"Alerted.org

Summary The position serves as a subject matter expert and lead advisor on the development, drafting, coordination, and oversight of VA-wide regulations. Located within the Office of Regulatory Oversight and Management (ROM), Responsibilities The Program Specialist is responsible for managing the full lifecycle of federal regulations impacting programs and services administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs, including the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), and National Cemetery Administration (NCA). Provides regulatory expertise and guidance to senior leadership, ensuring the Department's regulatory framework complies with statutory mandates, aligns with federal rulemaking procedures, and supports the efficient delivery of benefits and services to Veterans and their families: Serves as a principal regulatory authority within the Office of Regulatory, Oversight and Management (ROM). Responsible for leading the development, revision, interpretation, and oversight of federal regulations impacting all administration within the Department of Veterans Affairs. Independently identifies regulatory needs arising from new legislation, litigation, program changes, or external recommendations. Conduct comprehensive legal policy reviews to assess the impact of proposed regulations, Draft regulatory language that is clear, enforceable, and aligned with statutory and agency objectives. Ensures all regulatory actions comply with the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), Executive Orders, and VA internal processes. Coordinate clearance and consultation with legal counsel, program leadership, and policy offices Manage the preparation of supporting materials such as justifications, impact analyses Responses to public comments. Tracks regulatory deadlines, maintains the regulatory docket, and ensures timely submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and publication in the Federal Register. Serves as a lead reviewer for departmental regulations submitted by various administrations, ensuring coordination and consistency in content, legal rationale, and formatting. Provide technical assistance to senior leaders and program managers, translating complex legislative provisions into regulatory language and ensuring the intent of Congress is clearly reflected. Leads working groups and steering committees tasked with advancing regulatory reform, eliminating obsolete rules, and aligning VA regulations with evolving best practices and interagency guidance. Monitors legal and regulatory trends, court decisions, and Congressional activities that may prompt regulatory action, and proactively plans for regulatory adjustments to mitigate risks and maintain program integrity Work Schedule: Monday thru Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm Compressed/Flexible: May be Available Telework: May be Available Virtual: This is NOT a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Program Specialist/ 00015A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Requirements Conditions of Employment 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 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 may be required to serve a one year probationary period or two year trial 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 one year probationary period or two year trial 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, 12/05/2025. 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 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. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education 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. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Leads the drafting, clearance, and publication of complex federal regulations in compliance with the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), Executive Orders, and agency-specific regulatory frameworks. Conducts legal research and statutory interpretation to ensure regulatory actions align with legislative intent and withstand legal scrutiny. Coordinates with oversight entities to ensure legal sufficiency and procedural compliance of regulatory proposals. Develops regulatory impact analyses for rulemaking packages submitted for interagency and public review. Advises senior leadership on regulatory priorities and strategic approaches to implementing statutory mandates through rulemaking. Prepares and delivers executive-level briefings and regulatory communications Serves or served in a senior regulatory or legal advisory role with direct experience in: leading the development and clearance of complex federal regulations; interpreting and applying statutory and administrative law; coordinating with OGC, OMB, and oversight entities on rulemaking; and advising senior leadership on regulatory compliance, legal sufficiency, and implementation strategy You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: : Technical Competence Communication Analytical Reasoning Strategic Thinking Compliance 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: 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. Physical Requirements: Work is primarily sedentary and performed in an office environment. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at http://://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/. Education There is no educational substitution at this grade level. 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 (TJO). Please visit the Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP), va.gov/EMPLOYEE/docs/The-Fair-Chance-to-Compete-Act.pdf for more information. 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. 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. Contact the Agency Contact for information on how to apply under this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal/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 for this vacancy. To be found well-qualified, applicants must meet the following qualifications: Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/. 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. For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.