Program Specialist

Summary

The position is located at the VA Salt Lake City Health Care System (VASLCHCS) Department of Veterans Affairs in the office of Health Administration Service, an administrative service that supports many clinical functions. The primary purpose is to provide special projects, management and program support to the Chief, Health Administration Service, as well as other management officials. The incumbent provides a high level of administrative support to HAS, upper management and clinical services.

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Duties

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Duties Include but are not limited to:

• Assist the Administrative Officer, helping to operationally manage all the administrative functions of each element of the department.
• Receives and screens incoming physical mail and determines whether to handle independently or to refer to the Chief or other members of HAS.
• Independently determine responses to complex administrative matters and draft correspondence on behalf of leadership, including responses addressing multiple program areas, compliance issues, and policy interpretations.
• Responsible for determining the priority of administrative office tasks and ensuring the most urgent work is accomplished first and suspense dates are met from HAS managers.
• Assists the AO with the responsibility for ensuring that hiring of new staff is completed within a timely manner. This includes tracking potential staff throughout the hiring process and working closely with Human Resource staff to submit all required documentation.
• Independently oversee complex and specialized recruitment processes for HAS staff, applying advanced knowledge of VA hiring policies and regulations.
• Serves as timekeeper for assigned sections. Trains all alternate timekeepers. Maintains time and attendance for assigned sections and serves as one of the primary points of contact for payroll processing.
• As the HAS Service Records Management Liaison, the incumbent maintains the records management system, to include filing and organizing in accordance with Records Control Schedule. The incumbent would not only maintain and organize records in accordance with the Records Control Schedule, but they would also be responsible for analyzing the effectiveness of the service's records management practices and developing systems improvements (such as databases or digital tracking tools) to monitor the status, location, and retention of all federal records.
• Serves as the PIV sponsor for the service. Ensuring coordination of PIV renewals for existing staff and issuance for new staff is carried out timely.
• Helps the Administrative Officer coordinate preparation for Service-based Joint Commission inspections, Office of the Inspector General (OIG) inspections, and VA System-Wide Ongoing Assessment site visits.
• Will be one of the contract Officer Representatives (COR) for the service; with COR 1 certification required for the position. They assist the Administrative Officer who serves as the principal Contracting Officer Representative (they are COR II certified) for all service contracts.
• Assumes responsibility to independently analyze resource needs, forecast requirements based on program goals and data, and lead initiatives to optimize the allocation and utilization of resources (such as staffing, equipment, and funding) necessary to accomplish the highly scrutinized and critical outcomes of the service.
• Assist the AO to ensure that process improvement projects are coordinated appropriately and that best practice results from pilots are implemented as widely as possible to assist not only the service but the healthcare system.

Other duties 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: Monday-Friday, 8:00 - 4:30pm

Telework: This position may be authorized for ad-hoc telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Program Specialist/ PD148730 and PD148740

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.
• 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. This is primarily a sedentary position, but the work requires some walking, bending, stooping and carrying of light objects such as manuals, documents, etc. Concentration and sustained performance under prolonged stress is required because of the time factors involved in completion of work assignments within deadlines.
• 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)
• Most recent SF-50 if you are a current or former Federal employee - the SF-50 must be effective the first pay period of the current year or later.

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, 10/26/2026.

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-07 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05. For a GS-09 position you must have served 52 weeks a 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.

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

• GS-07 Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-05 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Knowledge and skill in applying advanced analytical and evaluative methods and techniques to issues or functions related to office administration, knowledge of pertinent laws, regulations, policies and precedents which affect administrative operations within the Health Administration Service (HAS). Knowledge of the major issues, program goals and objectives, work processes, and administrative operations of HAS. Knowledge of key personnel and lines of authority within the medical facility to effectively manage administrative activities and the flow of information. He/she understands the basis for electronic medical record keeping and will become competent in the use of Vista (Veterans health information systems and technology Architecture) and CPRS (Computerized Patient Record System) as they are the principal information platforms for VHA. The incumbent must be knowledgeable of personnel policies, procedures, and practices to provide advice and assistance on personnel matters.
  OR,
• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have (1) full year of graduate level education or have superior academic achievement. OR,
• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond a bachelor's degree to qualify at the GS-07 level.

• GS-09 Specialized Experience: You must 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. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Knowledge and skill in applying advanced analytical and evaluative methods and techniques to issues or functions related to office administration, knowledge of pertinent laws, regulations, policies and precedents which affect administrative operations within the Health Administration Service (HAS). Knowledge of the major issues, program goals and objectives, work processes, and administrative operations of HAS. Knowledge of key personnel and lines of authority within the medical facility to effectively manage administrative activities and the flow of information. He/she understands the basis for electronic medical record keeping and will become competent in the use of Vista (Veterans health information systems and technology Architecture) and CPRS (Computerized Patient Record System) as they are the principal information platforms for VHA. The incumbent must be knowledgeable of personnel policies, procedures, and practices to provide advice and assistance on personnel matters. Knowledge of key personnel and lines of authority within the medical facility to effectively manage administrative activities and the flow of information. He/she is knowledgeable about and/or uses Microsoft (MS) Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, MS Access, and MS Outlook programs with intermediate to advanced facility and skill. The incumbent must have extensive knowledge and understanding of management principles, practices, methods and techniques to integrate management services in HAS. The incumbent must be knowledgeable of personnel policies, procedures, and practices to provide advice and assistance on personnel matters. The incumbent needs strong skills in oral and written communications.
  OR,
• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have one two (2) years of progressively higher-level graduate education, or masters or equivalent graduate degree, or LL.B. or J.D., in a related field of the position to be filled. OR,
• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education in excess of the first year (18 semester hours) of graduate school may be used to qualify applicants for the GS-09 level.

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

Education

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit:

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.

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.