Program Support Assistant

Summary

This position is located at the Department of Veterans Affairs, Milwaukee Regional Office (RO), Fiduciary Hub. The Program Support Assistant (PSA) works as a member of the Public Contact team in the Fiduciary Hub and will be expected to perform core duties that are aligned with the hub's mission.

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Duties

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Specific duties include:

• Maintain and organize electronic claims folders (eFolders), ensuring all records are preserved and documents are moved or deleted as needed.
• Receive, review, and analyze incoming documents and correspondence to determine appropriate action and refer to the correct team or division.
• Use VA technologies and applications to input, access, and update information for case management and administrative processes.
• Convert and upload documents to eFolders using Adobe and VBMS, ensuring all evidence is accurately filed and controlled.
• Process updates such as address and direct deposit changes, and fulfill Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests by providing requested documents.
• Prepare and write clear correspondence and reports for various audiences, including responses to FOIA and congressional inquiries.
• Perform timekeeping duties for the Fiduciary Hub using VATAS, maintaining accurate records for leave, telework, and payroll actions.

Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level. The grade progression for this position is GS-05 to GS-06.

Veterans eligible under the Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) and current permanent VBA employees holding the GS-05 or higher and seeking non-competitive reassignment/change to lower grade need not live in the local commuting area to be considered.

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; PD# 17269A and PD# 07269A

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will 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 dentification 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:07/30/2026.

TIME-IN-GRADE REQUIREMENT :

Applicants who are current federal employees and have held a GS grade must also meet time-in-grade requirements.

There is no Time in Grade requirement for the GS-05.

For a GS-06 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05 level if you are currently serving or have served as a federal employee within the las 52 weeks.

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.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENT: You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:

GS-05 Grade Level:

Specialized Experience: To qualify, applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-04) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience is defined as: (1) Maintaining and organizing administrative files or records, including handling incoming and outgoing correspondence;(2) Entering, updating, or tracking information using automated systems or databases; and (3) Providing routine administrative support, such as scheduling, data entry, or responding to program-related inquiries.

OR

Education. You must have at least 4 full years of education above the high school level.

Or applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at the GS-05 level. To calculate, first identify the percentage of required education you have earned then identify the percentage of required experience you possess. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify.

GS-06 Grade Level:

Specialized Experience: To qualify for the GS-06, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-05 grade level in federal service. Specialized experience is defined as: (1) Maintaining and organizing electronic claims folders, including uploading and moving sensitive documents; (2) Reviewing and analyzing incoming documents to determine appropriate action and task assignment; (3) Preparing written correspondence and reports in response to FOIA requests, inquiries, and other official communications; and (4) Assisting with program support duties such as timekeeping, workflow coordination, and data entry to support fiduciary oversight.

There is no educational substitution for the GS-06 level.

The Office of Personnel Management's group coverage qualification standards, associated individual occupational requirements (IOR), and individual qualification standards covering white collar occupations in the Federal competitive service can be found here.

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. However, there may be some walking, standing, and carrying of light items. The incumbent must be able to set up and tear down the VA computer equipment and transport this equipment securely between the official duty station to the alternate work sight as appropriate based on any established telework agreement. The incumbent would also be responsible for transporting the VA computer equipment to the Regional Office for all IT repairs that cannot be handled remotely.

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 Certificate of Foreign Equivalency 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

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 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 the 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.

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.

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.

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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.