Like many other administrative and support roles that exist within VA, you may not consider us an immediate home for information technology (IT) professionals. But our IT team is instrumental in delivering innovative solutions and continually maintaining our place as a lean, agile and Veteran-focused enterprise.
IT at VA is a vast undertaking, with numerous specialties and career pathways that all contribute to the enhancement of the Veteran experience. Take a look at just some of the options available to you and consider all that a career at VA has to offer.
Applications software
If you’re interested in work that involves the design, modification, implementation, or support of new or existing software, an applications software specialist is the perfect spot for you.
At VA, your programming expertise might also extend your work into other realms, including project management and strategic planning, as you advise leadership as to the needs of our team members and our Veterans.
Customer support
When it comes to problems that directly impact our work, our customer support specialists are the front line, delivering rapid responses to incidents that impact patient care, claims processing and even cemetery operations.
Whether it’s at a singular site, throughout a region or across the country, you’re a problem solver and advisor to those reporting incidents, and you might even be able to lend a hand by offering instruction and training to those experiencing issues.
Data management
As a data management specialist, the policies and procedures concerning the use and maintenance of VA databases are your areas of expertise.
When it comes to understanding data sets and metadata, or working with the data definitions for clinical, administrative and external data domains, you’re the one we rely on to ensure that technical and quality standards governing all aspects of database management are consistent across our systems.
Information security
In a world of ever-increasing cybersecurity threats, our information security specialists actively design networks and systems to protect the valuable data related to our work and our Veterans.
Part of your work in protecting our systems is conducting evaluations, audits and reviews, while also developing security contingency plans and disaster recovery procedures to ensure the continuity of our operations. You may also find yourself working with leadership to develop and implement new procedures and policies to better protect us from threats.
System analysis
Our systems analysis specialists recommend solutions to complex architectural and systems engineering requirements.
Whether it means modifying existing software to correct errors, adapting that same software to new hardware, or just upgrading interfaces and improving performance, the work you do is critical. You may also partner with information security specialists to implement security mandates and directives that help keep our systems secure.
Tip of the iceberg
The careers presented above are just some of the opportunities available at VA and throughout the federal government. IT is an extensive umbrella, under which a lot of possibilities exist.
In fact, to help you better understand where your IT career can take you, the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Careers and Studies has created an amazing interactive site that shows how IT careers connect to other specialties and departments. Take a look and see just where your skills can take you.
Work at VA
Whether you’re a new graduate or an experienced manager, there’s an IT career at VA for you.
- READ more about information technology at VA.
- LEARN about VA careers from one of our experts.
- EXPLORE the benefits of a VA career.
- SEARCH for an IT opportunity at VAcareers.va.gov.
Topics in this story
More Stories
Dr. Nisha Mehta encourages physicians seeing a better work/life balance to consider a move to VA.
Native American and Alaska Native Veterans deeply enrich our country, and we proudly honor their service.
When planning for your future outside of the military, consider a career with VA like Bradley Page and Dana Jones, who have found successful careers on our team.