Staff Assistant

Veterans Health Administration; Durham (NC); On-site; USD 85,000 - 105,000; Full time

Job summary

The Project Manager position within Veterans Health Administration in Durham, NC leads the execution of facility construction, lease, and space changes, ensuring alignment with VA policies and priorities. This staff-level role oversees Activation and Space projects assigned through the Business Operations Manager, ensuring timely and compliant outcomes.

Ideal candidates will have familiarity with federal qualification standards, time-in-grade requirements, and at least 1–2 years of project

Qualifications

• One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-09.
• GS-11 requires 52 weeks at GS-09; time-in-grade documentation may be required.

Responsibilities

• The Project Manager leads activation and space projects and oversees facility construction and lease projects.
• Ensures projects are executed efficiently, within scope, and aligned with VA policies and priorities.

Skills

Project Management

Education

Master's Degree

Job description

The Project Manager is a staff-level position responsible for the overall project and activation of facility construction projects, lease projects, and space/function changes. The role provides oversight for Activation and Space projects assigned through the Business Operations Manager, ensuring all projects are executed efficiently, within scope, and aligned with VA policies, regulations, and strategic priorities.

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 10/01/2026.

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-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: 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: Project Management.

OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have Master's Degree.

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 .

Preferred Experience: Project Management (1-2 years of experience, knowledge of the fundamentals of project management in related industry - healthcare facilities, construction, supply chain, IT, engineering, finance)

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/.