Program Specialist

Summary

The Program Specialist is responsible for administrative and technical work in the Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) Division. The Program Specialist is the divisions primary public contact support, virtually and in person. The Program Specialist is responsible for assisting the Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors (VRC), other VR&E staff and management with technical management of the VR&E caseload and providing assistance to Veteran clients.

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Duties

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Major Duties

The Program Specialist is primarily responsible for establishing adjudication of all VAF 28-1900 Disabled Veterans Application for Veteran Readiness and Employment VR&E (chapter 31, Title 38, U.S.C.) claims , ensuring that all necessary information is accurate regarding claim dates, etc. in VA systems. Responsible for updating claims as needed with entitlement usage and extensions, Initial Rating Notification Dates, dependent changes, and other claimant contact information.

• Updates information which pertains to laws, regulations and manual changes.
• Responsible for purchasing supplies for VR&E participants; reviewing monthly credit card statements for division personnel, ensuring that all required paperwork is part of the justified credit card statement, and reconciling purchases within policy requirements.
• Responding to a variety of personal, telephone, and written inquires, including but not limited to status of counseling, case status, Chapter 31 awards, entitlement calculations, tuition, fees, books, supplies, subsistence and general procedures, and policies of the Division, as well as the Veterans Benefits Administration. Incumbent independently determines and collaborates regarding resolution of issues and proceeds to proper solution.
• Assists VR&E staff in maintaining supervisory schedules. This may include but not limited to scheduling appointments, collecting documents, ensuring documentation is in Veterans files, and analyzing workload reports as directed by VR&E management.
• Responsible for primary or alternative time keeping duties.

Work Schedule: Full time, varied work schedule to provide contact center coverage Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST). Tour will be determined after final selections. Tour is subject to change based on program needs.

Compressed/Flexible: Not available

Telework: Not available

Position Description/PD#: Program Support Specialist GS9 PD 051330

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Bargaining Unit: Yes

How You'll Work : The employee will be required to travel to the closest VA Regional Office, VA Medical Center, or other VA facility for issuance of equipment, and as needed for technical support. Government furnished equipment includes a laptop computer, camera, docking station, monitor screens and headset. A secure VPN will be used to access Microsoft Office products and specific communications software including a soft phone to educate and connect Veterans with the benefits they have earned.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• Selectees are subject to a background/suitability investigation.
• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job.
• A probationary period may be required for employees and supervisors.
• You will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application.
• Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
• Remote: This is not a remote position.
• Telework: This is not a telework position
• 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.

Qualifications

TIME-IN-GRADE REQUIREMENT : Applicants who are/were federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements.

• For a GS-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07 level. To support your claim of time in grade, you must submit your most recent appointment, promotion, or within grade increase SF-50 (not an award or general adjustment SF-50). Some applicants may have to submit more than one SF-50 to demonstrate their eligibility. See the required documents section for more information.

Specialized Experience:

Must have one year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade, GS-07, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in this organization. Specialized experience is defined as:

• Experience in administrative, customer service, and technical work;
• Experience using and referencing applicable state, federal and local Veteran benefit programs as well as federal regulations and legislation that pertain to the full array of Veteran benefits and programs;
• Experience and demonstrated skill in technical management of governmental caseloads and providing assistance to Veteran clients;
• Experience in timekeeping duties; scheduling appointments; and mail management;
• Experience in administrative tasks and fiscal responsibility in supply procurements.

Or applicants may substitute education for the experience required to qualify at the GS-09 level:

• Education Substitution: You may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education you must have:
  • A master's or equivalent graduate degree in an accredited or pre-accredited college or university; or
  • 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree; or
  • Possession of a LL.B. or J.D degree, if related. or
  • Graduate level education must demonstrate the competencies necessary to do the work of the position. or

Combining Education & Experience: If you do not fully meet the length of experience and education described for a specific grade level (e.g. have six months of experience and some coursework but not a degree), the two can be combined to total 100% of the requirement. Click here for more information.

Volunteer Experience: 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.

Full vs. Part-Time Employment : Full-time employment is considered to be at least 35 hours per week. Part-time experience will be credited on a pro-rated basis; when including part-time employment in your resume you must specify the average hours worked per week.

Physical Requirements :The work is mostly sedentary. The employee will be required to talk for long periods of time which occasionally puts a strain on the throat/vocal cords. There are no other special physical demands required to perform the work. There may be some walking, standing, and carrying of light items such as papers, books, claims folders, and files from one desk to another or for returning to storage. Extensive use of a computer and a telephone with a headset is required.

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

Education

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

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education to be credited towards qualifications. Provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

All education claimed by applicants will be verified upon appointment. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a with your transcript to receive credit.

Note: You may submit unofficial transcripts when applying. However, if you are selected for the position, you will be required to provide an official transcript or a statement from the institution (e.g., from the registrar, dean, or other appropriate official) or equivalent documentation prior to the start date.

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 (TJO). Please visit the Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP), va.gov/EMPLOYEE/docs/The-Fair-Chance-to-Compete-Act.pdf for more information.

The 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 (have a final rating of 85 or more) for this vacancy. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at

Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members : Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

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.

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.

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.