Program Support Assistant

Summary

The incumbent serves as assistant to the Associate Chief Nurse (ACN) or as assistant to the Business Office under the direct supervision of the ACN or Administrative Officer, Patient Care Services, Behavioral Health. The primary purpose of this position is to provide information and technical support of the Nursing Office or Business Office.

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Duties

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Major duties include, but may not be limited to:

• Communicates and coordinates with service lines and staff from supporting services at VAPHS internally and externally to the agency to identify concerns, facilitate resolution, and ensure appropriate follow-up.
• Coordinates orientations, mandatory skills, annual competencies, staff trainings and TMS related-administrative requirements.
• Serves as Automated Data Processing Application Coordinator (ADPAC) for assigned Patient Care Services programs and staff. Initiates processes, tracks, and coordinates requests for VA access to VA information systems and applications; assists with new employee onboarding, access modifications, transfers, and terminations; maintains required access documentation; and coordinates with appropriate service lines to resolve routine access issues in accordance with VA policies and established procedures.
• Monitors pending access requests to ensure appropriate system access is established, modified, or discontinued timely and maintains applicable ADPAC records and documentation.
• Processes and coordinates purchasing, equipment turn-ins, work orders, procurement requests, and inventory related activities in accordance with applicable policies and procedures.
• Utilizes automated systems and software applications including Microsoft Office applications, SharePoint, Vista, VATAS/timekeeping systems, TMS, and other VA systems utilized within the service line.
• Assists staff with regard to selection of software applications, and conducts training on a variety of software packages and selection of appropriate forms and formats.
• Coordinates PIV, TMS, key control, and related access requirements; assists employees with obtaining or updating required credentials and works to resolve routine issues.
• Compiles, analyzes and tracks data and statistical information supporting program operations.
• Prepares, processes, and tracks program-specific administrative information, including action items, official records, performance measures, personnel actions, mandatory training, travel and training requests, and other assigned correspondence.
• Receives all incoming mail and independently determines the action needed, appropriate routing, and necessary coordination with other services. Reviews all outgoing correspondence for format, grammatical accuracy, conformance to policy, and takes appropriate action to see that proper coordination standards are followed.
• Administers timekeeping functions in support of the Nursing Service and other assigned personnel; processes and maintains time and attendance records and coordinates timekeeping matters with supervisors, employees, and appropriate payroll/timekeeping offices in accordance with established procedures.
• Coordinates records management activities, including maintenance of applicable records and participation in required record reviews or audits.
• Acting as PIV sponsor for PCS employees and contracted staff, timekeeping and participating in annual audit.
• Coordinates day-to-day administrative and program activities for Patient Care Services leadership and staff, including responding to inquiries, coordinating requests, maintaining program documentation, scheduling activities, and following up on assigned actions to ensure timely completion.
• Coordinates meeting and committee activities, including scheduling, preparing agendas and supporting materials, recording, transcribing and distributing meeting minutes, and tracking follow-up actions as assigned.

Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level.

Work Schedule: 7:30am - 4:00pm, Monday - Friday

Compressed/Flexible: Not Authorized

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Program Support Assistant/ PD03361A and PD038570

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required.
• Subject to background/security investigation
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements ( Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 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 period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 10/13/2026.

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-06 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05. 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.

You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:

• Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-5 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Compiling information, filling out forms, review of information for accuracy, tracking data, maintaining spreadsheets, using variety of database computer systems and office equipment.

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.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at

Education

There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

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. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave : Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced 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 for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.