Program Specialist

Summary This position is in the Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R) Service which is an office under the Chief of Staff. The Selectee serves as an advisor and analyst for the delivery of training, utilization management and patient flow within the PM&R Service. The Selectee performs analysis, evaluations and advisory assignments related to the effectiveness and efficiency of coordination of care and utilization initiatives for the service. Responsibilities Evaluates, processes, or makes recommendations for effective organizational changes to better meet program needs. Develops indicators to provide objective evidence of the quality of procedures performed by all programs and components of the PM&R service. Represents the PM&R Service at meetings requiring administrative or technical input. Advise management officials, supervisors, and employees on the interpretation and application of a variety of human resources policies, practices, and procedures including staffing, classification, employee relations, benefits, and related areas. Develops recommendations for improvements in program operations to promote efficiency and cost savings, evaluates processes and makes recommendations for effective organizational changes system-wide as needed. Responsible for ensuring and up-to-date and accurate inventory of non-expendable equipment through Equipment Inventory Listing reporting. Responsible for the duties of the Contracting Officer Representative (COR) for PM&R Service and making sure all obligations are completed in a timely manner and fulfilled. Conduct program surveys and audits to verify compliance with policies and regulations and make recommendations to management regarding the complex programs like computerized work order program and equipment management (AEMS/MERS) and Capital Resources Survey (CAPRES). Use a wide range of communications technology to support the implementation of PM&R Service programs, including but not limited to personal computers, video-conferencing, distance learning, and web-based education. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:00am - 3:30pm, subject to change based on the needs of the facility. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Program Specialist/PD074130 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Requirements 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. Pre-employment evaluation may be required. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary and accomplished in an office environment. The Selectee may occasionally need to walk/travel to other sites or affiliates to procure documents, provide training, attend meetings or aid. 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, 07/29/2026. 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-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09. 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-09 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Administration Officer experience and responsible for processing action items. Perform Administration duties such as but not limited to: Creating and preparing Resource Management Committee (RMC) packets, memorandums, Policies, Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) standards, and Travel Duty (TDY)/Continuing Medical Education (CME)/Authorized Absence (AA) Policy. Providing Employee Assistance OR Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, or an LL.M. in a field related to this position that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. (transcripts required). OR Combination of Specialized Experience and Education: Combination of specialized experience: Equivalent combination of successfully completed graduate education and specialized experience (beyond the first two graduate years or 36 semester hours) and specialized experience to meet the total experience requirements. The education portion must include graduate courses that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position. [To compute the percentage, divide your total months of qualifying experience by 12. Then divide your semester hours of graduate education beyond one year by 18. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify.] Preferred Experience: Preferred Contracts Officer Representative Certification and knowledge of timekeeping. 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 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 CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at