Program Specialist

Primary purpose of this position is to serve as a subject matter expert and lead advisor on the development, drafting, coordination, and oversight of VA regulations. The incumbent 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). EDUCATION: There is no educational substitution at this grade level. RESPONSIBILITIES: Duties Include:

Develops and drafts regulatory amendments to title 38 Code of Federal Regulations, that comply with the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), Executive Orders, Office of the Federal Register guidelines, and VA internal processes.

Independently identifies regulatory needs arising from new legislation, litigation, program changes, or external recommendations.

Provides technical assistance to senior leaders and program managers, translating complex legislative provisions into regulatory language and ensuring the intent of Congress is clearly reflected.

Develops briefing materials and, talking points, for regulatory initiatives and ensure that all communications reflect the Department's policy position and legal interpretation.

Coordinates clearance and consultation with legal counsel, program leadership, and policy offices, to manage the preparation of justifications, impact analyses, and responses to public comments.

Monitors legal and regulatory trends, court decisions, and Congressional activities that may prompt regulatory action, to proactively plan for regulatory adjustments to mitigate risks and maintain program integrity.

Work Schedule: Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm

Compressed/Flexible: May be available

Return to Office (RTO): RTO mandate requires selectee to report in person unless an approved exemption is already in place.

Telework: May be authorized in accordance with agency policy.

Virtual: This position may be authorized for Virtual Work.

Definition of Virtual Work : Employee works outside of original hiring duty station at a VA owned or leased space.

Position Description/PD#: PD00015A

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized

Financial Disclosure Report: Not required QUALIFICATIONS: To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 12/31/2026.

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 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.

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. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to:

Conduct legal research and statutory interpretation to ensure regulatory actions align with legislative intent and withstand legal scrutiny;

Advise senior leadership on regulatory priorities, legal risks, and strategic approaches to implementing statutory mandates through rulemaking;

Develop regulatory impact analyses, public comment responses, and supporting documentation for rulemaking packages submitted for interagency and public review;

Prepare and deliver executive-level briefings, decision memoranda, and regulatory communications for internal leadership, interagency partners, and oversight bodies;

Lead the drafting, clearance, and publication of complex federal regulations in compliance with the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), Executive Orders, and agency-specific regulatory frameworks;

Coordinate with the Office of General Counsel (OGC), Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and other oversight entities to ensure legal sufficiency and procedural compliance of regulatory proposals.

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 experience was a federal position, you must list series and grade for each position held. Failure to include this information may result in an ineligible rating. A full year of work is considered to be 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, but some light physical effort may be required.

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/ .

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: 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. Information about ICTAP and 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/ .

Local Commuting Area: 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.

Note : The local commuting area may also be authorized as being within 50 miles of available VA office space.

SALARY: QuantitativeValue EMPLOYMENT TYPE: Other