2026. 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-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 as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. You may qualify based on your experience as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-13 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Resume must support three of the four examples below: Analyzing and evaluating complex organizational programs, policies, and operations by applying qualitative and quantitative analytical methods to assess program effectiveness, identify operational challenges, develop alternatives, and recommend improvements supporting organizational objectives and executive decision-making. Developing strategic plans, policy recommendations, and program initiatives by interpreting organizational policies, legislative requirements, and regulatory guidance; evaluating organizational priorities; and recommending approaches to improve program implementation and operational effectiveness. Providing executive-level advisory and consultation services by researching sensitive or complex policy and program issues, evaluating competing organizational priorities, and developing authoritative recommendations to support senior leadership decisions and strategic initiatives. Preparing and presenting executive-level reports, briefings, and analytical recommendations by synthesizing complex program information, communicating findings to technical and nontechnical audiences, and coordinating with senior officials and stakeholders to advance organizational goals. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

Education

There is no educational substitution at this grade 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. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.