Program Specialist
Veterans Benefits Administration - Department of Veterans Affairs
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 11/22/2024. 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-7 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-5. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. A SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. For a GS-9 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-7. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. A SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 11/22/2024. Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent is defined as least the next lower grade in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. To qualify for the GS-7 grade level: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience in the Federal service or equivalent public or private sector experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the (GS-05) level in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience is typically defined as, but not limited to experience with knowledge of skills in reference to the vocational objectives, training programs, potential employment; knowledge of contract billing for quality and accuracy and fiscal procedures in compliance with Federal regulations; recommends certification of invoices for payment. To qualify for the GS-9 grade level: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience in the Federal service or equivalent public or private sector experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the (GS-07) level in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience is typically defined as, but not limited to experience with with knowledge of VA laws and regulations; knowledge of skills in reference to the vocational objectives, training programs, potential employment; knowledge of contract billing for quality and accuracy and fiscal procedures in compliance with Federal and VA regulations; and recommends certification of invoices for payment. Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for the GS-7: one full year of graduate level education or superior academic achievement. For GS-9: 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; OR Combination of specialized experience and education (only graduate education in excess of 18 semester hours may be used to qualify applicants for this grade level).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.
This position is located at the Columbia, South Carolina Regional Benefits Office. The incumbent is assigned a variety of administrative and technical support duties in the Veteran Readiness and Employment (VRE) division.