Program Support Assistant (OA)

Summary

This position serves as a Program Support Assistant for Ophthalmology in Surgical Service. This complex service consists of multiple types of surgery activities including: inpatient, outpatient, purchasing, clinical and research functions. The extreme complexity of this service requires an assistant who can coordinate, gather information and write reports for the Chief of Surgical Service, Administrative Officer, Chief of Ophthalmology, Chief of Optometry and Ophthalmology Clinic Manager.

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Duties

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Duties may include but are not limited to:

Administrative Functions (40%)

• The incumbent works closely with the Supervisory Management Analyst, Subspecialty Chiefs, the Administrative Officer (AO) and the Chief of Surgical Service. The incumbent provides key day to day support of Surgical Service to include clerical duties such as meeting minutes, mailings, faxing, reception, in addition to more advanced responsibilities such as timekeeping, purchasing, clinical and research data collection at multiple sites, equipment management, support of Human Resource (HR) and Medical Staff Office (MSO) processes, and interfacing with patients by phone and face to face. In addition, Surgical Service has both professional as well as managerial/financial responsibilities.
• The incumbent will draft memos, reports and other documents for subspecialty programs and aid with development of reports to VACO. Incumbent will develop, administer and summarize feedback on patient experience within various programs including, but not limited to tumor board and cancer navigation. The incumbent is required to maintain files, respond to routine correspondence, and reports. The incumbent may be required to take minutes of meetings, arrange for travel, coordinate funding for education and conferences, and assist staff with the submission of travel requests and approvals.
• The incumbent is the primary timekeeper for the staff within his/her specialties and the back-up for the other timekeepers within Surgical Service. Collect, submit, and update clinical on-call rosters in a timely manner.
• Administrative duties include the upkeep of administrative continuity books, memorandums, service line agreements, and service policies, preparation of clinic activations, changes, deactivations, and routing of clinic cancellation forms. Ensure updates to emergency cascade rosters and the emergency and safety plans and attend associated meetings. Assist with evaluation and maintenance related to environment of care requirements. Among the primary duties is to perform the routine, procedural, or standard assignments that support management/program functions. The incumbent will perform many different kinds and combinations of work at different organizational levels. Works independently to control and maintain office and/or information systems such as forms, records, mail distribution, directives or publications, and management systems. The incumbent will apply policies and procedures to assist physicians, nursing staff, technicians and other personnel in understanding and using the systems. The incumbent will submit work order requests, requests for supplies, pagers, scrub attire, etc. as required by the specialties assigned.
• Through constant surveillance, maintains contact with medical and administrative staff in various areas/services to resolve delays and misunderstandings in the medical administrative aspects of providing medical care. Investigates problems or situations which require special action such as Congressional inquiries or formal complaints and aids in preparing the necessary reply.
• The Program Support Assistant will perform work related to the purchasing, processing, distribution, collection and inventory of supplies and equipment, as well as, the processing and maintenance of Surgical Service Equipment Inventory Lists (EIL). Creates models for organizational charts and understand the principles of management, to perform work required by the Service Chief, Administrative Officer and the Supervisory Management Analyst. Assists professional staff and handles administrative functions for the office. Assists with CONCUR process and serves as an alternate preparer for the web based travel system. Also, serves as coordinator for all travel arrangements of full-time physicians, part-time physicians, Title 5 staff and Title Hybrid 38 staff. Determines per diem costs and obtains airfare information to ensure all travel forms, memos and funding requests are submitted accurately and in a timely manner. Upon return, ensures claim forms are accurately submitted for reimbursement of all expenses.
• Searches historical files for readily available background information such as recent staff or functional changes, organizational charts, mission and function statements, and position descriptions. Verifies that position descriptions and functional statements are appropriate and updated with respect to title and grade and verifies codes and symbols are correct. Verifies and corrects discrepancies with HR and Fiscal Service memos and other documentation.

Duties continued under the Education section

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

Telework: Available Ad-hoc.

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Program Support Assistant (OA)/ PD03794A

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 Examination: May be required, depending on the needs of the organization.
• 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 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 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, 07/06/2026.

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-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 of management principles and processes as well as the ability to analyze and evaluate methods and techniques; knowledge of the basic skills and understanding of methods and techniques of management/program analysis and program support; extensive knowledge of surgery clinic management practices and/or surgery programs, guidelines, regulations and precedents; ability to apply basic data gathering methods; and the ability to organize, write and prepare reports that describe data collection.

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

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.

Education

Duties continued:Data Collection and Tracking Support (25%)

• The incumbent applies clerical and technical procedures, methods, and techniques in the collection, compilation, and/or tracking of data and statistical information in support of program operations. Familiarity with ADP systems, internet, tempo, and standard VA surgery packages to enter, correct, retrieve information, compile reports, produce charts, and graphs or monitor project or program information. Incumbent is skilled in compiling ready available data from a variety of sources and ability to recognize and correct obvious discrepancies and data omission. Works independently to organize office procedures, by identifying required resources, and devising actions to improve and meet goals and objectives, such as records, directives, mail, or forms management systems.
• The incumbent maintains, gathers, and compiles records of organizational and workflow charts, keeps logs on staffing levels, i.e., vacancies and mission and function statements, program resource use and availability and serves to assist the program manager and administrative officer in the preparation of many required reports. Prepares charts, graphs, and narrative information for program management as requested by program director, administrative officer, and senior management.
• Works independently to control and maintain office and information systems such as forms, records, mail distribution, directive or publications, and management systems. The incumbent will apply policies and procedures to assist physicians, nursing staff, technicians, and other personnel in understanding and using the systems.
• Incumbent must be familiar with Microsoft Office, Computerized Patient Record System, and must have a general knowledge of computer software, including word processing, spreadsheet, database, graphic design, and management information systems.
• Calculate figures such as overtime rates, staff hours, and cost savings initiatives. Incumbent has a basic knowledge of bookkeeping and can perform basic accounting formulas for calculating cost avoidance. Compiles and distributes reports based on proposed business plan. Through surveys and other types of analysis, critically reviews requirements and problems and prepares reports which aid the program director and administrative officer in making recommendations. Identifies and recommends ways of eliminating, combining, simplifying or improving procedures and processes. This includes studying and reporting on possible improvements to the organizational structure, process and workflow, and in the use of staff, funding and other resources.
• Incumbent should be familiar with the STVHCS procedures for presenting various reports such as format requirement for score cards, budget preparation, and monthly workload data preparation. Incumbent should be able to review directives and to determine the ability of surgical service to provide necessary data and to eliminate conflict, overlap and duplication and ensure only current accurate material is presented.

Data Analysis (20%)

• The work requires a practical knowledge of the purpose of the medical profession, indepth knowledge of VA and Surgical Service mission and policies, VA's commitment to the veteran and the agency programs and activities associated with this commitment. In addition, the incumbent must have basic knowledge of management principles and processes as well as the ability to analyze and evaluate methods and techniques for assisting the Surgical Service Chief, Administrative Officer and Supervisory Management Analyst in solving problems that may arise. In addition, the incumbent requires the practical knowledge and the basic skills and understanding of the methods and techniques of management analysis and/or program analysis and the structures, functions, processes, objectives, products, services as well as the resource requirements necessary to manage the Surgical Service.
• The extreme complexity of this service requires multiple assistants who can coordinate, gather information, and write reports for the Service Chief, Administrative Officer, Supervisory Management Analyst, Section Chiefs, and Section Supervisors. This will entail performing a wide range of activities that change periodically due to a variety of factors. This position serves in support of management analysis and program analysis for the purposes of which are to assist the Service Chief, Administrative Officer and Supervisory Management Analyst in the evaluation and improvement of the efficiency, effectiveness, and productivity of the Surgical Service and its programs. Incumbent must be able to review directives and determine the ability of the Surgical Service to provide necessary data and to eliminate conflict, overlap and duplication and ensure only current accurate material is presented. Possess skills in compiling readily available data from a variety of sources and ability to recognize and correct obvious discrepancies and data omission.

Performs other duties as assigned.

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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