Program Support Assistant

Summary

This position is located within Surgical Services at the Dayton VA Medical Center and reports to the Administrative Officer, Surgical Services. The incumbent serves as the Resident Coordinator and provides comprehensive administrative and program support for residency and trainee activities within the service.

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Duties

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Duties include, but are not limited to:

• Coordinates recurring academic year transition activities, including advance roster preparation, rotation calendar reconciliation, and verification of prerequisite documentation prior to trainee arrival.
• Maintains structured onboarding checklists to ensure sequential completion of clearance requirements.
• Tracks pending requirements and conducts follow-up communication to prevent delays in rotation start dates. Compiles routine status summaries for leadership reflecting onboarding progress and outstanding items.
• Ensures accurate alignment between affiliate-provided schedules and VA system access activation timelines.
• Coordinates onboarding activities for over 175 rotating residents and trainees annually, including processing access requests, verifying mandatory training completion, coordinating orientation logistics, tracking rotation assignments, and maintaining required documentation.
• Maintains organized residency files and tracking systems to ensure compliance with VHA and affiliate institution requirements. Serves as point of contact for residents regarding administrative processes and required documentation.
• Performs routine audits of trainee files to confirm required documentation is current and properly maintained.
• Updates tracking tools to reflect changes in rotation assignments or trainee status.
• Identifies trends in recurring documentation deficiencies and coordinates corrective follow-up within established procedures.
• Assists with preparation of standardized reports supporting accreditation reviews or internal program monitoring.
• Ensures electronic and paper records are organized in accordance with established records management requirements.
• Monitors completion of required evaluations, training certifications, duty hour documentation, and rotation schedules to ensure adherence to ACGME standards and local policy.
• Prepares documentation for internal audits, site visits, and accreditation reviews.
• Maintains databases and spreadsheets to track resident participation, evaluations, and rotation status. Identifies discrepancies and coordinates corrective follow-up as needed.
• Maintains centralized residency calendars reflecting rotation coverage and scheduled
  trainee activities.
• Provides logistical coordination support for recurring academic meetings and structured educational events.
• Assists in compiling data elements used in workload or trainee participation summaries.
• Coordinates routine communication updates to trainees regarding administrative deadlines and onboarding milestones.
• Supports continuous process improvement efforts by recommending workflow adjustments within existing procedural guidelines.
• Provides administrative support for residency meetings, prepares agendas, documents minutes, and tracks action items. Assists leadership in compiling summary reports related to resident coverage and rotation schedules.
• Coordinates communication between Surgical Services, affiliate institutions, Medical Staff Office, and trainees to ensure timely exchange of required documentation.
• All other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 0730-1600

Telework: This position may be authorized Ad-Hoc telework.

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Program Support Assistant/ PD831010

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 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 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, 08/11/2026.

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-6 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: experience where you were responsible for providing administrative support functions within a healthcare facility; performing automation duties using such software applications such as word processing, spreadsheet, electronic mail, desktop publishing, calendar, database and/or graphics; collecting, compiling and tracking data and information; and researching reference materials, regulations, and standards to identify appropriate action necessary to correct problems or issues.

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:

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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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.