Program Specialist

Summary This position is located in the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, headquartered in Washington, District of Columbia. Responsibilities As a Program Specialist, you will: Perform action management by administering correspondence control processes, establishing priorities for executive actions, coordinating clearance packages among program officials, resolving procedural issues, and ensuring responses meet Departmental standards, quality expectations, and established deadlines. Plan and coordinate executive support activities by developing briefing packages, consolidating background information from multiple sources, monitoring leadership taskings through automated tracking systems, providing status updates to management, and ensuring executive assignments are completed within established timeframes. Perform comprehensive management studies of administrative programs and organizational operations to assess efficiency, identify trends, evaluate business processes, and develop data-driven recommendations that improve organizational performance and support executive decision-making. Provide program management support by coordinating cross-functional initiatives, facilitating communication among organizational components, organizing meetings and working groups, tracking organizational commitments, and ensuring leadership priorities are effectively implemented through timely follow-up and issue resolution. Lead organizational improvement initiatives by designing and implementing standardized administrative processes, developing management tools and reporting mechanisms, establishing procedures that enhance accountability and consistency, and recommending process improvements that strengthen operational effectiveness and organizational performance. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR Minimum Qualifications: You must have one-year specialized experience to perform successfully the duties of the position. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service performing ALL of the following: Managing executive correspondence processes, including reviewing and prioritizing incoming requests, determining routing, coordinating clearances, and preparing responses that comply with Departmental requirements. Developing briefing materials and tracking suspense deadlines using established correspondence or task management systems to ensure timely completion of assignments. Conducting qualitative and quantitative analyses of administrative operations to evaluate workflow efficiency and prepare reports, issue papers, and recommendations for leadership. Coordinating program activities across organizational units by facilitating meetings, preparing agendas, monitoring action items, and ensuring follow-up on assigned tasks. Developing standard operating procedures, templates, dashboards, or tracking systems that support executive correspondence, task management, and organizational process improvements. Documenting experience: IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Qualifications are based on breadth/level of experience. In addition to describing duties performed, applicants must provide the exact dates of each period of employment (from MM/YY to MM/YY) and the number of hours worked per week if part time. As qualification determinations cannot be made when resumes do not include the required information, failure to provide this information may result in disqualification. Applicants are encouraged to use the USAJOBS Resume Builder to develop their federal resume. Do not copy and paste the duties, specialized experience, or occupational application questionnaire from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position. In accordance with Office of Personnel Management policy, federal employees are assumed to have gained experience by performing duties and responsibilities appropriate for their official series and grade level as described in their position description. Experience that would not normally be part of the employee's position is creditable, however, when documented by satisfactory evidence, such as a signed memorandum from the employee's supervisor or an SF-50 or SF-52 documenting an official detail or other official assignment. The documentation must indicate whether the duties were performed full time or, if part time, the "percentage of times" the other duties were performed. It is expected that this documentation is included in the employee's official personnel record. In order to receive credit for experience in your resume that is not within the official series and grade level of your official position, you must provide a copy of the appropriate documentation of such experience as indicated above. 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; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to gain employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. If such experience is on a part-time basis, you must provide the average number of hours worked per week as well as the beginning and ending dates of the experience so it can be fully credited. OPM Qualification General Policies Website Education Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: Note: Applications can be accepted from students who expect to complete qualifying education within 9 months from the date of application. Education was completed successfully before the applicant can be appointed. Additional Information THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW Federal agencies may request information regarding the vaccination status of selected applicants for the purposes of implementing other workplace safety protocols, such as protocols related to masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine. Incentives may be authorized; however, this is contingent upon multiple factors, including funds availability. If authorized, certain incentives may require you to sign a service agreement to remain in the Federal government for a period of up to 3 years. Note: This statement does not imply nor guarantee an incentive will be offered and paid. Incentives may include the following: moving expenses, recruitment or relocation incentive; student loan repayment, superior qualifications appointment, creditable service for annual leave for prior non-federal work experience or prior uniformed military service, etc. Bargaining Unit Position: No Research position: No Drug Screening Required: No Applicants selected for this position will be subject to reasonable suspicion and post-accident drug testing upon hiring. Special Hiring Authorities for Veterans - Special Hiring Authorities for Military Spouses - People With Disabilities (Schedule A) - Career Transition Assistance Program/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP/ICTAP): For information on how to apply as an CTAP/ICTAP eligible see To be well-qualified and exercise selection priority for this vacancy, displaced Federal employees must be rated at 85.0 or above on the rating criteria for this position. Reemployment Priority List (RPL): To receive selection priority for this position, individuals on the RPL must meet the qualification requirements, complete all required assessments and be rated as qualified. RPL candidates are ranked using Category Rating procedures. Beginning January 1, 2010, agencies must seek prior approval from OPM before they can appoint a current or recent political appointee to a competitive or non-political excepted service position at any level under the provisions of title 5, United States Code. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employee in the executive branch, you MUST disclose that to the Human Resources Office. For Résumé Tips visit: For Application Tips visit: For additional information about USAJOBS visit the Help Center: