Program Specialist

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 11/15/2024. 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-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07. 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. Selective Placement Factor (SPF) Requirement: This position includes a selective placement factor (skill, knowledge, ability, or other worker characteristic basic to – and essential for – satisfactory performance of the job). Selective placement factors are a prerequisite to appointment and represent minimum requirements for a position. Applicants who do not meet them are ineligible for further consideration. Do you meet the below selective placement factors for this position? Experience as a VHA timekeeper using VATAS or GovTA You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: GS-09 Qualifying Specialized Experience: Have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-07 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. In order to meet the minimum qualifications for this position, you must meet 5 of 7 of the following examples of specialized experience. Interpreting and applying Time and Leave policies and regulations to various timekeeping and leave situations Ability to interpret and apply sponsorship policies and regulations pertaining to USAccess PIV. Apply regulations as it pertains to records management, data management and reporting requirements Plan, implement and coordinate project/program activities Analyze problems, formulate alternatives and present recommendations Operate various VHA applications and databases (GovTA, USAccess, PIV, LEAF, etc.) Training or making presentations to a group OR, GS-09 Qualifying Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a master’s 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. If you are basing your qualifications on education (or a combination of education and experience) or if the position requires a college education to qualify, you must submit a copy of your transcripts (official or unofficial) with your application. OR, GS-09 Qualifying Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond one year of graduate education and specialized experience equivalent to at least GS-7. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Attention to Detail Integrity and Honesty Teamwork 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. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary, although some slight physical effort may be required. 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/.
This position serves as an organizational team member in the management and execution of multiple high-level organizational initiatives. Knowledge of VHA and healthcare operations, timekeeping, records management, and policy management regulations, and administrative activities is paramount.