Clarification from the agency

Open to current, permanent VA SLC facility employees.

A Career At VA Salt Lake City Health Care System Can Take You Places (youtube.com)

Duties include, but are not limited to:

• Serving as the primary administrative team member to support the operational needs of the assigned Services, to include grid/schedule management, time keeping, leave tracking and support for coverage coordination, labor mapping, travel coordination, OPPE/FPPE tracking and coordination, and encounter tracking and reporting.
• Be responsible for interpreting administrative policies, implementing local policies, defining administrative requirements, and/or providing advice to top management on related issues.
• Provides a technical expertise in the field of healthcare planning and comprehensive advice and assistance to the assigned Service Chief, the VISN 19 Clinical Resource Hub Director, and Administrative Officer regarding possible need for revision of regulations and policies governing planning activities.
• Assesses priorities to best meet healthcare delivery needs.
• Troubleshoot issues at both the system level and down to the individual spoke site.
• Assisting with and coordinating completion of deliverables associated with personnel actions, to include recruitment, onboarding, and departures.
• Act as the liaison with the human resources office concerning personnel-related matters.
• Provide advice and assistance to supervisors and staff concerning Federal and agency personnel processes and procedures.
• Assist supervisors in projecting staffing needs, writing position descriptions, preparing performance plans and appraisals, and processing training requests.
• Reviews, analyzes and interprets incoming requests, recommends appropriate action or suggests appropriate alternatives based on knowledge of internal operations, agency personnel policies, budgetary constraints and work priorities.
• Call to the attention problems that require agency human resources office intervention or correction.
• Provide orientation for new staff. Keeps supervisors informed of the status of ongoing personnel actions.
• Assists with employee/labor relations matters and actively supports the EEO program.
• Assures all personnel have been instructed in and follow operational, safety, personnel and conduct requirements.
• Analyzes the necessary human resources, equipment, and space to effectively support the mission of individual programs within assigned Services and provides recommendations to Service Chief.
• Aids in directing staff support in planning HR/Equipment/Space requirements.
• Supports production of educational programs, affiliation agreements, correspondence, and reports.
• Ensures documents present information in a factual and expressive manner to accomplish planned objectives.
• Plays a critical role in developing and coordinating internal review systems to assure that both clinical and administrative activities are in compliance with agency and accrediting and regulatory requirements.
• Support procurement and contracting for the organization. This may include preparing procurement requests, evaluating proposals for work, acting as a COR for procurements, and/or maintaining procurement and contracting records.
• Manages contracting and procurement for small procurements that require varying approaches. Initiates and prepares contracts to secure adequate resources to facilitate operations to include determining appropriate costs, performing costs analysis, soliciting bids, writing sole source justifications, and communicating both orally and in writing with contractors.
• Prepares and reviews purchase order for supplies and non­expendable property such as equipment, to include personal computer hardware and software and other specialized equipment necessary for the effective functioning of the office.
• Exercise authorizations for obligation and expenditures of funds.

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: Mon-Fri 7:00AM-3:30PM
Telework: This position may be authorized for ADHOC telework only. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.
Position Description/PD#: Program Specialist (CRH)/PD14703A and PD13106-A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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 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, 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, 12/19/2025.

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. For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09.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.

Preferred Experience: 1 year experience VHA Program Specialist, 1 year Administrative Telehealth experience.

You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:
GS-09

• 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: Participates/presents in meetings with leadership and various interdisciplinary committees Receives and reviews correspondence and reports submitted from field offices and outside organizations for completeness and compliance with applicable laws, regulations and policy. Prepares narrative reports that detail identified issues or problems, providing background information and observations. Performs a variety of activities using office automation software. Utilizes software and databases to perform statistical analysis and prepare reports.
• 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.

GS-11

• Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-09 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Participates/presents in meetings with leadership and various interdisciplinary committees Receives and reviews correspondence and reports submitted from field offices and outside organizations for completeness and compliance with applicable laws, regulations and policy. Answers routine and technical and non-technical requests for information. Prepares narrative reports that detail identified issues or problems, providing background information and observations. Performs a variety of activities using office automation software. Utilizes software and databases to perform statistical analysis and prepare reports. Follows procedures for document management and control. Coordinates with the supervisor and monitors requests which have been submitted to the director for approval. OR,
• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., 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 .

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:

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

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 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
• Other (1)
• Performance Appraisal
• Resume
• Separation Notice (RIF)
• 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.

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.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

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.

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.

Next steps