Program Analyst

Clarification from the agency

Current, permanent Veterans Health Administration (VHA) employees and CTAP eligible only. Current, permanent employees of the John D. Dingell VA Medical Center will receive first consideration. Ensure you review the "Required Documents" section and provide all necessary documentation for the eligibility you are claiming.

The major duties of the full performance level GS-9 Program Analyst include, but are not limited to:

• Collect, process, validate, and coordinate Medicine Service data used for workload, staffing, productivity, fiscal, and operational decisions.
• Analyze DSS, ALBCC, labor mapping, workload capture, RVUs, and product-costing information; identify discrepancies and recommend corrections.
• Run and analyze Encounter Action Required, unsigned/un-cosigned note, view-alert, and related reports to support accurate workload documentation.
• Gather, maintain, and report OPPE/FPPE workload and performance information for physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners.
• Assist with recruitment, credentialing, privileging, retention, and onboarding of physicians, PAs, NPs, and other Medicine Service staff.
• Prepare physician productivity reports, identify performance outside established ranges, and assist leadership with action plans.
• Initiate 2237s and prepare purchase documents for equipment and services; monitor fund control-point use and conformance with budget plans.
• Monitor and report time and attendance for Medicine Service personnel across multiple pay plans, leave categories, and special-pay situations.
• Review time-and-attendance records for completeness and required supporting documentation, including medical certificates and jury summons.
• Prepare reports, correspondence, briefings, and recommendations; communicate findings tactfully with Medicine Service leadership, staff, and external stakeholders.

Duties at the GS-07 level will be in a developmental capacity.

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.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:00am-3:30pm
Telework: This position may be authorized for AD-HOC telework per agency policy and approval from supervisor.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Program Analyst/PD920900 and PD920890
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.
• Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required.
• Subject to background/security investigation
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 10/06/2026.

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-7 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-5. For a GS-9 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-7. 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:

GS-7:

• Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-5 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 with others between various units and offices to accomplish work related projects; analyzing work flow to determine potential problem areas and making recommendations to correct; proofreading documents for grammatical errors; notifying others of pending appointments and meetings; advising others on processes or procedures; using a computer to enter and maintain data for programs; and sorting and processing incoming correspondence. OR,
• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have one year of full-time graduate education or a Bachelor's degree with Superior Academic Achievement (SAA) in a course of study that directly relates to the position. The education must be in a course of study that directly reflects the job-related KSAs/competencies necessary to satisfy the minimum qualification and perform the duties of the position. One year of graduate education is 18 semester hours or the number determined by the school attended to represent one year of full-time study. SAA is based on class standing (upper third), GPA (3.0 or above) or honor society membership (Transcripts must be submitted). OR,
• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education to qualify. This can be determined by adding total qualifying experience as a percentage of the required experience and education as a percentage of the total required. The total percentage must equal 100 percent. (Transcripts must be submitted).

GS-9:

• Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-7 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Assisting with collecting, compiling, and/ or tracking data and statistical information in support of program operations; processing and analyzing data and monitoring and updating reports; identifying, analyzing, and recommending solutions to problems; making recommendations based on analysis of statistical data for process improvements; maintaining computerized databases or information tracking systems. OR,
• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed a master's or equivalent graduate degree which is directly related to the Program Analyst position, or 2 full academic years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, or an LL.B. or J.D., if related to the work of this position. The education must be in a course of study that directly reflects the job-related KSAs/competencies necessary to satisfy the minimum qualification and perform the duties of the position. (Transcripts must be submitted). 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 GS-07. Only graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level, GS-07, may be used to qualify applicants for positions at grade GS-9. For example: The position to be filled is a Management Analyst, GS-343-9. 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 that which is required for GS-7. 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: Current, permanent VHA employees must submit a SF-50 dated in 2026 to receive consideration as a federal employee. You may obtain a copy of your SF-50 from your eOPF. Failure to provide this will exclude you from your claimed eligibility and will result in disqualifcation.

• ATTENTION: You may need to submit more than one SF-50 if we cannot verify you meet time-in-grade (TIG) by your most recent SF-50. For example, if your most recent SF-50 is a General Adjustment or change in data element, we need your 2026 SF-50 and another SF-50 to verify TIG. Examples of SF-50s for TIG verification include your last within-grade increase or promotion to highest grade held. Promotion shows when you started the grade level and a within-grade increase verifies you were at that grade level for at least one year. Failure to provide a SF-50 dated in 2026 to prove area of consideration eligibility and another SF-50(s) to verify you meet the TIG requirement will result in you being disqualified. We cannot verify time-in-grade based only on the grade and step you are currently on.

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/.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following Competencies for this position:

• Technical Competence
• Analysis and Problem Solving
• Organizational Performance Analysis
• Attention to Detail
• Information Management
• Database Management Systems
• Planning and Evaluating
• Decision Making
• Oral Communication
• Written Communication
• Interpersonal Skills
• Veteran and Customer Focus

Your experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. 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. IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. If you are a federal employee, your resume must show your series and grade. See https://help.usajobs.gov/faq/application/documents/resume/what-to-include for more information.

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.

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

The assessment includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment.

VA Healthcare System 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.

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

• Resume
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action

The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please make sure you have included other documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), documentation to support Veterans Preference claims, or ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees). You will not be contacted for additional information.

• Cover Letter
• DD-214/ Statement of Service
• Disability Letter (Schedule A)
• Disability Letter (VA)
• Other (1)
• Other (2)
• Other (3)
• Performance Appraisal
• Professional Certification
• Resume
• Separation Notice (RIF)
• SF-15
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action (if applicable for Time in Grade and/or Eligibility):

• Most recent SF-50 if you are a current or former Federal employee
• An SF-50 showing 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
• Award 50's do not provide sufficient information and will not be accepted for the purpose of verifying time-in-grade.
• Examples of appropriate SF-50's include:
  • Within grade increases at the highest grade held; or
  • Promotions with an effective date more than one year old; or
  • SF-50's at the highest grade held with an effective date more than one year old.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.

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