This position is organizationally located in the Surgical Service at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System (VAPAHCS), Palo Alto Division. The incumbent reports directly to the Administrative Officer (AO), Surgical Service, and functions as the Program Specialist for the service

Duties

The Program Specialist has primary provision and responsibility to the Chief of Surgical Service as well as the Surgical Service Section Chiefs and staff to promote a culture of transparency and professional accountability through credible data analysis, individual performance measures and outcomes; create innovative data tools to automate numerous internal systems that are currently person-dependent and labor intensive; develop and maintain tools to monitor and assess progress toward organizational goals and quality management; implement processes and contracts to achieve suggested/mandated goals; advise service leadership of recommendations to improve government resources based on data analysis. The incumbent performs analytical and evaluative work related to program operations and collaborates with Section Chiefs to ensure integrated goals and priorities for Surgical Service are met. He/she also works closely with peers in other services and VA medical centers to meet the needs of external customers; including VAPAHCS leadership. Major duties and responsibilities include, but not limited to: Provide professional skills necessary for all phases of data processing and analysis for the overall quality. management of the service, including the application of standard, descriptive, and inferential statistical methods for conducting analysis. Research and identify baseline performance and develop ongoing reports in order to monitor progress, encouraging and influencing staff behaviors to meet the priority areas identified by Surgical Service leadership, promoting a culture of data utilization and continuous process improvement. Develop and manage a Surgical Service database for the supply and demand of resources, including space, staff, equipment, contracts, and operating funds for the clinics and operating rooms (OR). Work on multiple systems redesign efforts to streamline various processes in the OR. Organize and develop an OR utilization modeler to optimize OR block schedule and services assigned time as well as benchmark surgical case times against national averages for case time data. Act as a skilled liaison with OI&T and Surgical Service staff on matters concerning needs of the service. Manage procurement and contracting for the service, including preparing procurement requests evaluating proposals for work, serving as the Contracting Officer Representative (COR) for procurements, maintaining procurement and contracting records, and/or verifying all quality measures for the contract are met. Meet or interact by phone with representatives of institutions which may want to receive services from Surgical Service on contract. Based on data analysis/results, initiate or recommend changes to increase effectiveness, improve productivity or utilization of resources, and assist the AO in solving operational problems. As requested, serve as a Surgical Service representative on key healthcare system committees, such as the Executive Equipment Committee, Workforce Development Committee, OR Committee, and others. Responsible for developing and implementing administrative policies related to data-based decision making, defining and providing advice to Section Chiefs and other staff members. Develop the Surgical Service SharePoint website to ensure dissemination of information including reports, data, training, etc. as directed by the Chief and AO. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Program Analyst/PD063460 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 02/16/2024. 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 11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS 09. 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-09 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Uses database management tools and custom developed software/queries to develop automated system; Provides expert analysis and advice on complex program issues products and adhoc reporting to drive continuous improvement efforts throughout the organization; conceives and implements new initiatives and projects to strengthen, facilitate, and integrate programs; Plans application of data systems to meet local requirements and consults with representatives of service organizations, etc. to design, implement, and maintain specific subsystems. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., 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 second year to qualify. NOTE: If using education combined with specialized experience to qualify, a copy of your transcript is required. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Administration and ManagementContracting/ProcurementData ManagementProblem 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/Work Environment: The duties and responsibilities of this position require mobility within the medical center. Ability to adjust to changes in procedure, work pressures, and deadlines is required. Work is performed in an administrative office setting. Occasional travel may be 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/.

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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Contacts

• Address Palo Alto VA Medical Center 3801 Miranda Avenue Palo Alto, CA 94304 US
• Name: Veronica Alvarado
• Phone: (415) 960-5758
• Email: [email protected]