The Program Specialist for the Boise veterans Service Center (VSC) located at the Veterans Benefits Administration, Boise Regional Office, Boise, ID and provides advice and assistance to the management staff relative to effective operations of the Veterans Service programs in the state of Idaho.

Duties

Major Duties: The incumbent manages changing workloads and gathers and organizes selected information such as budget and staffing information to be provided to the Veterans Service Center Manager (VSCM) and the Assistant Veterans Service Center Manager (AVSCM). Serves as the primary or alternate manager of the VSC Corporate mailbox, maintaining incoming correspondence, assigning responsibility for inquiries, and tracking responses. Serves as the alternate or primary contact ensuring overtime documentation is provided and input by support services personnel. Assists in areas of workload management as deemed necessary. Maintains standard office equipment, supplies, forms, and record keeping systems for the VSC. Controls scheduling for conference calls by the VSCM and designated staff and advises participants of meetings and other official functions initiated by the VSCM and AVSCM. Acts as a liaison or handles communication with persons and/or groups within and outside of the division, organization, and office. Maintains liaison and communications with persons and groups from both within and outside the organization, speaking for the VSCM and AVSM on administrative issues. Screens and determines the proper disposition of all incoming correspondence, both internal and external. Maintains a communications link with the Office of Field Operations, Regional District Office, and various other essential points of contact to exchange information or obtain clarification as needed. Routine correspondence, both internal and external may be initiated covering any topic. The incumbent is also designated as the primary or alternate VSC Correspondence Control Officer. Responses, when received, are proofread for format and content, and dispatched as appropriate using regular, facsimile, or electronic mail. Correspondence addressed to the VSCM and AVSCM is screened and properly routed based on content and importance. The incumbent performs a full range of procedural duties in support of the VSC division including arranging conferences for staff within the office and providing or following up on requests for information by the VSCM or appropriate staff members. Prepares, reviews and edits letters and reports for correspondence accuracy and completeness. Ensures proper format and grammatical correctness for concise, accurate, and professional document prior to the VSCM's signature. Stays abreast of changes in policy and procedures; and keep the VSCM informed of any changes. Screens all incoming and local publications, directives, and periodicals. Advises VSCM or appropriate staff member regarding issues of concern with the VSCM or appropriate staff members.

Requirements

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• You may be required to serve a trial/probationary period.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
• If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application.
• All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 10/16/2024. 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-07 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05. 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. 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. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: GS-7: A) 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. Specialized experience is defined as experience producing professional communications (briefings, reports, correspondences) to internal and external contacts to an office setting and experience providing recommendations to management on administrative operations such as budgeting, staffing, and/or workload management. OR B) Education Substitution: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education you must have: 1 full year of GRADUATE level education. Graduate level education must demonstrate the competencies necessary to do the work of the position; or A Bachelor's degree with Superior Academic Achievement (3.0 GPA or higher). Superior Academic Achievement (SAA) is based on: 1) class standing, 2) grade point average or 3) honor society membership. For more information on calculating SAA please visit www.opm.gov OR C) Equivalent combinations of Specialized Experience and Graduate Education: A combination of successfully completed post high school education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements. To calculate, first identify your total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required; then determine your education as a percentage of the education required; then add the two percentages. The total of percentages must equal 100% to qualify. Graduate level education must demonstrate the competencies necessary to do the work of the position. GS-09: A) 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. Specialized experience is defined as experience producing professional communications (briefings, reports, correspondences) to internal and external contacts to an office setting and experience providing recommendations to management on administrative operations such as budgeting, staffing, and/or workload management. OR B) Education Substitution: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education you must have: Master's or equivalent graduate degree; OR 2 full years of progressively higher level GRADUATE level education leading to such a degree; OR LL.B. or J.D., if related For graduate education to be creditable, it must demonstrate the competencies (as listed in How You Will Be Evaluated) required for this position. OR C) Equivalent combinations of Specialized Experience and Graduate Education: A combination of successfully completed post high school education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements. To calculate, first identify your total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required; then determine your education as a percentage of the education required; then add the two percentages. The total of percentages must equal 100% to qualify. Graduate level education must demonstrate the competencies necessary to do the work of the position. 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: This position is primarily sedentary with some walking, standing, bending, and carrying of lightweight items (i.e. folders, claims files). For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at http://://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

Education

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education to be credited towards qualifications. Provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

All education claimed by applicants will be verified upon appointment. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript to receive credit.

Contacts

• Address Boise Regional Benefit Office 444 W. Fort Street Boise, ID 83702-4531 US
• Name: Diana Borts
• Phone: 515-323-5822
• Email: [email protected]