Program Support Assistant (OA)

Summary The position is located in the Social Work Service, Administrative Office, VA Medical Center, Washington, D.C. The incumbent serves as a Program Support Assistant to the Geriatric and Extended Care (GEC) Program Coordinator of Social Work Service, and other professional staff within office. The incumbent will provide administrative support to the GEC programs and will participate in activities that facilitate efficient interactions with the Medical Center operations, and the VISN 5 Office. Learn more about this agency Duties Help Provides administrative and informational assistance to the GEC Program Coordinators and GEC staff. Handles most matters of general inquiry independently, carries out recurring clerical and administrative tasks without specific instructions, and refers specific problems to the appropriate personnel as indicated. Maintains established records of management or program analysis data and reports, provides standard explanations of procedures and requirements, identifies clear errors in data, and compiles management or program analysis data into prescribed formats (spreadsheets). Prepares and maintains spreadsheets and reports generated in the GEC Social Work office and keeps them organized and arranged in a manner that protects the privacy of patients and staff. Establishes and maintains a system of reports control for the Program Coordinators and alerts team members as to due dates and assembles information needed for the "Monthly Staff Meetings, Status Report, and the Semi-Annual Report. Types a variety of memorandums, letters, supply requests, and administrative summaries and reports. Reproduces and correlates all statistical materials and administrative data to maintain efficiency of the service. Creates authorizations for services and schedules as it pertains to administrative duties. Attends administrative staff meetings, staff education activities, and case presentations. Records and prepares minutes as needed. Maintains correspondence follow-up files and any other administrative references. Coordinates and maintains logs/calendars for the Program Coordinators, as needed. Receives and distributes all mail delivered to the appropriate personnel. Prepares and submits requests for supplies and picks up supplies from medical center supply warehouse. Maintains adequate levels of forms and supplies. Also edits forms when needed and discards all outdated forms at the appropriate time. Performs other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00AM-4:30PM Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Program Support Assistant (OA)/ PD046360 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Requirements Help 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, 09/22/2026. 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: 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: Skill in applying analytical and it variety of techniques to the identification, consideration and resolution of issues or problem, knowledge of good public and professional relations in interactions and with internal and external customers; Identifies problems, determines accuracy and relevance of information; uses sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives, and to make recommendations; knowledge of planning, coordination, and execution of business functions, resource allocation, and production; recognizes the interrelationship of health administration programs with other medical services and programs; Ability to use qualitative and quantitative and analytical techniques; PREFERRED EXPERIENCE: Ability to create and utilize computerized spreadsheets and other electronic tools to obtain, track, and monitor data. Data management tools include but are not limited to Microsoft Excel and approved Artificial Intelligence(AI) tools, ability to effectively, and professionally communicate verbally and in writing with a multidisciplinary team and external customers, and knowledge of various computer systems and software utilized in VHA and Community Care including Health Share Referral Manage (HSRM) for Community Care consult and authorization processing. 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. Help 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. Review our benefits 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. VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION