Budget Analyst @ Veterans Health Administration

Job Summary

Recruiting for one (1) Budget Analyst, GS-0560-9 (Target 11) at the East Orange, NJ VA Hospital. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Research Program strives to promote Veteran-centered care to improve patient experience and outcomes across VA healthcare and community settings, and to advance value-driven care by providing Veterans the highest quality care at the lowest financial burden. The incumbent will align and report under the Office of Research & Development organizational chart.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 10/29/2026. 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-9 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-7, for a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-9. 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.

Per Office of Personnel Management General Schedule Qualification Policies, federal employees are assumed to have gained experience by performing duties and responsibilities appropriate for their official series and grade level as described in their position description. Experience that would not normally be part of the employee's position is creditable when documented by satisfactory evidence (e.g., a memorandum from the manager, human resources director, or official documentation such as SF-52, SF-50 documenting an official detail/assignments, or other comparable documentation).

The documentation must indicate whether the employee performed the duties full time or, if part-time, the percentage of times the employee performed the additional duties. To receive credit for experience in your resume that is not within the official series and grade level of your position, you must provide official documentation of such experience as indicated above. 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. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit OPM's web site at http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/standards/indexes/alph-ndx.asp.dards/.

You may qualify based on your education, experience or combination as described below. A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing your qualifications on education. Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-9 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience is defined as: (GS-9) Knowledge of the budgetary policies, precedents, goals, objectives, regulations, and guidelines of the agency; the sources, types, andmethods of funding for organizations and programs; and, budgetary and financial relationships between the assigned budget and programs of other agency components and organizations; knowledge and skill in the application of methods and techniques to analyze and evaluate the effects of continuing changes in program plans and funding (e.g., cost-benefit analysis, management by objectives, probability theory, etc.); knowledge of a variety of computer software systems both financial and non-financial for extracting and analyzing both long term and short term funding for various programs.

Specialized experience is defined as: (GS-11) Detailed, intensive knowledge of the budgetary policies, precedents, goals, objectives, regulations, and guidelines of the agency; the sources, types, and methods of funding for organizations and programs; and, budgetary and financial relationships between the assigned budget and programs of other agency components and organizations; knowledge and skill in the application of methods and techniques to analyze and evaluate the effects of continuing changes in program plans and funding (e.g., cost-benefit analysis, management by objectives, probability theory, etc.); requires advanced knowledge of a variety of computer software systems both financial and non-financial for extracting and analyzing both long term and short-term funding for various programs.

OR Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have: GS-9-Successfully completed a masters or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. of J.D., if related that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with application. Education cannot be credited without documentation.GS-11-Successfully completed a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree, or an LL.M. if related that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position.

Education cannot be credited without documentation. OR Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond. GS-9- Combination of successfully completed graduate level education (in excess of the first year or 18 semester hours) and specialized experience to meet total experience requirements. NOTE: If using education combined with specialized experience to qualify, a copy of your transcript is required.GS-11 Combination of successfully completed graduate level education (in excess of the two years or 36 semester hours) and specialized experience to meet total experience requirements.

Major Duties

• Areas of Consideration: Current, permanent employees of Department Veterans Affairs and CTAP eligibles.
• Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met.
• Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level.
• VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package: VA Total Rewards Work Schedule: Monday- Friday 8:00AM to 4:30 PM Telework: This position is considered onsite.
• Ad-Hoc telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.
• Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
• Position Description/PD#: Budget Analyst/PD46968A and PD46969A Physical Demands: The work is primarily sedentary.
• The position uses a computer and standard office equipment to complete tasks.
• Work may also require walking and standing in conjunction with travel to and attendance at meetings and conferences away from the work site.
• On occasion, the position may carry light items.
• This position involves a multi-grade career ladder.
• The major duties listed below represent the full performance level of GS-11.
• At the GS-9 grade level, you will perform assignments of a more limited scope and with less independence.
• You will progressively acquire the background necessary to perform at the full performance level of GS-11.
• Promotion is at the discretion of the supervisor and is contingent upon satisfactory performance, availability of higher level work, and availability of funds.
• Promotion is not guaranteed and no promise of promotion is implied.
• Major Duties: Reconciles cost control records with monthly, quarterly, and annual fiscal reports.
• These documents include but are not limited to Daily Status of Funds, Annual Budget Plan, Quarterly Analysis of Unobligated Balances, Audit Transaction List, Transaction Status Report and Running Balances.
• Involved in the procurement process and has appropriate roles within the IFCAP system for the R&D service fund control points (FCP).
• For purchases involving equipment, contracts, or services, works in conjunction with investigators and prepares all needed documents required for the purchase including justifications, specifications, vendor information, IT documentation, etc..
• Serves as a Contracting Officer Representative to prepare Statement of Work, Independent Government Cost Estimates, Conduct Market Research, develop evaluation criteria and acquisition plans for equipment purchase packages, monitor contracts and and submit performance evaluations Serves as an expert on research-related budgetary policies, precedents, goals, objectives, regulations, and guidelines; and uses judgment in choosing and applying the appropriate policies, practices, and regulations for the specific funding agency or research activity.
• Conducts limited studies and analyses to develop required data and information for reporting purposes; and prepares administrative reports.
• Ensures that funds are available and being properly and effectively used to support program objectives.
• Performs analyses of budget requests, prepares justification statements, and compiles data to be used for forecasting obligations.
• Reviews, edits, and consolidates annual budget estimates for assigned organizations and programs into a single budget request.
• Prepares documents needed to process budget estimates, including Bills of Collections, requests budget requisitions to commit funds, writes reports that detail the purposes for which funds were obligated and expended.
• Edits narrative justifications and projected funding needs, and ensures that data in requests are formally and accurately documented in a forms, schedules, and reports.
• Prepare Statement of Work, Independent Government Cost Estimates, Conduct Market Research, develop evaluation criteria and acquisition plans for equipment purchase packages.
• Identifies and analyzes trends in the receipt, obligation, or expenditure of funds to ensure that objectives of the annual financial plan are being met on a timely basis.
• Oversee all aspects of the Research Service fiscal program in conjunction with the AO and ACOS for Research, and to strategically plan, prepare, and carry out the fiscal program for Research Service, both immediate and long-range plans.
• This requires the ability to develop budgetary plans, projections, and reports, and to interpret information received from ORD, the individual VA Research programs, Fiscal Service, and other sources.

Requirements

You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 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.

Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 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 or trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.