Budget analyst

Summary

This position is located in at Finance Service at VA Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System. The applicant can choose one of the following as a duty location: Omaha VA Medical Center in Omaha, NE; Grand Island VA Medical Center in Grand Island, NE; OR Lincoln VA Clinic in Lincoln, NE.

Duties

• THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION
• Please be advised this occupation is currently undergoing a classification consistency review that may result in a change in title, series, and/or grade if determined by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). A consistency review is required for this position as a result of an OPM appeal related to the occupation. A "consistency review" is the process that involves a classification review of positions performing work that is identical, or related to an OPM appeal to ensure they are classified consistently and in accordance with OPM standards. If a reduction in grade occurs, you could be eligible for grade and/or pay retention.

This position involves a multi-grade career ladder. The major duties listed below represent the full performance level of GS-11. At the GS-07 and GS-09 grade levels, 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.

The Budget Analyst is responsible for applying budget analysis theory, concepts, methods and procedures connected with the budget formulation, and execution of VA's particular programs, systems, procedures, functions, and structure of the supported organizational component/facility. Major duties and responsibilities include but not limited to:

• Providing advice and guidance to program and line managers on the interpretation of budget estimates and the formulation of budget requests
• Reviewing facility budgetary and program requirements to assure their conformance with established agency policies and the intent of Congress
• Providing advice to the assigned organization on modifying budget estimates in response to the annual mid-year and fall reviews
• Developing proposed budgetary and procedural guidance (i.e., format for budget estimates) and summary charts providing a synopsis of the facility's budget request
• Participating in the fund distribution process and controls and reviews assigned areas at the planning, apportionment and allotment stages
• Reviewing operating plans for conformation with established policies, plans, and objectives and evaluating operating plans for reasonableness of workload, obligations, and outlay data
• Reviewing actual obligations, outlays, and workload levels to highlight potential operating and financial problems
• Investigating and explaining deviations from fiscal operating plans and program objectives
• Developing monthly analyses of program actual and possible trends and additional analysis providing historical data of programs
• Preparing special analyses, studies, and reports as requested by the supervisor and higher authority
• Initiating, developing, and conducting special studies relating to facility business lines and ancillary programs accounts
• Performing other related duties as assigned

Work Schedule: Monday to Friday; 08:00 a.m. to 04:30 p.m.

Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized

Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved.

Telework: Ad-hoc only.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• Physical Requirements: Work is primarily sedentary but involves use of a personal computer so a degree of manual dexterity and visual acuity sufficient to utilize these tools is required. Some physical effort is required in that incumbent lifts and carries reference books, working papers and similar items to and from meetings. A moderate amount of standing and walking is required in getting to and from meeting places away from the worksite. No special physical demands are required.
• 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.
• 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) - See "Required Documents" below for details.
• As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

Minimum Requirement: The following are minimum requirements for appointment as a Budget Analyst in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), which all applicants must meet one of the following.

To be qualified at GS-07 Specialized Experience (GS-07): You must have one (1) year of specialized experience that equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (i.e., GS-05) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.

Qualifying examples of specialized experience would typically include but are not limited to: applying budget policies and procedures; reviewing budget requirements, obligations, expenditures, and funding levels; analyzing financial data; preparing budget reports and status-of-funds information; and using automated financial systems to retrieve, analyze, and report budget data.

(CLEAR DETAILS OF EXPERIENCE REQUIRED: Your resume must show complete information for each job entry, such as beginning and ending dates of employment, duties performed, and/or total hours worked per week.)

OR, Education (GS-07): Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have one (1) full year of graduate level education in an accredited college or university. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work.

NOTE: One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement. Part-time graduate education is creditable in accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the school attended.

(UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED: If you do not submit your transcript, your application may not be reviewed.)

OR, Combination (GS-07): Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education as described above. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify an applicant for that grade level.

(UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED: If you do not submit your transcript, your application may not be reviewed.)

OR, Superior Academic Achievement (GS-07): Superior Academic Achievement (SAA) at the baccalaureate level in the qualifying curriculum detailed above is fully qualifying. Applicants who wish to apply under this provision must submit proof from their educational institution that they meet one of the criteria listed below.

To qualify for SAA, applicants must have completed all the requirements for a bachelor's degree in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled and meet one of the following.

(UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED: If you do not submit your transcript, your application may not be reviewed.)

• Rank in the upper one-third of your class in the college, university or major subdivision.
• A grade-point average of "B" (a GPA of 2.95 or higher out of a possible 4.0) for all completed undergraduate courses, or those completed in the last two years of undergraduate study.
• A grade point average of "B+" (a GPA of 3.45 or higher out of a possible 4.0) for all courses in your major field of study, or those courses in your major completed in the last two years of undergraduate study.
• Membership in a national honor society (other than freshman honor societies) recognized by the Association of College Honor Societies.

For a list of recognized honor societies please visit http://www.achsnatl.org/quick_link.asp.

To be qualified at GS-09 Specialized Experience (GS-09): You must have one (1) year of specialized experience that equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (i.e., GS-07) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.

Qualifying examples of specialized experience would typically include but are not limited to: analyzing and evaluating budget requirements, obligations, expenditures, and funding levels; applying budget policies and procedures to execute and monitor funds; identifying funding variances and recommending corrective actions; preparing financial analyses and status-of-funds reports; and using automated financial systems to analyze and report budget data.

(CLEAR DETAILS OF EXPERIENCE REQUIRED: Your resume must show complete information for each job entry, such as beginning and ending dates of employment, duties performed, and/or total hours worked per week.)

OR, Education (GS-09): Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. or J.D., if related in an accredited college or university. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work.

NOTE: One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement. Part-time graduate education is creditable in accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the school attended.

(UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED: If you do not submit your transcript, your application may not be reviewed.)

OR, Combination (GS-09): Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education as described above. Only graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level (i.e., 18 semester hours) may be used to qualify applicants for positions at grade GS-09.

(UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED: If you do not submit your transcript, your application may not be reviewed.)

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/.

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.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. NOTE: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/.

If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Additional information

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement.

To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.

Receiving Service Credit for 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. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. 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.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. 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. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

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 and be found well-qualified (have a final rating of 80 or more before any Veterans preference points) for this vacancy. 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/.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution. A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding.

Opens in a new window Learn more about federal benefits. Review our benefits Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.