Program Support Assistant

Summary The Program Support Assistant provides administrative support to the assigned section(s) within the Clinical Access Management Service (CAMS). The individual interfaces with both internal customers within their sections(s), as well as external customers within CAMS, other services throughout the hospital, and outside the organization. Responsibilities Major Duties and Responsibilities: The incumbent provides management assistance in CAMS. In particular, the incumbent provides technical and clerical assistance to the Service Chief, Director of Outpatient Scheduling, and senior leadership of assigned Section(s). Because of the nature of responsibilities associated this position, the incumbent is often required to exercise independent judgment in responding to inquiries and management actions requiring immediate attention. More specifically, the incumbent performs the following duties: Serves as program assistant and secretary to the Service Chief and Director of Outpatient Schedule Performs secretarial duties for leadership staff upon request. Performs administrative duties and serves as secretarial/support personnel for Service Leadership. Is responsible for documentation and initiation of paperwork as necessary and directed by the Sen Chief and Director of Outpatient Scheduling for professional staff in CAMS Leadership Office, as appropriate. Responsible for timely completion and submission of all action items, memorandums timesheets (primary & secondary timekeeping), labor mapping, ADPAC (ePAS as well as 180 da) review), etc. as well as the management of calendar appointments for both Service Chief and Administrative Officer. Screens in-person and telephone inquiries using sound judgment and knowledge to provide accurate information and answer substantive questions regarding operations of the service. Refers inquiries appropriate personnel in various services when unable to provide requested information. Has complete knowledge of the service word processing programs including ability to make minor adjustments when problems arise. Is able to use the equipment for reports, memoranda, or any written materials generated by the leadership staff, and other supervisory personnel. Is able to edit materials for proper format, spelling, punctuation and in keeping with administration policies and procedures. Reviews and controls incoming and outgoing correspondence to include but not limited to mail parcels and interoffice communication. Uses own initiative in responding to correspondence from other services and outside sources and composes non-technical documents for review and signature. Independently drafts memos for the Service Chief and Director of Outpatient Scheduling. Screens, sorts and distributes mail service-wide with the coordination with authorized points of contact for pick-up or delivery. Serves as primary timekeeper for Leadership T&L(s) as well as secondary timekeeper for subordinate T&Ls, accurately maintaining timecards, overtime/compensatory authorizations and leave records to include but not limited to maintenance of T&L Delegation of Authority (DOA) Documentation. Assists service Leadership of monitoring service Call-out line as well as quick and frequent communication of unexpected staff shortage to service supervisors so appropriate coverage may be immediately determined. Is responsible for maintenance of staff employee records. Maintains accurate file of employee addresses and phone numbers and notifies appropriate departments of any changes. Independently produces accurate chart of irregular tours-of-duty and Emergency Call Back schedule as required for the Chief of Staff as staffing changes occur. Is responsible for updating Master File Plan and inspection of six-part personnel files assuring all necessary documents are maintained and are up to date. Conducts annual audit of six-part files, determines what documents may be missing or require attention (signature, recertification, etc.). Develops and maintains filing systems in accordance with VA policies and departmental needs. Is responsible for preparing staff meeting agendas for Service Chief and Director of Outpatient Scheduling, meeting notices to staff, scribing minutes of meetings, obtaining Service Chiefs signature on finalized minutes, and posting or communicating minutes as appropriate. Serves as an ADPAC for their assigned service. Completes all required trainings, seeks out and shares additional knowledge through building relationships with other sections and services. Extensive knowledge of the organization, its mission, goals, policies, procedures, and organizational structure. Detailed knowledge of the responsibilities and program areas of CAMS. Detailed knowledge of the VA format style for correspondence, ability to compose memoranda, letters and minutes of meetings with proper format, style and content. The ability to perform these compositions independently. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30 am-4:00pm Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Program Support Assistant/PD918940 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required 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. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 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. 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, 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, 07/01/2026. 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-6 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-5. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. Note: You must submit a copy of your most recent personnel action/SF-50. Additionally, 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. Interchange Agreement: Applicants must be eligible under the VA Interchange Agreement, having served continuously for at least one year in the other merit system under this interchange agreement. For more information regarding the VA Interchange Agreement please visit: may qualify based on your experience as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-5 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Providing administrative support to a team, including but not limited to time keeping, receiving and screening phone calls, filing, taking minutes, arranging travel, maintaining appointment calendars, coordinating meetings, conference calls, and ordering supplies. Using various Microsoft Office programs, database programs and office equipment. Assisting in departmental problem solving and planning alternative solutions. Preparing reports, assisting in planning, reviewing and reporting data, and statistical results. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Accountability Attention to Detail Customer Service Decision Making Flexibility Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Learning Reading Comprehension Reasoning Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork 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: The work is sedentary. Typically, the employee sits comfortably to do the work. However, there may be some walking, standing, bending, or carrying of light items (medical records, computing devices, manuals, papers, books, small parts). The work requires manual dexterity for computer data entry, office machine operation and filing. However, in general, the work does not require unusual physical demands. The work does require emotional stability to resolve crisis situations. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at 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. 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