Department of the Air Force

PROGRAM ANALYST

Arlington, Virginia Full time

PROGRAM ANALYST

Department: Department of the Air Force

Location(s): Arlington, Virginia

Salary Range: $143913 - $187093 Per Year

Job Summary: Click on "Learn more about this agency" button below to view Eligibilities being considered and other IMPORTANT information. The primary purpose of this position is: To provide consistent and comprehensive expertise in developing and integrating design, planning, and programming activities over multiple overlapping fiscal cycles.

Major Duties:

  • Applying Air Force military air, cyber, infrastructure, & manpower expertise, to develop, interpret, and implement policies and procedures to provide long range planning, programming, and budget guidance to facilitate the identification and determination of alternative ways to achieve the best mix of forces, equipment, and support attainable, within fiscal constraints, for major air and cyber mission and operational plans. Develops new methods for integrating, testing and evaluating the effectiveness of long-range Force Design planning, programming, and budget actions/processes in support of major Air Force mission and operational plans. Prepares and presents high level briefings of conclusions, many being highly subjective and not readily susceptible to verification until actual operational situations are encountered. Maintains continuous liaison with other Air Staff, other service headquarters counterparts, and DOD offices to ensure USAF future force design and enterprise-wide planning is consistent and integrated throughout the defense community.

Qualifications: Conditions of Employment cont... Position is designated Special Sensitive and requires eligibility for access to Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI), other intelligence-related Special Sensitive information, or involvement in Top Secret Special Access Programs (SAP) to fully perform the duties and responsibilities of the position. A non-disclosure agreement must be signed. This position has been designated by the Air Force as a Testing Designated Position (TDP) under the Air Force Civilian Drug Demand Reduction Program. Employee must pass initial and periodic short notice drug testing. Illegal drug use by employees in sensitive positions presents a clear threat to the mission of the Air Force, national security, and public safety. In order to qualify, you must meet the specialized experience requirements described in the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards for General Schedule Positions, Administrative and Management Positions, Series 0343. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must have at least one (1) year of specialized experience at the next lower grade GS-13, or equivalent in other pay systems. Examples of specialized experience includes mastery of a wide range of qualitative and/or quantitative methods for the assessment and improvement of Air Force level plans and procedures such as war, mobilization, deployment, and similar operations; and to evaluate MAJCOM and Air Staff responses to plans and studies. Comprehensive knowledge of the Federal, DOD, and Air Force planning, programming, and budgeting process (PPBS) and thorough knowledge of Air Force program goals and objectives, the sequence and timing of key operational events and milestones, and methods of evaluating the effectiveness of planning actions as related to actual events. Knowledge of military command structure, missions, programs, and organizational relationships and program goals and objectives, the sequence and timing of key operational events and milestones, and methods of evaluating the effectiveness of planning actions as related to actual events. Knowledge of the various command entities involved in overall planning and execution of operations and evaluations. FEDERAL TIME-IN-GRADE (TIG) REQUIREMENT FOR GENERAL SCHEDULE (GS) POSITIONS: Merit promotion applicants must meet applicable time-in-grade requirements to be considered eligible. One year at the GS-13 level is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-14 level. TIG applies if you are in a current GS position or held a GS position within the previous 52 weeks. NOTE: Applicants applying as VEOA candidates who are current GS civil service employees or are prior GS civil service employees within the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements. KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas: Knowledge of military service program goals and objectives, the sequence and timing of key operational events and milestones, and methods of evaluating the effectiveness of long-range planning actions as related to actual events. Knowledge of agency specific Strategic Planning System and Corporate resourcing processes, as it relates to Air Force goals, objectives, and capabilities; perspectives on the present and future international security environment; and methods of evaluating the effectiveness of Air Force and DoD strategy. Skill in organizational management processes, designing and conducting comprehensive studies, and preparing solutions to resolve substantive problems and issues of strategy, concepts, and technology in future operating environments. Skill in application and interpretation of analytical methods and techniques (e.g., business case analysis, cost benefit analyses, war-gaming, modeling and simulation), mathematical and statistical analyses, and various estimating techniques to analyze, evaluate, and recommend changes in Total Force planning, programming, and funding and conduct economic, manpower, organizational, equipment, or cost studies/analysis. Ability to plan, organize, and negotiate effectively with senior analysts and management to accept and implement recommendations, where proposals involve substantial resources and require extensive changes in established concepts and procedures. Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing, to negotiate complex issues, and to maintain good working relationships. PART-TIME OR UNPAID EXPERIENCE: Credit will be given for appropriate unpaid and or part-time work. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week. VOLUNTEER WORK EXPERIENCE: Refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service Programs (i.e., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student and social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge and skills that can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

How to Apply: The complete Application Package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 03/17/2026 To preview the Application Questionnaire, please click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12903014 To begin the process, click the Apply Online button to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account. Follow the prompts to complete the application questionnaire. Please ensure you click the Submit My Application button at the end of the process. To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes: 1. Your Resume. If you submit more than one resume, only the most recent will be reviewed. The "most recent" is considered the resume with the latest timestamp. Resumes may not exceed two pages. The two-page resume ensures the most relevant experience is reviewed and considered, which is a common practice in both the public and private sectors. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. Additional information on how to complete or update your resume may be located here. For qualification determination your resume must contain hours worked per week and dates of employment (i.e., month/year to month/year or month/year to present). If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as insufficient, and you will not receive consideration for this position. If you are a current Federal employee or previous Federal employee, provide your pay plan, series and grade, i.e. GS-0301-09. Current Federal Civilian Employees may list any relevant performance related rating (given within the last three years) and/or incentive awards in your resume. Do NOT include photographs, inappropriate material, inappropriate content, nor personal information such as age, gender, religion, social security number, etc., on your resume. If the resume you submit contains such information you will not be considered for this vacancy. Your name, first and last, MUST be included on your resume. 2. A complete Application Questionnaire 3. Additional Required Documents (see Required Documents section). Ensure all submitted documents contain your full name. 4. Help recruiters find you. Make your resume and profile searchable, which means recruiters may contact you about possible jobs. Additional information may be located here. PLEASE NOTE: It is the applicant's responsibility to verify that information entered and/or uploaded, (i.e., resume) is received, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. You may verify your documents have been processed with your application package successfully. You can access your USAJOBS account to do so by clicking here. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan. Human Resources WILL NOT modify or change any answers submitted by an applicant.

Application Deadline: 2026-03-17