Senior Technical Manager (GS-14) at the Department of Veterans Affairs

In an era where technology is the backbone of efficient public service, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is actively seeking visionary, skilled technology leaders to modernize the infrastructure that supports millions of American veterans. The Office of Information and Technology (OIT) has opened applications for a Senior Technical Manager (GS-14) under Direct-Hire Authority. This position represents a rare opportunity for elite software practitioners and systems architects to drive meaningful technical evolution in a highly cooperative, mission-driven public sector environment.

This role is not for passive coordinators; it is a technical leadership post requiring hands-on modern software engineering experience, strategic thinking, and a deep-seated desire to optimize the delivery of critical citizen services. With negotiable duty locations nationwide, competitive compensation ranging from $125,776 to $163,514 per year, and the opportunity to direct a transition toward automated, continuous delivery, this is one of the most compelling tech positions currently offered by the federal government.

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About the Agency: The VA Office of Information and Technology (OIT)

The Office of Information and Technology (OIT) is the digital engine behind the Department of Veterans Affairs. OIT's mission is deeply rooted in President Abraham Lincoln's promise: "To care for those who have served in our nation's military and for their families, caregivers, and survivors." OIT fulfills this duty by designing, deploying, and maintaining state-of-the-art technology services that integrate health care, benefit delivery, and support services into a seamless, unified customer experience.

As one of the largest consolidated IT operations in the world, OIT manages complex multi-site networks, enterprise-level healthcare applications, and massive financial systems. Employees at OIT are driven by the vision of a world-class technology organization. Working here means collaborating with dedicated business partners to solve massive logistical and technological problems, utilizing cutting-edge tools to elevate service delivery for veterans nationwide.

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Job Responsibilities: Leading Digital Transformation

As a Senior Technical Manager, you will serve as a lead technical authority across multiple IT portfolios, product lines, and high-visibility projects. This role bridges the gap between high-level architectural standards and hands-on implementation, ensuring that system delivery protocols are secure, efficient, and resilient.

Key duties and responsibilities include:

• Enterprise Infrastructure Analysis: Direct teams tasked with analyzing critical organization-wide systems, identifying dependencies, and cataloging infrastructure assets to reduce operational risks and eliminate unexpected outages.
• Process Automation & Modernization: Lead process-improvement initiatives, with a primary focus on transitioning the agency toward robust Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery (CI/CD) pipelines and test-driven development (TDD) methodologies.
• Performance Optimization: Perform deep-dive diagnostics, proactively monitoring system infrastructure, identifying operational bottlenecks, and initiating preemptive defect resolution.
• Standards & Compliance Evaluation: Ensure that system deployment, readiness protocols, and communications strategies are fully aligned with federal mandates, architectural standards, and agency benchmarks.
• Collaborative Architecture Design: Partner with Portfolio Senior Technical Advisors and Technical Managers to formulate a future-state technical architecture aligned with broader agency goals.

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Comparison: Role Focus & Technical Requirements

To help candidates understand the unique positioning of this GS-14 level role, the following comparison highlights the balance of technical skills, framework experience, and strategic leadership expectations:

Technical Focus Area	Senior Developer Expectation (GS-13)	Senior Technical Manager Expectation (GS-14)
Framework Experience	Active daily coding in Rails, React, Node, or Django.	Active development within the last 2 years; ability to guide technical decisions in these stacks.
Deployment Strategy	Participates in CI/CD pipelines and runs unit tests.	Champions the transition to agency-wide continuous delivery and test-driven development frameworks.
Systems Focus	Focuses on specific application modules or products.	Focuses on multi-portfolio dependencies, enterprise asset mapping, and global outage risk reduction.
Leadership Scope	Leads individual development sprints or small teams.	Directs cross-functional teams, collaborates with senior advisors, and guides long-term technical architecture.

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Qualification Requirements

To qualify for this position, candidates must meet both the general IT competencies and specific specialized experience requirements. Because this position is graded at the GS-14 level, educational substitutions are not allowed.

Basic Requirements

Applicants must demonstrate high proficiency in the following five core federal IT competencies:

1. Attention to Detail: Meticulous execution of technical analysis and development.
2. Customer Service: Collaborating with internal and external clients to satisfy operational needs and exceed expectations.
3. Oral Communication: Presenting complex technical concepts clearly to both technical developers and non-technical stakeholders.
4. Problem Solving: Identifying system-level anomalies, checking data integrity, and formulating sound technical recommendations.

Specialized Experience

Candidates must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 grade level. This specialized experience must be clearly documented in your resume and include:

• Active experience within the past two (2) years writing production software utilizing modern web or mobile frameworks. Eligible frameworks include: Ruby on Rails, React, React Native, Ionic, Node.js, Express, Django, Flask, or Spring.
• Proven track record of managing technical portfolios, overseeing modern engineering workflows, or directing critical infrastructure analysis.

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Salary Overview & Work Locations

The base salary for this position ranges from $125,776 to $163,514 annually. The final compensation package may vary based on your selected duty station due to locality pay adjustments determined by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).

Although this is not a fully remote (virtual) position, it offers immense geographic flexibility. Upon selection, candidates can negotiate their duty station at dozens of federal worksites nationwide, including major metropolitan hubs such as:

• West: Seattle, WA; Portland, OR; Los Angeles, CA; San Francisco, CA; Salt Lake City, UT; Denver, CO; Phoenix, AZ
• South/Midwest: Austin, TX; Dallas, TX; Houston, TX; New Orleans, LA; Miami, FL; Atlanta, GA; Chicago, IL; Minneapolis, MN; Kansas City, MO; Indianapolis, IN
• Northeast/Mid-Atlantic: Washington, DC; Boston, MA; New York, NY; Philadelphia, PA; Baltimore, MD

Note: Travel up to 25% may be required based on business needs, and ad-hoc telework may be authorized at management discretion.

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Benefits

Working for the federal government offers a robust suite of benefits designed to support your long-term personal, financial, and professional wellness:

• Comprehensive Health Coverage: Choose from a wide array of consumer-driven health, dental, vision, and life insurance plans.
• Retirement Security: Benefit from the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) pension plan alongside the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), which features an agency matching contribution of up to 5%.
• Work-Life Balance: Enjoy 11 paid federal holidays, separate annual (vacation) leave, accrued sick leave, and options for flexible work schedules.
• Career Stability: A robust civil service structure providing job security and ongoing professional training opportunities.

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Application Steps & Critical Tips

The application process for a federal job is thorough and highly regulated. To ensure your application package is reviewed and not automatically screened out, follow these essential guidelines:

1. Create/Update your USAJOBS Profile: Ensure your profile and contact information are fully up to date.
2. Observe the Strict 2-Page Resume Limit: Under the Merit Hiring Plan rules, resumes submitted to the VA are strictly limited to two pages. Any resume exceeding this limit will result in your application being deemed ineligible. USAJOBS' resume builder or a formatted PDF with 0.5-inch margins is recommended.
3. Detail Your Work Hours: For every position listed on your resume, you must explicitly state the job title, responsibilities, start/end dates (month and year), and hours worked per week (e.g., "40 hours per week"). Part-time experience is pro-rated, and missing details can prevent you from receiving full credit.
4. Highlight Modern Framework Experience: Be clear and specific about your development work within the past two years in Rails, React, Node, Django, etc. Do not assume recruiters will guess your technical proficiencies; explicitly state your stack.
5. Complete the USA Hire Assessment: Once you submit your application and questionnaire, check your dashboard and email for the link to the mandatory online USA Hire Assessment suite. This assessment takes up to three hours to complete and is crucial for your final rating.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Is this position open to the public?

Yes. This position is open to the public as well as federal transition candidates, and is being filled via Direct-Hire Authority.

Q: Can I apply if I live outside of the listed metropolitan areas?

Yes. The agency is offering negotiable duty locations at selection. You must, however, report to an approved federal worksite, as this is not a fully remote position.

Q: What frameworks must I know to be eligible?

You must have written software within the past two years in at least one of the following: Rails, React, React Native, Ionic, Nodejs, Express, Django, Flask, or Spring.

Q: What is the deadline to apply?

The vacancy announcement is scheduled to close on July 14, 2026, at 11:59 PM Eastern Time.

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If you are a seasoned tech leader looking to blend technical excellence with high-impact civic service, the Senior Technical Manager position at the VA Office of Information Technology is an ideal career step. By streamlining software delivery, optimizing infrastructure, and championing CI/CD, you will directly improve how millions of veterans access life-changing services. Prepare your two-page resume, document your modern framework experience, and submit your application to join this mission-driven engineering team today.