Program Specialist

Clarification from the agency

This vacancy is open ONLY to current, permanent Honolulu, HI; Salt Lake City, UT; Reno, NV or Seattle, WA VBA Regional Office employees and current/former VA employees who are CTAP eligible. For the purpose of this job announcement, Fiduciary Hub bargaining unit employees in the commuting area are considered facility employees.

Specific duties include

• Provides management advisory services in counseling, advising management on developing and maintaining the proper balance between organization strategic plans and goals and human resource development programs.
• Collaborates with the staff/managers to develop and implement policies, procedures, and guidelines which institute processes for work to run as effectively and efficiently as possible.
• Conducts data reviews and analyzes data results, identifying any data trends and making recommendations for updating or creating new processes and procedures to help increase workflow.
• The incumbent is assigned to special projects to include new initiatives and provides scenarios, possible issues or concerns and viable solutions to potential barriers for meeting new initiatives or structures in a timely manner.
• Tracks any lag time with recruitment or classification actions. Provides solutions to management on how to improve processing times for recruitment actions.
• Assists in the duties for the following programs: Employee Engagement and Recognition Programs, and Performance Management.
• Creates internal policies, procedures, and guidelines for staff to follow.
• Creates policies and procedures to institute processes to make current HR tasks run more efficient and smoother.
• The incumbent is assigned timekeeper duties for assigned personnel.
• Provides advice and assistance on all assigned tasks or projects regarding administrative influence or HR related outcomes.
• Conducts and serves on special committees as assigned that address emergency preparedness subjects, as well as emergency and contingency planning for the workforce.
• Provides updated personnel data to aid committee members in making informed decision.
• Provides technical advice and assistance and disseminates human resource information to organization.
• Review's classification standards, guides, to assist and coordinate classification assignments.
• Provides advice and assistance on automated classification system eClass 360.
• Prepares and presents reports and briefings on assignment status and/or recommended actions to appropriate individuals.
• Assists in the development of initiatives to improve management processes and systems using the most efficient utilization of human resources.
• Provides guidance on merit system principles, prohibited personnel practices, the development and use of valid selection criteria, and other approaches that may help in staffing the organization and in improving employee productivity, morale, and retention.
• Coordinates analyses and recommendations with other HR Specialists as appropriate.
• Prepares, compiles, publishes, and ensures the validity and accuracy of data developed and uniformity in reports and studies.
• Provides advice and assistance in the areas of discipline, adverse actions, grievances, performance management and recognition, employee counseling, and related functions.
• Coordinates with legal officials as appropriate.
• Provides advice and assistance to managers and supervisors who are responsible for compliance with EEO, affirmative action, and other special emphasis programs.
• Keeps employees informed regarding policies and latest regulations on health and life insurance benefits, retirement, and other benefits, training, time and attendance, pay, leave, overtime, awards, employment opportunities, and other personnel actions.
• Perform 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. The grade progression for this position is GS-09, GS-11, and GS-12.

Work Schedule: Full Time- Monday through Friday 7:00am-3:30pm
Compressed/Flexible: Not available
Telework: This position is eligible for situational (ad hoc) telework only. The selectee is required to report to the official duty station each scheduled workday. Telework may be approved only on a case-by-case basis with supervisory approval. Routine or recurring telework is not authorized for this position.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Program Specialist; PD39563A, PD39564A, and PD39565A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized .
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Conditions of employment

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary 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.

Additional Conditions of Employment are as follows:

• 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
• 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 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.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement:09/18/2026.

TIME-IN-GRADE REQUIREMENT: As a current Federal, GS employee you must 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 level.
• For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09 level.
• For a GS-12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-11 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.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENT: You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:

GS-09 Grade Level:

Specialized Experience: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience at least the next lower grade level (GS-7) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience is defined as experience performing employee and management advisory services for specific requests requiring research of human resources policies and practices relating to staffing, employee relations, or benefits.
Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to:

• Guide employees in resolving primarily common work-related or personal problems;
• Provide leaders and employees with information and interpretations of the organization's policies, procedures, and guidelines;
• Provide advice regarding appropriate levels of personnel actions

OR

Education Substitution: Applicants may substitute education for the experience required to qualify at the GS-9 grade level.

• Master's or equivalent graduate degree, if related (You must provide transcripts); OR
• Two (2) full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree; or LL.B. or J.D., if related (You must provide transcripts)

GS-11 Grade Level:

Specialized Experience: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience at least the next lower grade level (GS-09) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience is defined as experience applying and providing guidance on multiple fields of Human Resources rules, regulations, and procedures including Personnel Management, Recruitment and Staffing, Classification, Employee Benefits (OWCP, retirements, and insurance programs), and/or Labor Relations. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to:

• Provide advisory services to leaders and employees on a range of human resources concepts, laws, and policies.
• Assist leadership in solving a range of complex problems and issues.
• Participate in policy development groups or projects based on broad organizational requirements.

OR

Education Substitution: Applicants may substitute education for the experience required to qualify at the GS-11 grade level.

• Education substitution of a Ph.D or equivalent doctoral degree (You must provide transcripts); OR
• Three full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M, if related. (You must provide transcripts)

GS-12 Grade Level:

Specialized Experience: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience which was at the GS-11 level and must have been held in the Federal Government. Specialized experience is defined as experience providing advisory services, quality review services, or experience drafting and approving standard operating procedures and/or other forms of regulatory guidance covering multiple fields of Human Resources rules, regulations, and procedures including Personnel Management, Recruitment and Staffing, Classification, Employee Benefits (OWCP, retirements, and insurance programs), and/or Employee and Labor Relations. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to:

• Provide advice and guidance in the areas of classification and staffing and recruitment.
• Defending agency actions in front of a 3rd party hearing (FLRA, MSPB).
• Experience as the chief negotiator in labor negotiations.
• There is no education substitution at the GS 12 grade level.

Combining Education & Experience: If you do not fully meet the length of experience and education described for a specific grade level (e.g. have six months of experience and some coursework but not a degree), the two can be combined to total 100% of the requirement. Click here for more information.

Volunteer Experience: 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.

Full vs. Part-Time Employment: Full-time employment is considered to be at least 35 hours per week. Part-time experience will be credited on a pro-rated basis; when including part-time employment in your resume you must specify the average hours worked per week.

Physical Requirements: The work is sedentary. Some work may require walking in offices and similar areas for meetings and to conduct HR work. Work may also require walking and standing in conjunction with travel to and attendance at meetings and conferences away from the worksite. The work does not require any special physical effort.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at http://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. You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. 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 also be assessed on the following competencies during the hiring process (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

• Technical Competence - Understands and appropriately applies procedures, requirements, regulations, and policies related to specialized expertise (for example, engineering, physical science, law, or accounting); maintains credibility with others on technical matters.
• Reasoning - Identifies rules, principles, or relationships that explain facts, data, or other information; analyzes information and makes correct inferences or draws accurate conclusions.
• Oral Communication: Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately.
• Written Communication: Expresses facts and ideas in writing in a succinct and organized manner
• Interpersonal Skills: Shows understanding, friendliness, courtesy, tact, empathy, concern, and politeness to others; develops and maintains effective relationships with others; may include effectively dealing with individuals who are difficult, hostile, or distressed; relates well to people from varied backgrounds and different situations; is sensitive to cultural diversity, race, gender, disabilities, and other individual differences.

The USA Hire Assessment will assess on the following competencies:

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

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.
To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link:https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13058679

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 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.

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete application package to include the documents detailed below. Failure to submit the required documents may result in your application being considered incomplete and you being deemed ineligible. It is your responsibility to ensure your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. We will not request additional documentation or accept late or missing documents after the announcement has closed.

• Resume, limited to 2-pages, detailing specialized experience and competencies as they relate to this position.
  • For each position in your resume, you must specify the start and end dates (month/year) and a description of duties. If the position was Federal, you must also indicate the grade level. Resumes containing a general summary of all positions held, not specifying start/end dates, and/or not including Federal grade level(s) are insufficient to determine basic qualifications.
• Transcript if you are using education to qualify.
  • Your transcript must show coursework and the total number of credits earned to include graduation date and degree. A diploma is NOT sufficient to determine qualifications.
• Your most recent NON-AWARD SF-50. The SF-50 must indicate proof of status and should identify your position title, series, grade, step, salary, tenure, and type of service (Competitive or Excepted).
• Your SF-50 reflecting when you entered your highest grade (e.g., Promotion, Appointment, etc.) in order to verify time-in-grade requirements.

Additional Documents accepted:

• Most recent Performance Appraisal (VA Form 0750)
• Award SF-50s
• CTAP documentation - RIF notice, SF-50 showing VA employee, and performance appraisal.

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.

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