IT Specialist (Policy and Planning)

This position is located in Department of Veteran Affairs (VA), Office of Information and Technology (OIT) Division where the incumbent serves as an IT Specialist specializing in providing technical oversight and engineering services in regard to network engineering related issues ultimately affecting the plans, goals and effectiveness of VA nationwide. Qualifications: To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 07/28/2026. Applicants must have IT-related experience demonstrating each of the four competencies listed below at a proficiency level equivalent to the next lower grade level in federal service You must meet both the Basic Requirement and the Specialized Experience to qualify for this series as described below. Attention to Detail - Is thorough when performing work and conscientious about attending to detail. Customer Service - Works with clients and customers (that is, any individuals who use or receive the services or products that your work unit produces, including the general public, individuals who work in the agency, other agencies, or organizations outside the Government) to assess their needs, provide information or assistance, resolve their problems, or satisfy their expectations; knows about available products and services; is committed to providing quality products and services. Oral Communication - Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately. Problem Solving - Identifies problems; determines accuracy and relevance of information; uses sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives, and to make recommendations. AND 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: Experience automating network configuration and management tasks using programming and scripting languages (such as Python and at least one additional high level language). Experience designing and maintaining Infrastructure-as-Code solutions for network devices (such as routers switches, firewalls, load balancers, and cloud-based resources). Experience integrating automation pipelines with Cl/CD tools to support validation and deployment of network changes in accordance with security and compliance standards. 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/.