Federal

Construction Analyst (SAH Agent)

Veterans Benefits Administration ยท Department of Veterans Affairs
๐Ÿ“ Birmingham, Alabama GS-12 $76,463 - $99,404/yr
Posted: Mar 16, 2026 Deadline: Mar 20, 2026 (Closed days left)

About This Position

The Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) Agent will serve as a project manager for severely disabled Veterans seeking residential home improvements to adapt their residence to their disability needs. This position guides Veterans and stakeholders through all phases of this life-changing grant benefit.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement:03/20/2026. INDIVIDUAL OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENTS: Education: Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study -- architecture, engineering, building construction, or other fields related to the position.

OR

Experience: Experience in the preparation or review of plans, specifications, or estimates of materials and costs for the construction, extension, alteration, or repair of buildings.

Applicants should have knowledge of the residential construction field, and experience in the development of plans and specifications, and in negotiation work. This experience may have been obtained working as a contractor or as a draftsperson in an architectural engineering firm. However, any drafting experience must have provided an opportunity to acquire technical knowledge.

Appropriate experience includes working with diverse construction materials (brick, lumber, reinforced concrete, steel) and types of structures (housing, single-family dwellings and multi-family apartment units, and industrial and commercial structures). AND 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 (unless if in the commuting area and eligible for a non-competitive hiring authority such as Schedule A, VRA, or 30% or more disabled Veterans). For a GS-12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-11 level.

If you are a current VBA employee outside of the commuting area seeking reassignment or change to lower grade via this vacancy announcement, you must currently hold the GS-11 (or higher) and the promotion potential of your current position must be at least GS-12. 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.

These requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement and those applying for a Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENT: You may qualify based on your experience as described below: GS-12 Grade Level: Specialized Experience: Applicants must have at least one (1) year specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-11) in federal service OR comparable experience not gained through federal service. This comparable to federal service specialized experience is defined as: Experience that demonstrates the ability to independently manage residential or commercial construction projects based off approved contracts, plans or blueprints, and ability to handle construction change orders throughout construction projects.

Additionally, a history of providing outstanding customer service with examples of accomplishing project goals through difficult or stressful situations. There is no educational substitution for the GS-12 grade level experience. Volunteer Experience: 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. Full vs. Part-Time Employment: Full-time employment is considered to be at least 35 hours per week. Part-time experience will be credited on a pro-rated basis; when including part-time employment in your resume you must specify the average hours worked per week.

Physical Requirements: The work is predominantly sedentary, although there is some standing, walking, bending, stooping, and carrying of light items such as files, computer printouts, and other types of records. Must be able to carry on effective interviews and telephone conversations. The incumbent must be available for travel and able to operate a motor vehicle in conjunction with fieldwork.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at http://://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

Major Duties

MAJOR DUTIES INCLUDE: Establishes working relationships with Veterans in various geographic locations to serve and guide them throughout the complete grant delivery lifecycle.

This position is responsible for assisting Veterans or their representatives by providing VA grant program information via electronic delivery or phone systems and maintaining excellent customer service. Serves as the primary VA construction project manager for assigned Veterans. Guides Veteran applicants from program inception by validating program eligibility and proceeding with grant development.

Assesses Veterans existing living conditions and accessibility needs in their residence or proposed residence. Proposes and clearly drafts accessibility solutions that can be attained through residential renovations or new construction. Liaises with the Veteran and third parties (general contractors, architects, draftsperson, sub-contractors) bidding the job and ensures bids address Veteran accessibility needs.

Validating that all program requirements (accessibility for Veteran and administrative) are met to approve grant funding. Oversee construction project to ensure work performed meets defined accessibility solution for Veterans. Manage and resolve any construction change orders or disputes.

Successfully close out projects within prescribed scope and defined budgets. Maintains up-to-date knowledge and resources applicable to residential accessibility related adaptations, remodeling, construction and/or universal design. Assists with the creation of payment schedules that will serve as project milestones to induce payments throughout construction.

Payment schedules will be created based off the value of completed work, requiring knowledge of construction costs and economic conditions of various geographic locations. Establishes and maintains the complete and accurate electronic record for assigned Veterans from program inception through program completion. This entails the timely review of numerous materials ranging from VA administrative documentation, Veteran correspondence, stakeholder correspondence, construction documentation, financial documentation, or other pertinent construction materials.

Coordinates with contractors, architects, and draft persons for the creation of the following construction documents that successfully convey all grant requirements: description of materials, scope of work, contracts, payment schedule, plans and blueprints, and other pertinent construction related documentation. Coordinates with the Veteran and contractor throughout construction to ensure all parties are informed of project progress, change orders, issues that arise and work to achieve mutual resolution across all parties of outstanding items. Conducts personal interviews with eligible Veterans pursuing the grant benefit to establish Veteran expectations, counsel, and provide information on the administration of grant benefits.

Advises Veterans of required adaptive features or approved adaptations. Work Schedule: Full time, Monday through Friday (8:00am - 4:30pm local time) Compressed/Flexible: Available Telework: Limited- in accordance with agency policy. Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Construction Analyst (SAH Agent); GS-12 (PD#39364A) Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required

Conditions of Employment

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period OR a 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary or trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 You may be required to serve a probationary period Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements I-9 Acceptable Documents.

How You Will Be Evaluated

Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or an interview.

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement.

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position.

You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics): Flexibility: Is open to change and new information; adapts behavior or work methods in response to new information, changing conditions, or unexpected obstacles; effectively deals with ambiguity. Influencing/Negotiating: Persuades others to accept recommendations, cooperate, or change their behavior; works with others towards an agreement; negotiates to find mutually acceptable solutions. Self Management: Sets well defined and realistic personal goals; displays a high level of initiative, effort, and commitment towards completing assignments in a timely manner; works with minimal supervision; is motivated to achieve; demonstrates responsible behavior.

Writing: Recognizes or uses correct English grammar, punctuation, and spelling; communicates information (for example, facts, ideas, or messages) in a succinct and organized manner; produces written information, which may include technical material that is appropriate for the intended audience. External Awareness: Understands and keeps up-to-date on local, national, and international policies and trends that affect the organization and shape stakeholders' views; is aware of the organization's impact on the external environment.

This position will utilize a Structured Resume Review Assessment which includes a pass/fail score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies.

You must meet or exceed the pass score to be considered.

You will not be considered for the position if you score below the pass score or fail to complete the assessment. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

Additional Information

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 (TJO). Please visit the Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP), va.gov/EMPLOYEE/docs/The-Fair-Chance-to-Compete-Act.pdf for more information. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal/VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies.

To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified (have a final rating of 85 or more) for this vacancy.

Click here for more information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility. Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members. For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.

How to Apply

Beginning September 27, 2025, Federal agencies will only accept resumes up to two pages in length to comply with the Merit Hiring Plan. Resumes longer than two pages will result in ineligibility for further consideration for the position. USAJOBS will not allow you to upload or build resumes longer than two pages, and you will need to update the resumes in your profile before applying for a job.

Resumes should include information relevant to the knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies of the position to which you are applying. VA is unable to make assumptions about qualifications if not clearly listed.

Resumes must be legible so they can be reviewed for eligibility, minimum qualifications and other position requirements listed in the job announcement.

Your resume must be 5MB or less. We recommend saving and uploading your resume as a PDF to maintain formatting and number of pages. We also accept GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, TXT, PDF, ODT or Word (DOC or DOCX).

We do not accept PDF portfolio files. We recommend using a sans-serif font size like Lato, if available. Other widely available options are Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open San Source Sans Pro, Roboto or Noro Sans.

Make your page margins 0.5 inches. Consider using 14-point size font for titles and 10-point for the main text in your resume. The resume builder can help you create a resume using these recommendations and uses the information in your USAJOBS profile to help you get started.

Helpful Hints for Creating a Two-Page Resume: Prioritize most relevant and recent experience Use concise, results focused language Align language from the job announcement Focus on demonstrating skills and competencies Remove outdated or unrelated experience Use the USAJOBS resume builder Additional guidance on this new requirement and resume building tools can be found at: https://help.usajobs.gov/faq/application/documents/resume/page-limit. https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-information/merithiring-plan-resources/applicant-guidance-on-the-two-page-resume-limit/ Click the Apply Online button. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.

Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email.

The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link.

Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments.

You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. Set aside at least 3 hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link.

Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused. Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us.

Complete the questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.

The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 03/20/2026 to receive consideration. It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date. To preview the application questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12904239. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USA JOBS account or log in to your existing account.

Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.

Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package to include the documents detailed below. Resumes may not exceed two pages and must be legible for review of eligibility, minimum qualifications and other position requirements listed in the job announcement.

Your resume and supporting documentation will be verified. Failure to submit the documents as specified may result in loss of consideration for this job announcement. Resume: Contact Information: Name and how best to contact you, including email address and phone number Relevant Work Experience: For each relevant work experience, make sure you include: Job Title and Employer (including series and grade for any Federal positions) Start and end dates with month/year (e.g., 05/2019 - 08/2022) The number of hours you worked per week Ensure work experience descriptions are aligned with the job announcement and address all required qualifications.

Brief descriptions should demonstrate your ability to perform the tasks at the required level as stated in the job announcement Optional Details: When relevant, include: Current Security Clearance Job-related training Language skills Organizations and affiliations Professional publications Eligibility for special programs (e.g., military spouses, individuals with disabilities, etc.) Your most recent APPOINTMENT SF-50. The most recent 1XX or 5XX SF-50 proving status. This SF-50 should identify your appointing legal authority, position title, series, grade, step, salary, tenure, and type of service (Competitive or Excepted).

Your SF-50 reflecting when you entered your highest grade and step (e.g., Within Grade Increase, Promotion, Appointment, etc.) in order to verify time-in-grade requirements. If a General Adjustment SF-50 is submitted, you must ensure your TIG can be verified (ex. submitting consecutive General Adjustment SF-50's). Current VBA Employees: If you are seeking a reassignment/change to lower grade, you must submit a copy of your most recent appointment SF-50 and an SF-50 that reflects when you entered your highest grade and step as described above.

Veterans: Member-4 DD-214 and disability rating letter (if applicable) If you are currently on active duty to be released within 120 days, you may submit an armed forces certification in lieu of a Member-4 DD-214. Military Spouse of Active Duty Military Member: A copy of your marriage license AND your spouse's active duty orders Military Spouse of Separated Veteran: A copy of your marriage license, Member-4 DD-214 AND either your spouse's 1) 100% disability rating, or 2) documentation of death during active duty. Other Status Candidates: Evidence of eligibility to apply (e.g.

Peace Corps verification letter, Schedule A letter, PS-50, etc.). Please use this checklist to make sure you have included other documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), documentation to support Veterans Preference claims, or ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees).

You will not be contacted for additional information. Veterans' Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire.

You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.). If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference" with required proof as stated on the form.

Documentation is required to award preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/vetpref/index.aspx.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the salary for the Construction Analyst (SAH Agent) position at Veterans Benefits Administration?
The salary range for this position is $76,463 - $99,404/yr. This is a GS-12 position on the General Schedule pay scale. Actual pay may vary based on locality adjustments.
Where is the Construction Analyst (SAH Agent) job located?
This position is located in Birmingham, Alabama. This is an on-site position.
What qualifications do I need?
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement:03/20/2026. INDIVIDUAL OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENTS: Education: Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study -- architecture, engineering, building construction, or other fields related to the position. OR Experience: Experience in the ...
How do I apply for this position?
Apply through USAJobs.gov by clicking the 'Apply on USAJobs' button. You'll need a USAJobs account, a federal-style resume, and supporting documents. The deadline is Mar 20, 2026.
Is a security clearance required?
No security clearance is required for this position.
What does GS-12 mean?
GS-12 refers to the General Schedule grade level. Higher grades require more experience and offer higher pay. Visit our GS Pay Scale page for full salary tables by grade and locality.
What benefits do federal employees receive?
Federal employees receive comprehensive benefits including health insurance (FEHB), retirement through FERS, Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) with government matching, paid annual and sick leave, paid parental leave, life insurance, and student loan repayment programs.