Program Support Assistant

Summary

Two Page Resume Limit Applies for this Position.

The incumbent serves as a Program Support Assistant in the Safety and Occupational Health Service, providing technical, administrative, and clerical support to ensure effective operation of Safety programs within the Medical Center. The Safety Service supplies program support to fulfill the VA mission, and the employee will offer direct clerical support to the Safety staff.

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Duties

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Major duties include, but are not limited to:

• Schedule meetings, prepare agendas, take meeting minutes, and maintain documentation to support Safety program operations.
• Manage ordering and inventory of office/administrative supplies, ensuring adequate stock levels.
• Track mandatory Safety and related training for staff in the Talent Management System (TMS); maintain records and produce compliance reports.
• Support clerical projects, data tracking, status monitoring, and coordination with other services/agencies.
• Utilize systems such as VATAS, Maximo, EER, VistA, Performance Logic, SharePoint, and Microsoft Office Suite; prepare reports and summaries for leadership.
• Assist with resource planning, purchase orders, and procurement actions within delegated authority using established VA systems and regulations.
• Serve as purchase cardholder; reconcile purchases, resolve discrepancies, and maintain financial documentation.
• Act as timekeeper for the service, ensuring accuracy in pay, leave, and attendance records for employees; process corrections as needed.
• Track overtime, compensatory time, premium pay, and prepare payroll documentation.
• Maintain confidentiality and compliance with Privacy Act, VA policies, and record retention requirements.
• Serve as Service Records Control Officer; manage correspondence files and Service file plan.
• Coordinate the Collateral Duty Safety Officer (CDSO) Program, acting as the liaison between Safety Service and other medical center departments.
• Schedule and organize CDSO meetings, develop agendas, and maintain the CDSO SharePoint site.
• Support onboarding and training of new CDSOs; ensure program documentation and binders are complete and current.
• Retrieve and file documentation related to safety inspections and checklists; update training to comply with regulatory changes.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM-4:30 PM

Telework: This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Program Support Assistant/ PD940130

Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements ( 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.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial 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.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 08/26/2026.

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. For a GS-06 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05. 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. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:

• Communications
• Control of Funds
• Computer Skills

You may qualify based on your experience as described below:

• Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-5 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 clerical and administrative support duties within a medical facility; preparing forms and correspondence; planning and coordinating training events and meetings; Collecting and compiling data into report format; utilizing and understanding computer operations and automated systems (such as various Microsoft Office programs) to create spreadsheets, databases, and reports; Multi-tasking and managing assignments effectively, independently with minimal supervision and Utilizing computerized scheduling.

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.

Note : A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary; however, some physical effort is required. The incumbent may occasionally assist with storage or distribution of materials, typically involving lifting and carrying items weighing up to 40 pounds. Certain tasks, such as inspections, audits, trainings, or emergency exercises, require extended periods of standing, walking, bending, crouching, climbing, reaching, or other physical activities.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at

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 at this grade level.

Additional information

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. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

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.

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave : 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. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related 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. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

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 for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at

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.