Program Analyst

The duties below are for the GS-09.
Duties include but are not limited to:

• Program evaluation and process improvement:
  • Plans and conducts assigned analytical studies of Member Services and Veterans Transportation Service programs, such as enrollment processing, registration accuracy, beneficiary travel workflows, special mode transportation (SMT) consult handling, and VTS routing and utilization, to assess efficiency, effectiveness, and alignment with regulatory requirements and local policy.
  • Uses established methodologies such as process mapping, root-cause analysis, workflow reviews, and workload/time-motion assessments to identify bottlenecks, duplication, error sources, and variation in local processes, including work performed at associated outpatient locations.
  • Develops options and recommendations for improvements to workflows, internal controls, role responsibilities, and supporting tools. Prepares issue papers, decision memoranda, briefings, and implementation-support materials for MS/VTS leadership review.
• Performance measurement and data analysis:
  • Maintains and updates established performance measures, reports, and dashboards for key MS/VTS functions, including application timeliness, registration error rates, eligibility decision accuracy, beneficiary travel processing times, SMT and VTS utilization, and no-show and cancellation patterns, to support management oversight.
  • Extracts, validates, and compiles data from established MS/VTS information systems and reporting tools, such as VistA, VES, BTSSS, VetRide, CPRS-based tools, and reporting platforms, to produce recurring and ad hoc analytic reports and visualizations for leadership.
  • Applies established quantitative techniques, including trend and variance analysis, basic statistical methods, and comparisons by site, clinic, provider, or population, to identify emerging issues, differences in performance, and opportunities for local improvement
• Compliance review and program oversight:
  • Conducts assigned review activities addressing areas such as eligibility determinations, enrollment and registration data integrity, beneficiary travel and SMT decisions, documentation sufficiency, and compliance with CFR, VHA directives, and local policy.
  • Conducts sampling and analytic reviews of records using established criteria to identify error rates, potential compliance concerns, and recurring procedural issues; documents findings and prepares suggested procedural or training actions for supervisory review.
  • Tracks assigned corrective action plans resulting from audits and reviews and prepares follow-up analyses to determine whether identified deficiencies have been addressed and whether control improvements are effective and sustainable.
• Implementation support and training coordination:
  • Assist in translating approved analytic findings and policy changes into updated standard operating procedures, standard work documents, desk guides, checklists, and reference tools for MS/VTS staff.
  • Collaborates with supervisors, education staff, and subject matter experts to identify training needs arising from audits and performance data and recommends training content or approaches to address identified gaps in knowledge, skills, or processes.
  • Assists with the development and delivery of targeted training or briefings (in-person and virtual) to explain new processes, clarify expectations, and reinforce compliance requirements and standard work.
• Coordination, reporting, and related duties:
  • Participates in MS, VTS, and cross-service meetings and workgroups as a program analysis resource, presenting data, review results, and proposed improvement recommendations, and providing analytic input to discussions.
  • Provides analytic input for supervisory or management consideration in the drafting or revision of local policies, SOPs, and memoranda that govern eligibility, enrollment, beneficiary travel, SMT, and related MS/VTS operations.
  • Prepares status reports, summaries, and responses to information requests from facility leadership, VISN, or other oversight bodies regarding MS/VTS performance and compliance, consistent with established reporting requirements.
• Other duties as assigned

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: M-F 8:00 am - 4:30 pm or as determined by the supervisor
Compressed/Flexible: This may be authorized at the supervisor's discretion
Telework: Not eligible for Telework
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Program Analyst/ GS-07 03484O, GS-09 03485O

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.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary, requiring extended periods at a computer or in meetings. Some walking, standing, and carrying of materials is required within the medical center. Traveling to CBOCs and other VAPAHCS locations may be required to conduct on-site studies, data collection, and training.
• 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, 10/14/2026.

Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade at 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. 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-05 for the GS-07 and GS-07 for the 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:
    • Serving as a liaison between internal program offices and external stakeholders to exchange information, coordinate activities, and resolve routine issues.
    • Collecting, consolidating, and communicating stakeholder input, program requirements, concerns, and action items.
    • Preparing clear written correspondence, reports, meeting summaries, briefings, or other communication materials for a variety of audiences.
    • Coordinating meetings, workgroups, outreach activities, or program-related events; documenting decisions, commitments, and follow-up actions.
    • Tracking stakeholder requests, program issues, deadlines, and deliverables; providing timely status updates to leadership and stakeholders.
    • Applying organizational policies, procedures, and guidance when responding to inquiries or communicating program information.
    • Identifying communication gaps or recurring stakeholder concerns and recommending improvements to processes, materials, or coordination methods.
    • Maintaining accurate records, contact lists, correspondence files, and tracking systems that support stakeholder engagement and program operations.

. OR

• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level, you must have:
  • GS-07 - 1 full year of graduate-level education or superior academic achievement.
  • GS-09 - 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

OR,

• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education beyond successful completion of post-high school education, and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements for the grade levels specified.

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:

• Analytical Reasoning
• Manages and Organizes Information
• Planning and Evaluating
• Writing

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.

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; religious; 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.

Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities [i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities], and/or Disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. Contact the Agency Contact for information on how to apply under this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator.

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

• Resume

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)
• Professional Certification
• Proof of Marriage Status
• Resume
• Separation Notice (RIF)
• 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 50s 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-50s at the highest grade held with an effective date more than one year old.

Veterans' Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire. You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.). If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference" with required proof as stated on the form. Documentation is required to award preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit Feds Hire Vets - Veterans - Job Seekers - Veterans' Preference.

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 not to deny employment to those who have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

NOTE: Participation in the seasonal influenza program is a condition of employment and a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). It is a requirement that all HCP receive annual seasonal influenza vaccination or obtain an exemption for medical or religious reasons. Wearing a face mask is required when an exemption to the influenza vaccination has been granted. HCP in violation of this directive may face disciplinary action up to and including removal from federal service. HCP are individuals who, during the influenza season, work in VHA locations or who come into contact with VA patients or other HCP as part of their duties. VHA locations include, but are not limited to, VA hospitals and associated clinics, community living centers (CLCs), community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs), domiciliary units, Vet centers, and VA-leased medical facilities. HCP include all VA licensed and unlicensed, clinical and administrative, remote and onsite, paid and without compensation, full- and part-time employees, intermittent employees, fee basis employees, VA contractors, researchers, volunteers and health professions trainees (HPTs) who are expected to perform any or all of their work at these facilities. HPTs may be paid or unpaid and include residents, interns, fellows and students. HCP also includes VHA personnel providing home-based care to Veterans and drivers and other personnel whose duties put them in contact with patients outside VA medical facilities.

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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