Program Specialist

Clarification from the agency

This position is OPEN TO CURRENT, PERMANENT LAS VEGAS FACILITY ONLY EMPLOYEES.

The position serves as a Program Specialist assigned to the Survivors Assistance and Memorial Support (SAMS) Program under the Chief, Social Work at the VA medical facility as a primary person responsible for the facility SAMS Program. SAMS's focus is to provide personalized, supportive services to families, caregivers and survivors at the end of a Veteran's life and ensure Veterans without identified family receive dignified burials to honor their service.

The incumbent serves in a developmental capacity at the GS-0301-07 level. Key functions will be like those described at the full performance level of the target position. Advancement to the Program Specialist, GS-0301-09 position description number will be recommended only after it has been determined that the incumbent meets all regulatory and statutory requirements, is satisfactorily progressing in the training, is successfully performing the currently assigned range of duties and responsibilities as outlined in this SOD.

Duties include, but may not be limited to the following:

• Ensures compliance with local policy and procedures pertaining to patients who expire while receiving Department of Veterans Affairs - authorized care in a medical center, hospital, nursing home or domiciliary care setting.
• Ensures Veterans and their next of kin (NOK) receive respectful, compassionate and dignified care and services in accordance with Veterans Benefit Administration (VBA), Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and National Cemetery Administration (NCA), state and local law and regulations.
• Care and services reflect sensitivity to religious, cultural and special considerations of the Veteran and the NOK served.
• Supports health care management officials by advising and coordinating health care delivery systems and operations.
• Renders advice on operational policies and assures these policies conform with and are in support of administrative functions in coordination with the supervisor.
• Works closely with the Veterans Integrated Service Network point of contact, National SAMS Program, senior management officials and others to implement and evaluate policies, plans and internal operational systems.
• Advises Veterans and their NOK of burial benefits. Help NOK prearrange burial, interment, cremation, as desired by Veteran.
• Reviews eligibility and entitlement of burial and death allowances and advises on the process for applying for those benefits.
• Inform Veteran, caregiver and NOK of available supportive services within the medical facility.
• Reviews daily death notifications. Submits completed death certificates to designated Funeral Director and County Registrar's Office.
• Ensure Veterans with no relatives (unclaimed remains) are provided with a dignified funeral and burial at VA expense.
• Notifies clinical staff involved with care prior to death to contact the survivor within 24 hours of the pronouncement of death.
• Identifies, in collaboration with designated facility staff, a responsible funeral home for the unclaimed remains and prepares a purchase order and/or contract to this effect.
• Completes required VA authorizations to release personal effects and any remaining funds in the patient's account to NOK or designated party.
• Assists VA provider in contacting NOK so provider can request permission to do an autopsy. Records and transcribes consent as allowed.
• Coordinates with VA provider and NOK/legal designee in obtaining signed consent of Release of Remains.
• In collaboration with clinical staff coordinates release of remains with appropriate services/outside agencies in the event of autopsy, or organ/tissue/body donation. Follows local procedures for whole body donation.
• Collaborate with Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT), Pharmacy and Prosthetics to administratively cancel all appointments to include orders.
• Coordinates with Pathology Services to complete all forms and paperwork required to release the deceased remains to selected funeral home.
• Prepares and provides military information forms to the funeral home representative.
• Requests death certificates from the County Registrar's Office for all external notifications of a Veteran's death and updates records as appropriate within VA system.
• Coordinates the dispositions of personal funds and effects with the Office of General Council for Veterans that have been adjudicated as incompetent. This may require the position to appear in person at county court houses.

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 0730-1600
Compressed/Flexible: will be discussed during interview
Telework: not authorized
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Program Specialist/PD035130

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.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required.
• 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, 10/06/2026.

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

• Specialized Experience: You must have one 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: At the GS-07 developmental level, the incumbent will be assigned work and/or receive training with the objective of acquiring the qualifications needed to successfully perform duties such as applying organizational structure, policies, and procedures to the program's mission and administrative operations; applying analytical techniques to resolution of problems concerning the efficiency and effectiveness of program operations. 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 graduate level education or superior academic achievement.
• 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 a bachelor's degree.

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: applying organizational structure, policies, and procedures and skill in applying the program's mission, functions, objectives, work processes, and administrative operations; applying analytical and evaluative techniques to the identification, consideration, and resolution of issues or problems concerning the efficiency and effectiveness of program operations; knowledge of contractual and procurement guidelines and requirements to prepare requests, evaluate proposals, and ensure quality measures are met.

(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 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 (NOTE: If using education, you MUST submit transcripts at time of application)
• OR,
• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and graduate education beyond the first year or 18 semester hours to meet total experience requirements. (NOTE: If using education combined with specialized experience to qualify, a copy of your transcript is 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.

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:

• Analysis and Problem Solving
• Financial Analysis
• Knowledge Management
• Organizational Performance Analysis

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; 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.

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 on your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

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
• DD-214/ Statement of Service
• Disability Letter (Schedule A)
• Disability Letter (VA)
• Other (1)
• PCS Orders
• Resume
• Separation Notice (RIF)
• SF-15
• 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