Clarification from the agency

This position is open to ONLY, Current, Permanent, San Diego VA Healthcare System Employees.

As the Program Specialist, the incumbent will collaborate with the Orthopedic and Podiatry Section Chiefs in providing overall administrative and program support. The incumbent will also provide administrative support to other areas within the Surgery Service and complete special projects, as assigned, by the Administrative Officer in the Surgery Service. The incumbent participates in high priority projects and performs analysis of performance goals and improvement initiatives for the Orthopedic and Podiatry Sections. The incumbent advises Service Leadership based on evaluation and analysis of resource, workload and productivity data for the Orthopedic and Podiatry Sections that leads to performance improvement and organizational efficiency.
Major duties include, but are not limited to:

• Serves as an evaluator, advisor and performance improvement advocate for the Sections and the inter-service activities in which the Orthopedics and Podiatry plays a role
• Serves as Consult Manager for the Orthopedic and Podiatry Sections ensuring consults are addressed timely and appropriately.
• Performs program cost analyses such as development of life cycle times, or performance of cost benefit or economic evaluations of programs/initiatives. Independently conducts cost-effectiveness studies for clinical or administrative programs with service-wide and/or facility-wide impact.
• Analyzes scheduling/overbooking trends, workload variations, labor mapping and potential problems and inconsistencies by monitoring and reviewing clinical capacity, patient appointment lead times, anticipated workload and provider schedules and duty hours.
• Develops reports and visual aids to track and explain trends to communicate information to the Section Chief(s) for evaluation and modification of program operations and milestones.
• Administrative responsibilities include service specific performance measures, monitoring clinic access, the consult and encounters processes, assist in identifying clinical personnel needs, patient satisfaction, patient flow and will provide data for service strategic business planning for subspecialties in both Orthopedic Surgery and Podiatry.
• Develops procedures and systems for establishing, operating and assessing the effectiveness of administrative control systems and line or operating programs.
• Evaluates processes, or makes recommendations for effective programmatic and organizational changes
• Provides advice on the distribution of workload among positions within the Program, and the skill mix or categories of employees needed to perform the work. Develops proposals that involve comprehensive analysis prior to recommending significant changes in workforce distribution, positions and/or functional responsibility. Develops manpower utilization proposals.
• Performs budgetary analysis and fund control point management for the Orthopedic and Podiatry Sections.
• Assists with the formulation of new policies and procedures and revises existing Medical Center and Service-wide policies and procedures as necessary. Drafts new and revised Medical Center Memoranda and similar documents that become official Medical Center policy upon review and concurrence of senior hospital leadership. Drafts responses to action items tasked through the Chief of Staff, Director's Office, VISN or VACO. Prepares controlled correspondence and researches and provides written responses to patient complaints directed towards Surgery Service providers and employees (primarily within the Orthopedic and Podiatry Sections).
• Acts as recorder and transcribes notes from the meetings. Types final minutes for approval of the appropriate Chief(s) and distributes minutes to all members and higher level approving officials.
• Reviews correspondence and documents prepared for signature of or requiring coordination by the Chief(s) for conformance with regulations, grammar and format. On own initiative, returns such communications to the originator when not in conformance with known policies or correspondence regulations.
• Performs work involving the collection, compilation, and/or tracking of data and statistical information in support of the assigned sections. Assists in the planning, review and reporting of data/statistical results of program/project studies

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: Full-time, Monday-Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Program Specialist/PD09701A
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
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• 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)

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 or trial 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, 03/13/2026.

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-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. 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) appoint

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-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 collaborating with the Section Chiefs, providing administrative support in completing special projects, participating in high priority projects and performing analysis of performance goals and improvement initiatives. NOTE: 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. OR,
• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have (1) full year of successfully completed graduate level education that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. NOTE: Education at the graduate level must have been obtained in an accredited college or university and transcripts must be submitted with application. Education cannot be credited without documentation. OR,
• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education directly related to the work of the position. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify for that grade level as outlined above for the GS-07 level. NOTE: If using education combined with specialized experience to qualify, a copy of your transcript is required.

GS-09

• 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 collaborating with the Section Chiefs, providing administrative support in completing special projects, participating in high priority projects and performing analysis of performance goals and improvement initiatives. NOTE: 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. OR,
• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have (2) years of progressively higher-level graduate education or masters or equivalent graduate degree or LL.B. or J.D., in a related field of the position to be filled. Education at the graduate level must have been obtained in an accredited college or university and must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with application. Education cannot be credited without documentation. OR,
• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education directly related to the work of the position. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify for that grade level as outlined above. Only 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 level . NOTE: If using education combined with specialized experience to qualify, a copy of your transcript is required.

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:

• Auditing
• Clerical
• Computer Skills
• Customer Service
• Technical Competence

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.

Preferred Experience: 2 Years of progressive administrative experience.

Physical Requirements: Work is primarily sedentary, although some 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/.

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.

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
• Resume
• 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.

Next steps