This Program Analyst position is aligned under the Office of the Associate Director, Beneficiary Travel/Veterans Transportation Service (VTS) at the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL. This position provides analysis and data validation of the VTS Program and serves as the Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) for the hospital's $10 million annual patient transportation contract.

Duties

Duties include: Administers, monitors and tracks contracted services for patient transportation as the Contracting Officer's Representative (COR). Serves as COR for special needs, ambulance and non-emergent ambulance contracts. Monitors and evaluates contractor's performance to ensure satisfactory and timely delivery within the constraints of the contract. Develops procurement packages to include statements of work, performance work statements, quality assurance surveillance plans, independent government cost estimates, and sole source justifications. Formulates, modifies, and maintains transportations contracts. Inspects transportation vehicles used to perform contract requirement. Maintains files of drivers, driver's training, driver's licenses, and other requirements. Reviews invoices charges for appropriate billing and certifies invoices for payment. Contributes to the formulation of annual budget for special modes of transportation. Formulates recommendations for modifying, revising, or implementing procedures to improve program operations. Develops, maintains, and monitors Beneficiary Travel expenditures, projections, budgets and contract agreement information. Determines method of payment for authorized and unauthorized ambulance claims submitted for payment consideration. Certifies ambulance, air ambulance, commercial air, para-lift wheelchair transportation invoices using accounting software and submits documents for payment. Studies, gathers, analyzes, and evaluates data assessing Beneficiary Travel programs. Acts as liaison between vendors and Fiscal service for invoices pending payment and writes or selects appropriate letters explaining the disposition of unauthorized travel claims. Researches and resolves issues within the budget spreadsheet such as vendor issues, payment history and rejects. Assists with the establishing quality standards for employees; reviewing and analyzing results; preparing statistical reports; and making recommendations. Makes eligibility determinations, processes claims, and certifies payments, and maintains the internal fund control points for the service. Researches and analyzes unstable or uncommon administrative issues, provides oversight, and independently determines and/or verifies Veteran eligibility for travel reimbursement. Plans and coordinates office support functions such as communications, procurement of supplies and equipment, printing, reproduction, property management, records management, mail service, facilities and equipment maintenance, and transportation. Receives telephone and written contacts with Veterans and their congressional representatives regarding questions or issues related to reimbursement of travel expenses. Answers inquiries regarding special mode transportation including administrative and physical eligibility, utilization of existing resources, community partnerships, complaints and disposition of claims. Arranges and coordinates air ambulance travel for eligible Veterans for organ/tissue transplants or other inter-facility transfers. Assesses the status of the travel program using quality assurance measurement tools. Prepares statistical reports and documents using a variety of software to produce letters, memorandums, and prepare a variety of reports containing tables and/or graphs. Performs tasks using accounting reporting systems, databases, and scheduling software application. Searches, extracts and organizes data, produces reports, and prepares a variety of working documents such as spreadsheets, instructions, training guides, etc. Uses software programs such as MS Work, Excel, Power Point, Outlook, Access, Internet and VHA databases to prepare reports, correspondence and training materials. Performs other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Telework: VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Ad-hoc telework may be available. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Program Analyst/PD23493O Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, facility applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement. Non-facility applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement. 10/19/2023. 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-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: One (1) full year of specialized experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skill, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the Program Analyst and is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization (GS-7). Examples of specialized experience include (but are not limited to): Experience in positions that required working knowledge of applicable regulations, laws, budget functions, and guidelines of the appropriated funds and accounts; experience in assembling, reviewing and reconciling accounts in an automated accounting system; knowledge of medical terminology, grammar, spelling and punctuation; experience resolving problems in balancing accounts, adjusting discrepancies, developing controls and verifying the accuracy of budgetary data; experience researching or investigating problems or errors that require reconciling and reconstruction of incomplete information; experience in positions that required the use of mathematical procedures, quantitative, and statistical and analytical methodologies; skill in the use of computer equipment with a variety of software applications including the ability to produce documents and reports containing tables and/or graphs and extract data from a variety of sources; experience in the uses of accounting reporting systems, databases, and scheduling software; and demonstration of skill in communication and interpersonal relations both orally and in writing providing clear and concise communication. --OR-- Substitution of Education for Experience GS-09: master's or equivalent graduate degree, or successful completion of two (2) years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, or LL. B or J.D., if related to the Program Analyst position, and if such education demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. Education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university, may be substituted to qualify for this grade 9, Program Analyst position. One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent one (1) year of full-time study. If that number cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours will be considered an academic year of graduate study. Part-time graduate education is creditable in accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the school attended. NOTE: TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED. --OR-- Combination Education and Experience GS-09: Equivalent combinations of successfully completed graduate education and specialized experience directly related to the work of the Program Analyst position, which may be substituted to meet the experience requirements of the position. For example, 6 months of appropriate specialized experience equivalent to GS-07 (50 percent of the experience requirement for GS-9) and 1 year of successfully completed graduate education (18 semester hours), as is describe above, (50 percent of the education requirement for the GS-9) would qualify for a GS-9 position. NOTE: TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Analytical ReasoningBudget AdministrationComputer SkillsPlanning and Evaluating 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, but does require some walking, bending, stooping, standing, stretching and carrying objects such as moderately heavy medical records, driver's files, scheduling tools, etc. Work also requires spending significant amounts of time performing keyboard data entry and vehicle inspections. Concentration and sustained performance under prolonged stress is required because of the demands placed on scheduling operations with the health care facility, patients and/or their representatives and the need to respond in a calm and efficient manner. Working Environment: The work is normally performed in an office setting. The work area typically is adequately lighted, heated and ventilated. The Incumbent follows established safety standards and practices as defined in current policy. The office area is an area of business and should not be used routinely for employee breaks or meal periods. Assignments may require occasional travel. 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.

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 Jesse Brown Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center 820 South Damen Avenue Chicago, IL 60612 US
• Name: Shaundila Bass
• Phone: 312-569-7917
• Email: [email protected]