Job Description
The Office of Congressional and Legislative Affairs (OCLA) is the Department's central point for all matters involving the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. OCLA serves as the chief liaison for engagement with Members of Congress, Committees of jurisdiction, and their offices, ensuring effective communication. The incumbent serves as Director of the Health Legislative Affairs Team.
Qualifications:
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 06/08/2026. 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. 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-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: Working within a congressional entity in the executive, legislative, or judicial branch of government in a supervisory capacity, that equipped you with expert knowledge in legislation, the interests and concerns of Members of Congress, congressional committees, and how these issues affect the department's programs and policies. Working with committee staff on a committee of jurisdiction, such as House or Senate Veterans Affairs, House or Senate Armed Services Committee, etc. Handling complex and sensitive congressional issues and providing legislative assistance to congressional staff offices and/or committees of jurisdiction. Recommending strategies for communicating VA initiatives, policies, requests for information, and legislation to U.S. Congress. 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, although some slight physical effort may be required. Travel 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 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: Experience serving in a supervisory capacity within a congressional entity. Extensive experience working on VA or other federal agency's legislation directly with VA or other federal committees of jurisdiction and overall, both chambers of U.S. Congress. Experience serving as a top advisor to an organization's executives on legislative and congressional matters and performing comprehensive analysis and policy recommendations of complex VA legislative initiatives. IF APPLYING AS A CTAP/ICTAP ELIGIBLE
You must submit the following documentation demonstrating eligibility for CTAP/ICTAP
Resume Agency Reduction in Force notice; Most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location Most recent performance appraisal (must be fully successful or above) 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. .
