Program Specialist

Summary

Summary

The Marion VA Health Care System is seeking a Program Specialist to support the Quality, Safety, Value and High Reliability (QSVH) Service.

Learn more about this agency

Duties

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The incumbent is responsible for the coordinationand monitoring of all administrative programs to include Accreditation, Organizational Improvement, Patient Safety, Utilization Review, Peer Review and Risk Management, and Performance Improvement. Duties of the position include but are not limited to:

• Independently develops, plans,issues, and implements procedures to comply with directives concerning administrative matters.
• Analyzes and evaluates problems, makes recommendations, and devise solutions to systems administration, training management, publication management, and data management within the Service.
• Participate in regular meetings with leadership to address administrative management issues, resolve problems, and provide recommendations for correcting or improving processes and programs.
• Serves as the principal advisor to personnel on administrative management program issues.
• Compile information and prepares administrative reports for management, briefing and sharing with work groups.
• Provide full staff assistance on administrative matters to include but not limited to providing incoming and outgoing materials such as correspondence, reports, memoranda, and other forms of written communication, edits and composes letters and reports, reviews correspondence for accuracy and completeness, prepares public presentation outlines, and develops standard or form letters and relies to inquiries.
• Manage, monitor, coordinate, and provide regulatory guidance on all personnel actions, organizational structures, and position management for the Service.
• Recommend and assist with allocation of personnel/manpower resources; documents and reviews personnel and distribution changes; implements personnel/manpower reporting procedures; and conducts onsite surveys and studies to analyze organization structure, mission and functions, workload, and proposed personnel staffing, etc.
• Review, interpret, and provide recommendations for the revision of regulatory guidelines, policies, and standing operating procedures pertinent to personnel administration and all Service operations.
• Administer and oversee all aspects of personnel management within the Service.
• Assure completeness, accuracy, and adequacy of documentation and alert supervisors and employees when further action must be taken.
• Prepare and submit requests for personnel actions, which includes recruitment, promotion, reassignment, disciplinary actions, etc. Manages referral lists advises supervisors on their responsibilities, hiring procedures, interviewing procedures, and selection documentation requirements.
• Participate in the planning for budgeting needs and financial management for the QSVH Service.
• Assist with budget formulation, justification, and execution; financial management; and financial reporting.
• Provides advice to management and program personnel on budgetary and finance issues.
• Manage budget formulation and execution for a changing budget of administrative expenses involving different funding sources.
• Attend budget calls, review guidelines and instructions to brief managers of schedules and data requirements.
• Serves as committee support including Accreditation Committee, Peer Review Committee, and as a back up to other committees in the absence of Management and Program Assistant. Incumbent also serves as back-up to the Management and Program Assistant as necessary.
• Aids in the management of procurement for QSVH. Prepares procurement requests, evaluating proposals for work, acting as a COR for procurements, and/or maintaining procurement records.
• The position may manage small procurements that may require varying approaches.
• Assist in the initiation and preparation of procurements to secure adequate resources to facilitate operations, which includes determining appropriate costs, performing costs analysis, soliciting bids, writing sole source justifications, and communicating both orally and in writing with vendors/contractors. Assists in the preparation and review of purchase orders for supplies and non-expendable property such as equipment.
• Control purchasing and use of supplies.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm

Telework: This position may be authorized for ad-hoc telework at the manager's discretion.

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Program Specialist/PD096440

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized

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.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required.
• 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 ( 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, 11/12/2026.

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-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07 grade level. 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: demonstrated experience in budget management, comprehensive understanding of regulatory requirements, qualitative and quantitative methods for assessment and improvement of program effectiveness, review and interpret requests and recommend appropriate action or suggest appropriate alternatives based on knowledge of operations, and identification of staffing needs. OR,
• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed two (2) years of progressively higher-level graduate education or masters or equivalent graduate degree or LL.B or J.D. in a related field of the position to be filled. Education at the graduate level must be obtained in an accredited college or university and must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. OR,
• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and successfully completed graduate-level education beyond the first year (18 semester hours) and specialized experience, as described above, may be used to meet the total qualification requirements for this grade level. The educational portion must include graduate coursework directly related to the position and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform the work of the position.

Preferred Experience: Experience in the implementation of policies and procedures to manage administrative and personnel related functions, budget management, compiling required data for reporting purposes, experience with computer software such as word processing, spreadsheets, power point, videoconferencing and web-based training and education.

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.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit:

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 Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and 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.



Help

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.

Review our benefits

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.

Job Description

Summary

The Marion VA Health Care System is seeking a Program Specialist to support the Quality, Safety, Value and High Reliability (QSVH) Service.

Learn more about this agency

Duties

Help

The incumbent is responsible for the coordinationand monitoring of all administrative programs to include Accreditation, Organizational Improvement, Patient Safety, Utilization Review, Peer Review and Risk Management, and Performance Improvement. Duties of the position include but are not limited to:

• Independently develops, plans,issues, and implements procedures to comply with directives concerning administrative matters.
• Analyzes and evaluates problems, makes recommendations, and devise solutions to systems administration, training management, publication management, and data management within the Service.
• Participate in regular meetings with leadership to address administrative management issues, resolve problems, and provide recommendations for correcting or improving processes and programs.
• Serves as the principal advisor to personnel on administrative management program issues.
• Compile information and prepares administrative reports for management, briefing and sharing with work groups.
• Provide full staff assistance on administrative matters to include but not limited to providing incoming and outgoing materials such as correspondence, reports, memoranda, and other forms of written communication, edits and composes letters and reports, reviews correspondence for accuracy and completeness, prepares public presentation outlines, and develops standard or form letters and relies to inquiries.
• Manage, monitor, coordinate, and provide regulatory guidance on all personnel actions, organizational structures, and position management for the Service.
• Recommend and assist with allocation of personnel/manpower resources; documents and reviews personnel and distribution changes; implements personnel/manpower reporting procedures; and conducts onsite surveys and studies to analyze organization structure, mission and functions, workload, and proposed personnel staffing, etc.
• Review, interpret, and provide recommendations for the revision of regulatory guidelines, policies, and standing operating procedures pertinent to personnel administration and all Service operations.
• Administer and oversee all aspects of personnel management within the Service.
• Assure completeness, accuracy, and adequacy of documentation and alert supervisors and employees when further action must be taken.
• Prepare and submit requests for personnel actions, which includes recruitment, promotion, reassignment, disciplinary actions, etc. Manages referral lists advises supervisors on their responsibilities, hiring procedures, interviewing procedures, and selection documentation requirements.
• Participate in the planning for budgeting needs and financial management for the QSVH Service.
• Assist with budget formulation, justification, and execution; financial management; and financial reporting.
• Provides advice to management and program personnel on budgetary and finance issues.
• Manage budget formulation and execution for a changing budget of administrative expenses involving different funding sources.
• Attend budget calls, review guidelines and instructions to brief managers of schedules and data requirements.
• Serves as committee support including Accreditation Committee, Peer Review Committee, and as a back up to other committees in the absence of Management and Program Assistant. Incumbent also serves as back-up to the Management and Program Assistant as necessary.
• Aids in the management of procurement for QSVH. Prepares procurement requests, evaluating proposals for work, acting as a COR for procurements, and/or maintaining procurement records.
• The position may manage small procurements that may require varying approaches.
• Assist in the initiation and preparation of procurements to secure adequate resources to facilitate operations, which includes determining appropriate costs, performing costs analysis, soliciting bids, writing sole source justifications, and communicating both orally and in writing with vendors/contractors. Assists in the preparation and review of purchase orders for supplies and non-expendable property such as equipment.
• Control purchasing and use of supplies.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm

Telework: This position may be authorized for ad-hoc telework at the manager's discretion.

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Program Specialist/PD096440

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized

Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized

Requirements

Help

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.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required.
• 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 ( 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, 11/12/2026.

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-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07 grade level. 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: demonstrated experience in budget management, comprehensive understanding of regulatory requirements, qualitative and quantitative methods for assessment and improvement of program effectiveness, review and interpret requests and recommend appropriate action or suggest appropriate alternatives based on knowledge of operations, and identification of staffing needs. OR,
• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed two (2) years of progressively higher-level graduate education or masters or equivalent graduate degree or LL.B or J.D. in a related field of the position to be filled. Education at the graduate level must be obtained in an accredited college or university and must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. OR,
• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and successfully completed graduate-level education beyond the first year (18 semester hours) and specialized experience, as described above, may be used to meet the total qualification requirements for this grade level. The educational portion must include graduate coursework directly related to the position and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform the work of the position.

Preferred Experience: Experience in the implementation of policies and procedures to manage administrative and personnel related functions, budget management, compiling required data for reporting purposes, experience with computer software such as word processing, spreadsheets, power point, videoconferencing and web-based training and education.

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.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit:

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 Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and 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.



Help

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.

Review our benefits

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.