Program Support Assistant

Summary The employee serves as a Program Support Assistant in the Support Services Division (SSD) at the Oakland, California Veterans Administration Regional Office (VARO). The primary purpose of the work is to actively assist the supervisors and management of the SSD in performing administrative work. Responsibilities Specific duties include: Establishes, maintains, and analyzes division-wide operational and audit-report controls, including assembly, review, quality assurance, and timely submission of reports used for internal and external evaluation. Compiles, evaluates, and reports monthly mailroom, photocopy, and administrative data; ensures tracking, routing, and timely completion of priority communications and internal reporting requirements. Oversees and executes all aspects of mail processing for the office, including receiving, sorting, logging, distributing, and shipping incoming and outgoing mail, ensuring timely and accurate handling of both staff and public correspondence. Operates, maintains, and troubleshoots a variety of office and mailroom equipment (e.g. high-speed printers, x-ray machines, mail processing machines, copiers), and assists in managing mail tracking systems and shipping processes. Ensures office security by identifying and isolating suspicious mail items and contributes to continuous improvement of mail handling procedures and systems. Reproduces, distributes, and maintains Veterans' records and official documents (including Privacy Act and Freedom of Information Act materials), manages forms inventory, and ensures timely updates to distribution lists. Maintains and distributes supplies, forms, office equipment, and furniture to ensure continuous RO operations, including inventory management and warehousing. Monitors supply utilization and advises on reorder needs to keep the supply room orderly and adequately stocked. Prepares correspondence and reports using office automation equipment, provides guidance to staff on ADP systems and software, and assists in troubleshooting and reporting computer malfunctions within the division. Acts as a liaison by advising staff on procedures, reporting requirements, and deadlines to ensure compliance with Support Services policies. Serves as the principal timekeeper for SSD. Work Schedule: Full time, Monday through Friday. 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM Compressed/Flexible: Not Available Telework: This position is eligible for situational (ad hoc) telework only. The selectee is required to report to the official duty station each scheduled workday. Telework may be approved only on a case-by-case basis with supervisory approval. Routine or recurring telework is not authorized for this position. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Program Support Assistant; PD37329A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required Requirements Conditions of Employment As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may 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 period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Additional Conditions of Employment are as follows: You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 You may be required to serve a probationary or trial period 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 I-9 Acceptable Documents. 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 To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement:07/28/2026. TIME-IN-GRADE REQUIREMENT: As a current Federal, GS employee you must meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-06 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05 level. 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. Specialized Experience: To qualify at the GS-06 Grade Level: Applicants must have one year of Specialized Experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-05) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include but are not limited to performing the following duties: composing, reviewing, and editing correspondence, auditing statistical data, assessing organizational workflow, and serving as the principal timekeeper. 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: There are occasional periods of walking, standing, bending, and carrying of light items. 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. Additional 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 your 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. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position. 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. 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), 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: Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. ( For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.