Duties
The incumbent is the Program Support in Surgical Service and is responsible for performing a variety of administrative, analytical/evaluative work, technical functions, tasks, and projects.
Duties include but are not limited to the following:
- Participate in special studies on various subjects, most of which require extensive investigation and analysis, which may include reviews of various Surgical Service programs for efficiency and effectiveness and status reports dealing with critical operational matters.
- Must be knowledgeable about the mission and operational objectives of Surgical Service and the Memphis VA Medical Center. Required to have a working knowledge of all the programs and sections in Surgical Service so that support can be provided to them.
- Will frequently be called upon to identify and analyze atypical situations in Surgical Service and to advise the management team on appropriate corrective actions.
- Serves as training coordinator for the Surgical Service clinical teams.
- Arrange training for staff and trainees on topics such as workload and productivity, closing encounters, completing consults, documentation and coding, clinic utilization, clinic profile management, and clinic cancellations.
- Act as training and development coordinator for Surgical Service's administrative team.
- Review and recommend any needed changes to administrative policies. Develop, coordinate, and implement office procedures and practices to be used by administrative support.
- Conducts quarterly informal training sessions in such topics as correspondence preparation and distribution, business writing skills, email etiquette, telephone courtesy, reporting responsibilities, budget, and acquisition, equipment and supply inventory, and reconciliation of UT billing.
- Coordinate activities of the Surgical Service Safety Program, including Chemical Inventories, regular Environment of Care inspections, maintaining update-to-date Disaster Plan, Service Level Preparedness Plan and ongoing staff safety training, fire drills, and evacuation exercises.
- Monitor the service's compliance with The Joint Commission (TJC) and Medical Center standards.
- Incumbent will manage clerical functions, act as Subject Matter Expert (SME), assess workflow and implement efficient procedures to enhance effectiveness.
- Incumbent serves as the approved and delegated Contracting Officer's Technical Representative (COTR) for contracts and sharing agreements.
- Must possess extensive knowledge of the product/equipment or services required in the discipline of the contract in order to draft or revise said proposed contract.
- Works closely with clinical staff in the establishment of performance measure monitors to ensure measures are being met and appropriate reporting to Contracting and the Compliance Officer.
- Assist in using the Invoice Payment Processing System (IPPS) to access, research, and approve invoices for payment.
- Assist in completing annual performance evaluation reports of the contractor and sharing agreement holders. Assist in submitting reports into the contracting system (Forecast of Opportunities and Requirements Center of Excellence - FORCE).
- Maintain certifications as a contracting officer's representative (COR) and Talent Management System (TMS) administrator to track and assist with mandatory training requirements.
- Specialist acts as liaison between patients and the Service Line to resolve surgical complaints and issues at the lowest level. Analyze patient care processes to identify and reduce potential problems. Conduct analysis and suggest solutions or alternatives to existing processes.
- Promote patient satisfaction within Service Line. Communicate feedback to patients through the appropriate professional/administrative staff. Assist and respond to official inquiries received from the Patient Advocate Tracking System Reports, Congressional, White House Hotline, and VA-Exec inquiries.
- Performs other duties as assigned.
Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Program Specialist
/PD504750
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- 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 probationary/trial period
- 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 dentification 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)
Qualifications
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/03/2025.
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: .Specialized experience is defined as: Knowledge of medical/legal issues, peer review, occurrence screens, patient safety reports, quality management, lean process and medical records. Demonstrates knowledge of quality management principles, program responsibility and program goals and objectives, work processes and administrative operations of the organization. Must possess knowledge of the clinical services available in the organization in order to respond or direct inquires appropriately. Understanding of the operations and responsibilities of the Quality Management Service and other services. Knowledge of the supervisor's goals, priorities, policies, and commitments to perform special and routine assignments related to quality and risk initiatives.
- OR,
- Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have possess 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..
- 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 graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be used to qualify applicants for positions at grades GS-9.You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:
- Attention to Detail
- Manages and Organizes Information
- Oral Communication
- Technical Competence
- Administration and 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: Work may be done while seated, such as working at a computer, and also may require mobility (walking, bending, squatting, reaching and assuming awkward positions) to complete review existing/proposed telephone placements. The work requires some physical exertion such as long periods of standing and reoccurring lifting of moderately heavy items.
Work Environment: The work is performed in an office setting. The office of the individual will be within the physical structure of the hospital or one of its surrounding structures. The work area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated. The work environment includes everyday low risk or discomforts which require normal safety precautions typical of offices, meeting, and training rooms.
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
See qualification for education requirements.
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/.
Benefits
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Review our benefits
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How You Will Be Evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.
Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview. Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.
The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.
For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.
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.
It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.
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.
How to Apply
All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 09/03/2025 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12788122.
- To begin, click Apply Online to create a USA JOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
- Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.
NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.
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.
The
Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and
Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal/VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be
well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at
http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.
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.
Next steps
Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. After we receive application packages (including all required documents) and the vacancy announcement closes, we will review applications to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email. Referred applicants will be notified as such and may be contacted directly by the hiring office for an interview. All referred applicants receive a final notification once a selection decision has been made.
You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USA Jobs account and clicking on Applications. Information regarding your application status can be found in the USAJobs Help Center.
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 to 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.