Program Support Assistant

Summary

The primary purpose of the position is to assist the Fisher House Manager in providing temporary lodging - a "home away from home" - to family members of patients being treated at the Miami VA Healthcare System by participating in the direct, on-site management and administration of the Fisher House program. The organizational location: The position is at the Bruce W. Carter VA Medical Center Fisher House, Office of the Assistant Director, Miami VA Healthcare System.

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Duties

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Duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Serves as the point of contact for initial inquiries regarding policies, procedures, standards; lodging eligibility; referral processes; staff volunteer opportunities; responsible for monetary and offer of in-kind donations.
• Conducts orientation and ensures all Fisher House standards and house rules are followed.
• Serves with full program authority in the absence of the Fisher House Manager including supervision of staff and volunteers.
• Receives and addresses guest complaints using tact and diplomacy. Enforces compliance of program expectations, including the removal of the guest.
• Complies with health, safety, privacy, sanitation rules and regulations. Will assist with monitoring cleanliness and safety of the communal living areas and guest rooms as needed.
• Assists in the preparation and tracking of work orders relative to repair and maintenance issues.
• Plans and develops controls and procedures regarding acceptance of donation and gifts.
• Assists in the development and update of informational bulletins, brochures, and resident packets.
• Ensures funds are protected and accounted.
• Implements Fisher House Manager's new procedures, regulations and guidelines concerning operations.
• Establishes and maintains various automated databases on program operations such as occupancy, referral sources, average length of stay, guest demographics, etc.
• Assembles facts, evaluates information, and drafts reports and correspondence for Top Management and Central Office.
• Responsible for staff support to ensure effective planning, operation, and evaluation of an active well-balanced Voluntary/Community Relations Program.
• Authorized to terminate volunteers who fail to follow established procedures.
• Has the latitude to reassign volunteers as required and to counsel them concerning violation of rules and regulations.
• Available to give lectures and presentations to the community as well as organizes tours of the Fisher House to interested community partners and other agencies on the Fisher House mission.
• Develops information and communication for use on multiple platforms within and outside of Miami VA Health Care System, including electronic, print, and graphic design content to support the electronic Fisher House newsletter and the Fisher House website.
• Prepares a monthly house calendar, weekly house bulletins and promotional materials for events within the house for guests staying at Fisher House.
• Uses specific digital and social media platforms including writing, editing and graphic design relevant to support a broad base of initiatives, program launches, issues, and efforts to support the broadest methods of communications with the widest audience possible.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 9:30 am - 6:00pm

Telework: Not Authorized

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Program Support Assistant/ PD077580

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

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 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 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, 08/13/2026.

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-7 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-6. 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-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:
• Coordinating meetings and scheduling conferences;
• Assists in the development and update of informational bulletins, brochures, and resident packets.
• Participate in activities that ensure the facility is in compliance with health, safety, privacy and sanitation rules and regulations.
• Utilize multiple digital tools including SharePoint database, Microsoft Excel, Word, and Publisher to track inventory, generate reports, and maintain accurate property records.
• Coordinating the integration of community volunteer participation by developing and implementing a comprehensive proactive community relations plan.
• Managing budget status and controls and makes necessary spending adjustments.
• Processing incoming and outgoing materials such as correspondence, reports, memoranda, and other forms of written communication;
• Assists in the preparation and tracking of work orders relative to repair and maintenance issues.

Preferred Experience : 1 year of customer service, some budget management experience, purchasing experience, and proficiency in word, excel, outlook, and Powerpoint.

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 minimally sedentary. Frequent walking, climbing stairs, standing, carrying household items and files and driving an automobile to and from project sites are required. No special physical demands are involved.

Work Environment: The work involves normal discomforts associated with an office and home environment. There may be occasional exposure to dust and dirty conditions of guests' rooms and other elements common to a home environment. The work area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated.

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

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.