Program Specialist

Summary

This position is located at the Biloxi National Cemetery in Biloxi, Mississippi.

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Duties

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This is a bargaining unit position. This position is represented by AFGE. Please note that as provided for in the AFGE/VA Master Agreement the FIRST area of consideration for this position will be permanent employees of the local facility in which this position is being filled, the SECOND area of consideration will be employees at other VA facilities, and the THIRD area of consideration will be all other eligibles.

Assists the Director in the formulation of the budgets for Biloxi National Cemetery, reviews and considers the prior fiscal year's operations. Assists in formulating the next year's budget requirements by calculating for future payroll requirements and by analyzing ongoing and proposed contractual improvements, services and purchases, etc. Extracts and consolidates the budgetary information, determines and evaluates trends, and adjusts budget estimates as needed. Prepares budget estimates for the Cemetery Director for submission to the Continental District (CND) Office. Programs quarterly distribution of funds to control points, monitoring and tracking obligations and expenditures to ensure actions are timely and accurate.

Resolves accounting problems by working with CND/NCA fiscal personnel. Must be able to interpret fund control point regulations, budgetary limitations, the Prompt Payment Act, and prevent over-obligation of funds. Maintains records of obligations on computer spreadsheets (blotter) and reconciles balances with F20D reports, status of funds reports, and iF AMS/CAA TS (Centralized Admin Accounting Transactions System) running balances. Maintains computer spreadsheets on cemetery payroll expenses for each fiscal year, anticipates changes, adjusts as necessary, estimates and calculates overtime requirements and reconciles each pay period with gross-to-net figures. When necessary, prepares requests to the CND for problems encountered in the cemetery. Serves as primary Purchase Card holder for BNC. Responsible for verifying available funds prior to any purchases to ensure compliance with single purchases center and budget object codes for all transactions. Provides oversight management for the BNC cardholders to ensure reconciliations on all purchases are performed in a timely manner.

Performs public outreach as needed.

Work schedule : Required to work Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm. May include occasional weekends. Due to the mission of the National Cemetery, the cemetery cannot be closed for more than 2 consecutive days at any given time. Additionally, when a Federal holiday falls on a Monday or Friday, staff may be required to work on that holiday or a Saturday. All staff is required to work Memorial Day and Veteran's Day each year. Staff will be required to work overtime, weekends and holidays when necessary to meet the needs of the cemetery. Occasionally staff may be called back to the facility to perform emergency overtime work.

Compressed/Flexible Schedule: Not Available

Telework: Not Available

Position Description Title/PD# : Program Specialist/PD141180

The full performance level of this position is GS - 09.

Relocation Expenses : Not Authorized

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required

If interested in applying for this position you ay preview the online application:

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• Subject to a background/security investigation.
• Designated and/or random drug testing may be required.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• You may be required to serve a probationary period.
• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all specialized experience and time in grade requirements within 45 days of the closing date of this announcement, 07/16/2026.

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 within 45 days of the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at 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 your most recent non-award 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 non-award SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one year time-in-grade.

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.

• Must have the ability to type at least 40 words per minute.
• Must possess and maintain a valid state driver's license.

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-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: extensive knowledge of Federal laws and policies applicable to the provision of burial and memorial benefits, programs, and services administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Ability to effectively use electronic data processing systems for scheduling and claims adjudication, processing, monitoring, and correspondence preparation; Skill in interpreting and applying Federal, state, and local laws; Perform qualitative and quantitative analysis of records obtained from various sources; Ability to review and evaluate evidence and information such as military records, data stored in multiple systems, lay testimony, etc. submitted in connection with claims. Skill in oral, written, and interpersonal communications; Skill in operating multiple sophisticated computer data terminals. Skill interviewing, collecting, and analyzing/evaluating information from many different sources; Ability to deal tactfully and exercise discretion with others in resolving issues. Ability to work in a team environment. (Evidence of this specialized experience must be supported by detailed documentation of like duties performed in positions held on your resume. You will also need to provide work experience information such as hours per week, salary, and starting/ending dates of employment (month and year format) to establish you have one (1) full year of specialized experience at the required grade level).

OR,

• Education : Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a master's degree or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. or J.D., if related, which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position? This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED)

OR,

• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and graduate education (as described above). This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED)

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:

• Communication
• Computer Skills
• Critical Thinking
• Customer Service (Clerical/Technical)
• Plan and organize work

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

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.

Physical Requirements: Work is performed in an office setting. The work environment involves everyday risks or discomforts and requires normal safety precautions typical of such places. The work area is adequately lighted, headted, and ventilated.

Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.

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, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Education

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

PLEASE NOTE : Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications (particularly positions with a positive education requirement). Therefore, applicants must report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website: All education claimed by applicants will be verified by the appointing agency accordingly. 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.

Additional information

Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities [i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities], and/or Disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. Contact the Agency Contact for information on how to apply under this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal/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 (have a final rating of 85 or more) for this vacancy. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at

Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.

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

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.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members : Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.

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.