Program Specialist

Summary

This position is located within the Facilities Management Service at the Albany Stratton VA Medical Center in Albany, NY. The position performs a variety of administrative and training tasks and provides technical assistance associated with maintaining and supporting the programmatic work and activities performed.

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Duties

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***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION***

Duties may include, but are not limited to the following:

• Maintains and supports various Special Purpose Systems including, but not limited to, cybersecurity vulnerability remediation, software parameter changes, technical workflow modifications within software/hardware systems.
• Develops and analyzes project plans to track implementation of new initiatives and monitors outcomes for sustainment projects including comprehension and testing to determine effectiveness and efficiency of training.
• Conducts needs assessment through various kinds of surveys, townhalls, etc. depending on subject and situation to determine requirements for clinical and non-clinical staff throughout the facility.
• Designs, evaluates and develops sustainment monitoring programs, Quality Assurance programs, training plans, and serves as documentation custodian for all projects.
• Uses knowledge of Information Technology and Networking Principles to either perform maintenance/troubleshooting as subject matter-expert or to facilitate maintenance/troubleshooting efforts with Information Technology/Networking Service groups.
• Designs, implements, and maintains various special purpose systems including, but not limited to, communications equipment, monitoring systems, digital signage, media distribution hardware, audio/video equipment.
• Uses experience with systems such as Vocera communication badges, TempTrak temperature monitoring equipment, portable radios, pagers, or various networked electronic equipment.
• Performs technical evaluations on specialized electronic or networked equipment within a hospital facility not covered by Information Technology or Healthcare Technology teams.
• Creates standard operating procedures for technical tasks such as cybersecurity remediations, workflow creations, user administration, and general software/hardware maintenance.
• Works as Subject Matter Expert (SME) in consultation with facility projects including equipment, networking infrastructure, and construction projects.
• Researches potential FMS projects, develops and identifies goals and action plans, coordinate meetings with participants, and lead RPI projects on existing with the workgroups, all to ensure timely completion of action plans, which results in actionable projects for Strategic Capital Investment Program (SCIP)
• Functions as the agent in place for the FMS for all continuing technology activities for the organization including periodic auditing, construction rounding, environments to continue operational status
• Assists with completion of process reports for EOC/EMS/Safety committees, submits completed and reports to VISN upon approval.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 7:30am - 4:00pm

Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized

Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved

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) - See "Required Documents" below for details.

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, 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 AT THE GS-11 LEVEL YOU MUST MEET THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA:

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-9) in the Federal Service, that is directly related to the work of the position and has equipped me with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties as a Program Specialist. Qualifying specialized experience includes designing implementation plans and training modules; designing program evaluation tools; monitoring the outcome of projects to determine effectiveness and efficiency of training; and performing records management for the facility. NOTE: CLEAR DETAILS OF EXPERIENCE REQUIRED: Your resume must show complete information for each job entry, such as beginning and ending dates of employment, duties performed, and/or total hours worked per week.

-OR-

EDUCATION: Have successfully completed a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree, or an LL.M. if related that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with application. Education cannot be credited without documentation.

-OR-

COMBINATION : Have equivalent combination of successfully completed education and specialized experience directly related to the work of the position as outlined above that meets the requirements of the position. Only education in excess of a master's or equivalent graduate education may be used to qualify applicants for the GS-11 level. NOTE: If using education combined with specialized experience to qualify, a copy of your transcript is required.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at

Education

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

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

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. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. 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.

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.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation and be found well-qualified (have a final rating of 80 or more before any Veterans preference points) for this vacancy. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at

Note: Per " Executive Order 14251: Exclusions from Federal Labor-Management Relations Programs ", this position is no longer eligible for bargaining unit participation.

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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