Program Specialist

Summary The primary purpose of this position is to evaluate the productivity, effectiveness, and efficiency of program operations, as well as to analyze and resolve issues related to staffing and the performance of administrative support activities. The role involves developing and applying criteria to assess and forecast progress toward achieving programmatic or organizational goals and objectives. Responsibilities 30 Day Hiring Model The Department of Veterans Affairs is implementing a streamlined 30-Day Hiring Model designed to accelerate hiring while maintaining the highest standards of merit-based selection. This improved process reduces traditional hiring timelines by integrating early coordination, faster assessments, and efficient pre-employment actions. Applicants can expect a more transparent, predictable, and efficient hiring journey from announcement to entry on duty. What Applicants Can Expect Expedited Candidate Review Once the announcement closes, Human Resources will quickly review applications, issue certificates of eligible candidates the day after the announcement closes and refer applicants for hiring manager consideration. Quick Interviews & References HR may arrange interviews and will request references within 3-5 days after being referred to the hiring manager. Streamlined Pre-Employment Requirements: Following a tentative offer, applicants should be prepared to complete required steps, such as fingerprinting and background check, credentialing, and medical examination within 3 days of the offer. Clear and Timely Communication: Applicants will receive clear communication at key milestones, including referral, tentative offer, and onboarding instructions. After meeting pre-employment requirements, candidates will receive a final job offer and start date. Onboarding tasks may continue after starting, with HR ensuring timely completion for a smooth transition into VA service. If selected, applicants should be prepared to come onboard within 30 days of the announcement closing. Duties include but are not limited to the following: Develops and maintains high CBOC customer satisfaction levels by ensuring performance meets or exceeds expectations. Work closely with healthcare team members, point of service contacts, and patient advocates to ensure services are easily obtained, meet customer requirements, and quickly resolve department internal and external short-term & long-term problems. Conducts Environment of Care (EOC) rounds and identifies systemic difficulties in resolving to maintain standards with the Joint Commission. Oversee internal space alignments for services within the CBOC and work closely with the Facilities Strategy team for external moves to and from the CBOC. Create maximum efficiency in building operations via data collection and space alignment. Primary contact for the building's lessor, engineering, and janitorial services. Serves as the lead for work orders for building-wide issues. Primary lead for event coordination within the facility and works closely with the Public Affairs Office for coordination. Studies, analyzes, and evaluates customers' needs and develops and implements programs and specific solutions to meet those needs. Determines information requirements for improving customer service responsiveness. Develop program guidance, motivational materials, and information to facilitate participation in program initiatives. Provides advisory services to Clinical and Non-Clinical service lines for building operations and flow. Review data from numerous feedback mechanisms, perform studies, summarize information, identify trends, and propose and implement solutions. Prepares and completes required reports. Develops new information materials for CBOC facility customers, and services. Increase communication with the target audience. Conduct workshops, seminars, and other meetings with different staff members at different levels to explain and improve customer service. Presents ideas in new ways, increasing understanding of CBOC customer service standards, programs, and policies and reducing opposition or indifference to program objectives. Makes on-the-spot presentations and conducts focus groups to achieve a more balanced perspective among current and potential customers. The supervisor directs the various committees and is the Person of Contact (POC) for CBOC activities. Evaluate, process, or make recommendations for effective changes to CBOC Operations. Plans, conducts, and/or manages special projects or studies to analyze, evaluate, and provide recommendations on administrative programs or issues. Researches and analyzes problems, issues, or program requirements. Researches and analyzes unstable or uncommon administrative issues. Determines pertinent issues and collects relevant information from a wide variety of sources. Reviews information and applies standard analytical techniques. Develop recommendations, taking into account unanticipated changes and unusual factors. Performs other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 7:30am - 4:00pm Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Program Specialist/PD14538 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized 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. All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. 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, 10/09/2026. 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-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09. For a GS-12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-011.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-11 Specialized Experience: Applicants must possess at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-9 level in the Federal service. This experience must have equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position, and that is typically in or related to the work of this position. Specialized Experience: Experience managing projects and developing programs with responsibility for data collection, management, and reporting and experience developing policies, reports and correspondence. GS-12 Specialized Experience: Applicants must possess at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level in the Federal service. This experience must have equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position, and that is typically in or related to the work of this position. Specialized Experience: Experience managing projects and developing programs with responsibility for data collection, management, and reporting and experience developing policies, reports and correspondence. 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. 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