Program Specialist

This position is located in the Veterans Administration (VA), Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Mid Atlantic Health Care Network (VISN6), VA Healthcare System in Durham, NC. The incumbent serves as Program Specialist within Surgical Service Line. The incumbent collaborates with management by monitoring and evaluating a variety of program areas within the service.

Qualifications:

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 01/15/2024.

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-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07. 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 and/or education as described below:

• Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-07 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: planning and carrying out projects directly related to both current guidelines and standards. Identifies, analyzes, and makes recommendations to leadership to ensure that the ongoing data that is collected. Develop detailed procedures and processes to establish an ongoing data driven monitoring system. Ensures that the clerical and routine administrative responsibilities are accomplished effectively and efficiently, which directly influences the effectiveness, accuracy, and reliability of the administrative work of all the organizations. Experience with VA Systems, PCMM, VISTA, CPRS and VSSC. NOTE: Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must clearly indicate the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment..

OR,

• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a Master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. or J.D., if related. (Transcript required)

OR,

• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond 1 full year of graduation school. (Transcript required)

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

• Customer Service
• Organizational Performance Analysis
• Problem Solving
• Project Management

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 sedentary in nature. The work sometimes requires walking, standing, bending,
lifting, or carrying light items such as paper, books, and charts.

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/.

Responsibilities:

Major duties include but are not limited to:

Day Reporting & Program Evaluation (50%)

• Works collaboratively with management to monitor and modify program and services.
• Conducts research projects related to program compliance, performance measures, efficiency and productivity under management direction.
• Prepares recommendations and solutions to management.
• Ensures operational decisions are consistent with VA directives, regulations and guidelines.
• Evaluating clinical and administrative processes and operations to identify and develop improvements for operational efficiency.
• Develops statistical and narrative justifications for reorganization and the utilization of program resources.
• Independently performs work involving the collection, compilation and tracking of clinical and administrative data related to program operations.
• Performs data analysis and enters pertinent information into an automated tracking system.

Administrative Support (15%)

• Performs telephone triage-assists Veterans, families, medical center staff and community agency personnel who are seeking assistance from the Surgical Service Line.
• Receives/screens and manages all incoming and outgoing documents, publications directives and correspondence, determining appropriate action and/or response with minimal direction.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Appointment Management Clinic Profiles (35%)

• Establishes, monitors, and maintains clinic profiles that fall under the Surgical Service Line in conjunction with Administrative Officer.
• Proper configuration of clinic profiles in the Medical Center computer system has direct bearing on scheduling, flow and processes within individual clinic, how workload is captured and effective reimbursement of MCCF and VERA funds.
• Manage clinic profiles for the Surgical Service Line and the associated CBOCs.

Work Schedule: Full-Time
Telework: Ad-hoc at the supervisors discretion
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Program Specialist/PD069930
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required