Program Specialist

Summary This position is in the Office of the Executive Secretariat Staff (ESS), under the Office of the Director, located in Rockville, MD. Incumbent is to provide administrative and technical support to the Executive Secretariat Staff for tasking, tracking, reviewing, and reporting on the correspondence actions, processes, and coordination activities across the Indian Health Service. A REAL ID will be required beginning May 7, 2025, in accordance with 6 C.F.R. 37.5 (2021). Responsibilities Supports the Executive Secretariat Staff Director and team to enable efficient and accurate record-keeping and timely completion of administrative processes Assists in monitoring activities, providing guidance and technical assistance to staff. Reviews incoming correspondence and decides whether incoming materials require the Director's attention or should be routed to the appropriate staff, or assigned to IHS program office for action and/or response. Serves as liaison for staff to ensure that the correspondence program requirements, criteria, guidelines, operating procedures and objectives are clearly understood. Assists higher-graded correspondence specialists on work with the Indian Health Service offices, other agencies, or organizations outside the Government to assess their needs, provide information or assistance, resolve their problems, or satisfy their expectations. Uses a computerized correspondence control and tracking system to easily identify and retrieve each document received. Uses computers and computer applications to analyze and/or communicate information. Develops reports, fact sheets, and tracking data for use in presentations. Analyzes and presents trends in correspondence activities. Provides technical support (Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Office, SharePoint, Skype, Zoom), and minutes for the Correspondence Management Team meetings and other meetings. Other general office duties include receiving and routing mail, researching information as requested. Maintains working relationships with other Indian Health Service Offices and Divisions. Requirements Conditions of Employment Selectee may be subject to a probationary period ESEP appointees typically serve a two-year trial period U.S. Citizenship is required Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 Confidential Financial Disclosure Form required. Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit You will need to set up direct deposit so we can pay you. Background Investigation Requirement: This position requires the successful completion of a federal background investigation as a condition of employment. A background investigation is a standard process used by the Federal Government to verify an individual's identity, employment history, education, and other relevant information to determine suitability for Federal service. Upon receipt of instructions, applicants must complete all required background investigation forms within five (5) calendar days of issuance. Timely completion is critical to avoid delays in processing or a determination of unsuitability. Applicants are strongly encouraged to prioritize this requirement and to maintain regular communication with their assigned Personnel Security Specialist throughout the process. Financial Suitability Requirement: This position requires a review of the applicant's financial history as part of the personnel security and suitability determination. Applicants must demonstrate financial responsibility, maintain good standing with creditors, and satisfy all legal financial obligations prior to applying. Individuals with substantial delinquent or unresolved financial obligations-including, but not limited to, delinquent federal or state tax liabilities, defaulted federal student loans, court-ordered fines or fees, or child support arrears-may be deemed unsuitable for employment with the Indian Health Service (IHS). Prior to the appointment, candidates must present two valid forms of identification. If one of the documents is a state-issued ID or driver's license, it must be REAL ID-compliant. Qualifications To qualify for this position, your resume must state sufficient experience and/or education, to perform the duties of the specific position for which you are applying. 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; religious; spiritual; community; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer and part-time experience. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities for each position held and the total number of hours per week. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: GS-09: Your resume must demonstrate at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-07) in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector performing the following type of work and/or tasks: Experience tracking and monitoring correspondence or administrative actions; maintaining records and database systems; developing reports, spreadsheets, charts, or presentations for management use; coordinating with staff to obtain, review, and route documents for action, and analyzing program data to identify trends, monitor status, and support management decision making. OR Completed a master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years (36 semester hours) of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work or LL.B. or J.D., if related. OR Combination of education and experience that when combined fully meet the minimum qualifications for this position. The total percentage equals at least 100 percent to qualify for this GS-09 grade level. Must submit transcripts. Time In Grade Federal employees in the competitive service are also subject to the Time-In-Grade Requirements: Merit Promotion (status) candidates must have completed one year of service at the next lower grade level. Time-In-Grade provisions do not apply under the Excepted Service Examining Plan (ESEP). You must meet all qualification requirements within 30 days of the closing date of the announcement. Education If you are substituting education for experience, you are strongly encouraged to submit a copy of your transcripts or a list of your courses, including titles, credit hours completed, and grades. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted in the application package. Official transcripts will be required from all selectees prior to receiving an official offer. Only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education may be credited. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website: 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. ( 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. IHS may offer newly-appointed Federal employees credit for their directly related previous 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. This position is ineligible for the Bargaining Unit. Recruitment or relocation incentives may be authorized. At least a 1 year service agreement will be required. You will be evaluated for this position in accordance with the OPM Merit Hiring Plan. As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide short essay responses (200 words or less each) to the following four questions. How has your commitment to the Constitution and the founding principles of the United States inspired you to pursue this role within the Federal government? In this role, how would you use your skills and experience to improve government efficiency and effectiveness? How would you help advance the President's Executive Orders and policy priorities in this role? How has a strong work ethic contributed to your professional, academic or personal achievements? Your responses are optional and will not be scored. However, they may be reviewed by hiring managers and agency leadership (or designees) during the evaluation process. You will be asked to certify that your responses are written in your own words and that you did not use a consultant or artificial intelligence (AI) tool (such as ChatGPT or Copilot).