Program Specialist

Summary

This position is located within the War Related Illness and Injury Study Center (WRIISC) & its Complex Exposure Threats Center of Excellence (CETCE). WRIISC/CETCE is a national Veterans Health Administration (VHA) program that conducts clinical care, research, education, and exposure related health evaluations for Veterans with complex or emerging exposure threats, including anomalous health incidents (AHI), explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) exposures, chemical warfare agent (CWA) exposures.

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Duties

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Duties to include but not limited to:

• Manages pre-award processes for WRIISC/CETCE proposals in accordance with ORD and sponsor requirements, overseeing tasks such as Letters of Intent, eligibility verification, administrative components, compliance attachments, and considerations related to human subjects, animal subjects when applicable, biohazards, data security, and budget development
• Coordinates internal review processes to ensure timely and compliant submission to VACO/ORD, Grants.gov, NIH eRA Commons, DoW, and other sponsor platforms. It also develops templates, checklists, and internal SOPs to standardize grant submissions consistent with PD construction best practices and supports applications for VA ORD mechanisms (BLR&D, CSR&D, HSR&D, RR&D, CDAs) as well as extramural programs such as NIH, academic partners, and foundations.
• Serves as a liaison for Justin Time (JIT) submissions and ensures complete regulatory packages, including IRB, IACUC, SRS, and R&DC components, consistent with sponsor and VHA policies. Responsibilities include tracking expenditures, ensuring allowability and compliance with sponsor guidance, coordinating fiscal actions with VA affiliated nonprofits, and supporting financial reporting
• Monitors deliverables, progress reports, publication reporting, cohort data submissions, and required public access or data sharing obligations
• Provides analytical, administrative, and planning support for WRIISC/CETCE exposure cohort programs, including AHI, EOD, CWA, Qarmat Ali, and additional complex deployment exposure groups
• Assists with extracting, tracking, and summarizing cohort specific data to support surveillance, protocol development, longitudinal monitoring, and cross agency communication
• Coordinates scientific meetings, data reviews, and communication efforts related to interagency panels and partners such as DoW, DHA, and VET HOME
• Provides guidance and technical assistance to investigators on grant preparation, compliance, timelines, and strategic alignment with WRIISC/CETCE research priorities
• Develops educational materials, presentations, and quick guides supporting research operations in a manner consistent with PD template expectations. Additionally, the role trains new investigators and research develops educational materials, presentations, and quick guides supporting research operations in a manner consistent with PD template expectations. Additionally, the role trains new investigators and research
• Maintains research grant databases, dashboards, and archival systems to ensure accuracy, audit readiness, and alignment with VHA privacy and security policies

Work Schedule: Monday- Friday 8:00am- 4:30pm EST

Compressed/Flexible: Not Authorized

Telework: Not Authorized

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Program Specialist/ PD260143

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): 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
• 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, 07/08/2026.

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-12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-11. 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 as described below:

• GS-12 Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-11 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Preparing analytical summaries, reports, and briefing materials for interagency working groups, leadership decision making, and scientific meetings, Tracks expenditures, deliverables, progress reports, fiscal actions, and public access/data sharing obligations for awarded projects, extracts, tracks, and synthesizes cohort specific data for AHI, EOD, CWA, Qarmat Ali, and other complex exposure groups to support surveillance and protocol development, Develops templates, SOPs, and workflow improvements to standardize and optimize research administration processes across WRIISC/CETCE, Manages post award regulatory compliance including IRB, IACUC, SRS, and R&DC documentation to ensure alignment with sponsor and VHA policies, Coordinates internal review workflows to ensure timely, compliant submissions to VACO/ORD, Grants.gov, eRA Commons, DHA, and other sponsor platforms, Manages complex pre award activities including LOIs, eligibility checks, compliance attachments, data security documentation, and administrative components for WRIISC/CETCE grant submissions.

Preferred Experience: 5+ years experience with federal grants management, COR-level contracting authority applied to national VA exposure research programs. Experience with pre- and post-award administration, regulatory compliance, and multi-site coordination, with ability to develop integrated VA and outside data systems that translate complex exposure data into clinical and research outputs. Proven ability to interpret funding announcements (e.g., VA ORD, NIH) and lead compliant, on-time grant submissions while maintaining full audit readiness and alignment with federal research and privacy requirements.

Best qualified applicants will meet the following criteria in addition to the minimum qualifications for this position.

1. The best-qualified candidates will demonstrate advanced experience with Federal pre- and post-award grants management, including interpreting RFAs, navigating sponsor systems, and ensuring regulatory compliance.
2. They will show strong ability to analyze, track, and summarize complex exposure cohort data, supporting surveillance, longitudinal monitoring, and interagency collaboration.
3. They will exhibit proven skill in producing high-quality analytical reports, briefings, and scientific meeting materials for leadership and cross-agency partners.
4. They will have demonstrated capability to train investigators and staff on submission systems, troubleshoot errors, and develop educational materials that support research operations.
5. They will possess advanced proficiency with data systems, documentation platforms, and secure information handling, ensuring accuracy, audit readiness, and compliance with VA privacy and security standards.

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.

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:

OUR MISSION: To fulfill President Lincoln's promise "To care for those who have served in our nation's military and for their families, caregivers, and survivors" - by serving and honoring the men and women who are America's Veterans. How would you like to become a part of a team providing compassionate whole health care to Veterans?

Additional information

Whole Health Statement: Whole Health is an approach to health care that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well- being and live their life to the fullest. The VA is committed to Whole Health and values Veteran and Employee health and wellbeing. As a VA employee, you will practice Whole Health in an environment that supports personalized and proactive care.

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.