Clarification from the agency

Open to Current, Permanent, VA San Diego Health Care System (VASDHCS) Employees ONLY.

The duties include but are not limited to:

• Analyses information, researches and interprets VHA National and local policies, long-term care procedures, and prepares recommendations and provide updates to the Nurse Manager.
• Develops plans that ensure quality requirements beset on the Nursing Service, and specific sections are planned, developed, and implemented which are used to identify, prevent, and correct unsatisfactory conditions and elements which influence the regulatory accuracy and responsiveness of services provided to patients.
• Conducts compliance audits and detailed technical reviews of official Registered Nurse (RN) and Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) documents to ensure that all of CLC nurses are compliant with the Joint Commission (JC), Inspector General (IG), Nurse Professional Standards Board (NPSB), and Licensed Practical Nurses Standards Board (LPNSB) guidelines and regulations.
• Utilizes detailed analytical skills and Performance Improvement (PI) tools to perform a wide variety of management studies related to performance and productivity improvement and functional realignment.
• Provides administrative support for the CLC/Palliative Nursing Care, this includes the incumbent being responsible for managing the activities of the residency and student rotation programs and appointments.
• Offers procedural analysis of nursing programs effectiveness, conducts technical review of Official Personnel Files (OPFs), and continuously monitors the process and recommends improvements that will enhance timeliness and the quality of residency student program outcomes as well.
• Monitors and reports on the completion of RN and LPN proficiency reports and completion of competency assessments for CLC.
• Tracks staff training hours to ensure compliance with the minimum training required for each position if applicable.
• Develops training as it relates to the Nursing staff having to perform administrative task or meet national requirements, develops learning and dissemination tools, resources, and training guides to support community of living operations and manage access metrics, with particular attention given to patterns in data requests from San Diego Executive Leadership staff.
• Provides administrative and data analysis in support of the Comprehensive Integrated Inpatient Rehabilitation Program (CIIRP), This is an inpatient rehabilitation program for Veteran survivors of serious injury or illness.
• Provides administrative and data analysis in support of the annual Long-Term Care Survey; helps in promoting V-signals and Bereaved Family Survey, and tracks SAIL metrics in the Community Living Center.
• Provides support in compliance with policies and regulatory standards, including those aligned with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and The Joint Commission.

Performs other related duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 7:00am to 3:30pm
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Program Specialist/PD141070
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized.
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved.
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.

Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level (GS-09) 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.

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, 05/21/2026.

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 level. For a GS-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07 level. 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-07:

• Specialized Experience: You must have one (1) 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. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to:

1. Standard directives, administrative policies, and management and organizational theories.
2. Uses judgment in choosing, interpreting, or adapting available guidelines to specific issues.
3. Analyzes the situation against the current guidelines that cover it and makes recommendations for changes.

OR,

• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have one (1) full year of graduate level education or superior academic achievement .

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 one year of graduate level.

GS-09:

• Specialized Experience: You must have one (1) 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:

1. Utilize a broad range of administrative and analytical principles, practices, and techniques with the ability to apply them to the specialized requirements of a healthcare delivery system in a rapidly changing environment.
2. Abstract data from various computer databases and non-automated sources.
3. Compile and analyze data; present the facts and background information in a logical, succinct manner.

OR,

• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have 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 a graduate degree.

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

• Attention to Detail
• Customer Service
• Decision Making
• Flexibility
• Integrity/Honesty
• Interpersonal Skills
• Learning
• Reading Comprehension
• Reasoning
• Self-Management
• Stress Tolerance
• Teamwork

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.

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