Job opening: Program Specialist
Salary: $59 966 - 77 955 per year
Published at: May 17 2024
Employment Type: Full-time
This position is in the Health Resource Center (HRC), Help Desk section (HD) of VHA Member Services (MS). The purpose of this position is to provide administrative and technical support to the Deputy Associate Director of the Help Desk by performing various analytical, program, liaison, and coordination duties that are related to the efficiency and effectiveness of programs that are supported by the Help Desk.
Duties
This position provides managerial support to the Help Desk manager and supervisors by serving as the focal point of coordination for vital administrative tasks and services which then allows the managers to focus on the Help Desk business line and workload management issues. The incumbent reports to the Deputy Associate Director of the Help Desk and is tasked with performing duties that are for the overall purpose of increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of internal administrative HD procedures as well as tracking and reporting on HD program data and trends.
Major duties and responsibilities include but not limited to:
Applies knowledge of all the Help Desk programs and functions to research issues, compile information, analyze data, identify trends and patterns, and present the information in the most effective manner in reports using charts, graphs, tables, and other visual means.
Supports managers and supervisors in making decisions about workload distribution and structure, operational support processes, organizational structures and staffing needs, performance standards, administrative trends and needed improvements, program trends and needs, technical support assistance, and areas of concern that need further attention.
Serves as a liaison between the HRC HD and other HRC and/or MS program offices, MHV Coordinators and Patient Advocates, etc., at VAMCs and between the Help Desk Program Offices, such as MyHealtheVet, Beneficiary Travel, Access VA, eBenefits, the VA Mobile Apps, and other related areas, on providing information/data and responding to inquiries concerning system outages and issues, daily concerns and trends, communication issues, and other administrative issues that may arise.
Responsible for managing the IRIS email portal and serves as main point of contact for system outages and other technical issues.
Coordinates administrative tasks associated with new hire on boarding, such as welcome emails, computer and systems access, scheduling training, etc.
Responsible for the suspense and control action of all approved recurring reports or other scheduled reports such as staffing, accessions, HRC Committee Help Desk presentation slides, Congressional and Issue briefs, records management data etc.
Participates in a wide variety of specialized projects designed to improve the overall effectiveness and efficiency of administrative program functions as requested.
Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8-hour shift between 7:00am to 4:30pm CST.
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. Must reside within 50 miles of a Member Services location in the following cities: Topeka, Kansas; Canandaigua, New York; or Waco, Texas
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Program Specialist/PD077810
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required
Qualifications
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 05/23/2024.
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:
Responds to inquiries concerning system outages and issues, daily concerns and trends, communication issues, and other administrative issues that may arise.
Plans, organizes, and coordinates with senior staff and line management personnel, conducting various phases of the project.
Gathers information, identifies, and analyzes issues, making recommendations to the supervisor concerning effectiveness and efficiency of work operations pertaining to administrative support activities.
Applies knowledge of all programs and functions to research issues, compile information, analyze data, identify trends and patterns, and present the information in the most effective manner in reports using charts, graphs, tables, and other visual means.
Researches and provides answers concerning the application of established policies, management processes, and program requirements and procedures.
Analyzes resolution progress, trends, patterns, and issues noted from observations and reports and provides recommendations to the supervisor and managers.
Applies program knowledge of business lines to resolve most administrative program issues independently.
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, in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position. TRANSCRIPTS 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 graduate level education. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) beyond the first year (total graduate semester hours minus 18) by 18. Add the two percentages. The computed percentage of the requirements must be at least 100%. TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED
You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:
Attention to DetailCustomer ServiceDecision MakingKnowledge 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 primarily sedentary, although slight physical effort 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 VHA Member Services
3401 SW 21st St Bldg 9
Topeka, KS 66604
US
- Name: VHA National Recruitment Center
- Phone: (844)456-5208
- Email: [email protected]