The incumbent functions as a Program Specialist for the Grand Island VAMC. The Program Specialist provides management and oversight of administrative or program principles, concepts, policies, and objectives supporting all clinical and administrative staff within the primary care and specialty service lines. This position is under the direct supervision of the Deputy Chief of Staff.

Duties

Duties for this position include but are not limited to: Serves as Program Specialist performing a wide variety of office management and administration duties to ensure smooth and efficient clinical operations. Participates in developing metrics for assessing performance of Chief of Staff assigned clinics. Researches, analyzes, and compiles data and communicates the results to Deputy Chief of Staff and facility leadership. Collaborates with senior management in developing action plans to address deficits identified. Tracks, assesses, and reports provider performance via use of the OPPE and FPPE system for primary care and specialty service line providers. Coordinates and schedules meetings; creates agendas and records minutes for primary care, specialty service line committees and community organizations. Coordinates and makes travel arrangements, to include scheduling, itinerary details, reservations, preparation of travel vouchers and pre and post trip reports, and other related correspondence if requested. Assists the Deputy Chief of Staff in all administrative matters and coordinates schedules for management activities, organizational and functional structures, system management, and administrative management. serves as the focal point for the receipt and review of incoming tasks, projects, correspondence and other communications and materials. Receives and reads outgoing mail submitted for form, conformance to policy, grammar, coherence, spelling, and punctuation. Receives/interacts with/maintains working relationship with high-ranking visitors from VISN, National or local communities. Primary Automated Data Processing Application Coordinator (ADPAC) duties. Maintains various databases that consist of information related to employee records, training, security background, academic programs, and scheduling CPRS classes. 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. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package: HR Specialist Total Rewards Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00am -4:30p Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Program Specialist/PD707050 and PD707020 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): not Authorized Bargaining Unit Status: yes/ AFGE Financial Disclosure Report: Not required The VA Midwest Health Care Network advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/18/2023. 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-7 and for a GS-07 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. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: GS-07 (Developmental): Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-05) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: coordinating orientation and/or training for new employees/staff; preparing a variety of correspondence (such as letters, memoranda, commendations); tracking/analyzing data to provide recommendations for improvement; performing various administrative duties (i.e., receiving calls, greeting visitors). OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have one full academic year of graduate level education with a major study in a closely related field; or Superior Academic Achievement (SAA). OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education beyond a bachelor's degree. GS-09 (Full Performance) Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience 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 not limited to: coordinating orientation and/or training for new employees/staff; preparing a variety of correspondence (such as letters, memoranda, commendations); developing long- and/or short-range policies/goals; tracking/analyzing data to provide recommendations for improvement; performing various administrative duties (i.e., receiving calls, greeting visitors); and assisting in the formulation and execution of an annual budget. 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) degree or 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree with a major study in a closely related field. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education beyond one full academic year of graduate level education. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Administration and ManagementCommunicationsManages and Organizes InformationTechnology Application 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: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination. 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/.

Education

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Transcripts must be legible and contain sufficient information (e.g., student name, name of institution, total number of credits completed, etc.) to show you meet the requirements as specified in the announcement.

Superior Academic Achievement Superior Academic Achievement is based on (1) class standing, (2) grade-point average, or (3) honor society membership.1. Class standing -- Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses.2. Grade-point average (G.P.A.) -- Applicants must have a grade-point average of:

• 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on their official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or
• 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum.
• Grade-point averages are to be rounded to one decimal place. For example, 2.95 will round to 3.0 and 2.94 will round to 2.9.

3. Election to membership in a national scholastic honor society -- Applicants can be considered eligible based on membership in one of the national scholastic honor societies listed below. These honor societies are listed by the Association of College Honor Societies

To receive credit for your education when a master's degree has not been achieved, your transcripts must show evidence of progress through a set curriculum, i.e., it is part of a program leading to a master's or higher degree and not education consisting of undergraduate and/or continuing education courses that do not lead to an advanced degree.
An academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 academic year of full-time study. This determination is made based on normal course loads for a full year of study in the graduate program. If that information cannot be obtained from your transcript or other official documentation, 18 semester hours or 27 quarter hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement. Part-time graduate education is creditable in accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the school attended.When academic credit is expressed in contract months, units, or other terms that differ from conventional semester or quarter hours, it is the responsibility of the applicant to provide an interpretation of such credits from the appropriate institution in order to equate them to the semester or quarter hours specified in the standard.To credit combinations of education and experience, HR staff will first determine the applicant's total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required for the grade level. Next, HR staff determine the applicant's education as a percentage of the education required for the grade level. Finally, HR staff will add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. For example:

• An applicant has 6 months of specialized experience equivalent to GS-7 and 1 year of graduate level education. The applicant meets 50 percent of the required experience but none of the required education since he or she does not have any graduate study beyond one full year of graduate level education. Therefore, the applicant meets only 50 percent of the total requirement and is not qualified for the position. (The applicant's first year of graduate study is not qualifying for GS-9.)

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: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/.

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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Contacts

• Address VA Nebraska-Western Iowa HCS - Omaha 4101 Woolworth Avenue Omaha, NE 68105 US
• Name: Meghan Brooks
• Phone: 515-699-5999 X23402
• Email: [email protected]