Program Specialist

The Incumbent develops both long and short range plans and policies for the organization by coordinating the Business Office needs of the Network and medical centers. The incumbent participates and provides active and well informed managerial planning for the delivery of health care and in doing so, takes the initiative to identify needs and potential issues/concerns and devises flexibility in operations and cost-effective approaches.

Qualifications:

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 05/18/2026.

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 GS13 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS12. 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 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 GS12 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Expert knowledge of analytical and evaluative methods for the assessment and improvement of program effectiveness and improvement of complex management processes and systems is required along with comprehensive knowledge of the mission and functions, organizational structure of the VA, and interrelationships with other agencies in order to support and provide advice on the Business Office's operations ability to integrate, coordinate and monitor a wide variety of projects/programs. Must have the ability to coordinate, evaluate and integrate the work of others into a cohesive final product which accurately reflects the Network's position on Business Office matters and mission related issues. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Administration and Management Communication Data Management Problem Solving 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 with some walking, standing, bending and carrying of light items. No significant physical agility or exertion required. Occasional travel is required. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/ .