Research Budget Analyst
What you'd do
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 position is located within the Nashville VA Medical Center, Office of Research and Development in Nashville, TN.
Major duties
Major Duties: Oversee all aspects of the Research Service fiscal program in conjunction with the Administrative Officer (AO) and Associate Chief of Staff (ACOS) for Research. Strategically plan, prepare, and carry out the fiscal program for Research Service, for both immediate and long-range plans. Develops budgetary plans, projections, and reports, and interprets information received from Office of Research and Development (ORD), the individual VA Research programs, Fiscal Service, and other sources. Maintains cost accounting ledgers for current and prior year appropriations assigned to research. Reconciles cost control records with monthly, quarterly, and annual fiscal reports. Provides financial advice to investigators and/or other members of the ORD service on budget related matters such as types of available funding, formulation of their research budget, preparation of budgetary sections of VA grant funding submissions, etc. forecasts needs, tracks, and allocates funds for Principal Investigators (PI) funded via Merit Review or other VA Research Programs. Performs studies and audits on control and use of funds throughout each fiscal year. Analyzes historical financial operating data and spending patterns. Serves as an expert on VA regulations, rules, procedures, and practices for initiating, preparing, and monitoring procurement, and contractual agreements. Serve as a COR designee for the service and oversees areas of acquisition administration and contractor's performance, as it pertains to Research and Development. 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. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm Telework: This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Research Budget Analyst/PD46967A, PD46968A, and PD46969A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
What you need to qualify
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 07/06/2026. 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-07 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05, for a GS-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07, and for a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09. 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. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience for GS-7: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-05 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: applying federal budget and finance regulations, procedures, and processes; applying accounting knowledge and auditing skills to assist in the analysis of obligations and expenditures; using accounting and management software; applying knowledge of research requirements, grant administration and fiscal requirements for foundation accounts; and applying knowledge of policies and procedures governing federal research grant programs. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have 1 full year of graduate level education, an undergraduate degree with superior academic achievement. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and successfully completed graduate level education (in excess of the first year or 18 semester hours) to meet total experience requirements. Specialized Experience for GS-9: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade in the GS-07 normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: 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.); 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 a masters 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 OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and successfully completed graduate level education (in excess of the first year or 18 semester hours) to meet total experience requirements. Specialized Experience for GS-11: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-09 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: 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; experience exercising judgment in decision making, regarding the balance of the overall budget to assure proper emphasis on critical areas; experience with consolidation, justification and preparing estimates for projected operating and consolidated budget(s); the ability to apply qualitative and quantitative analytical methods, techniques, and administrative duties to analyze and evaluate research plans and funding; experience with various data entry and analysis tools such as comprehensive financial reporting systems; knowledge of VA regulations, rules, procedures, and practices for initiating, preparing, and monitoring procurement, and contractual agreements; and the ability to resolve problems or conflicts. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have 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 OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and successfully completed graduate level education (in excess of the two years or 36 semester hours) to meet total experience requirements. Note: If qualifying based on education or a combination of education and experience, transcripts must be submitted with your application. 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/.
Before you apply
Federal applications are different: your resume should be 3–5 pages and mirror the language of this announcement. Read our federal resume guide first — it's the #1 reason qualified people get screened out.
Don't miss the next one.
Get an email the moment a similar federal job opens — postings can close in as little as 5 days.