Social Science Program Specialist

Role Description

The employee will serve as the Social Science Program Specialist located in the Quality, Training, & Risk Management division, Veterans Crisis Line (VCL), Veterans Affair (VA). The VCL is a 24-hour, 7-days-a-week, 365-days-a-year service aimed at connecting callers worldwide to a caring, qualified Veterans Administration employee. The VCL's mission is to provide 24/7, world-class suicide prevention and crisis intervention services to Veterans, Service Members and their family members.

Responsibilities

• Identifies performance and quality assurance issues.
• Maintains proficiency and knowledge of VCL operations.
• Monitors interactions to ensure consultation, collaboration and expedited connections to treatment programs, resources and emergency services occur.

Work Schedule

• The Veterans Crisis Line is a 24/7/365 call center.
• Varied work schedule to include evenings, nights, weekends and holidays to provide 24/7 call center coverage.
• Tour will be determined after final selections and will be based on seniority.
• Tour is subject to change based on program needs.
• Selectees will be expected to work all shifts.

Remote

• This is a remote position. Selectees will work 100% of the time in a non-VA-owned space outside of the local commuting area of a parent station.
• The employee's workspace must be suitable for conducting business and as such, remote employees are expected to provide a secure, distraction-free home-based worksite with reliable high speed internet connectivity.
• The employee will be required to travel to the closest VA Medical Center or VA Outpatient Clinic for issuance of equipment, and as needed for technical support.
• Selectees will be required to self-certify that their remote workplace meets all safety, privacy, and internet speed requirements.

Position Description/PD#

Social Science Program Specialist/PD08421A

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives

Not Authorized

Critical Skills Incentive (CSI)

Not Approved

Permanent Change of Station (PCS)

Not required

Financial Disclosure Report

Not required

This is a bargaining unit position

Qualifications

• To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 07/15/2026.
• 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.
• Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR): The IOR is a basic requirement that must be met by every applicant in order to qualify for entry into this occupational series.

Requirements

• Successful completion of a four year degree from an accredited college or university in a behavioral or social science, or related disciplines appropriate to the position.
• Combination of education and experience that provide applicant with knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field.
• Four years of appropriate experience that demonstrate the applicant has acquired knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field.

Specialized Experience GS-11

• To qualify at the GS-11 level, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-9).
• Examples of specialized experience include:
• Designing, completing, and distributing quality assessment reports to management.
• Completing evaluations for educational purposes.
• Identifying quality assurance issues.
• Monitoring quality standards to ensure policy compliance, collaboration, and expedited connection to appropriate resources.
• Engagement, rapport building, assessment, planning, problem solving, implementation, evaluation, and follow up.

Education

• Applicants may substitute education for the required experience.
• To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M. if related.
• Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level.

Company Description