Program Specialist (Safety and Training)

Clarification from the agency

Open to all permanent employees of the National Cemetery Administration.

This position is located at Riverside National Cemetery (RNC) in Riverside, CA. The incumbent serves as Program Specialist and represents the Cemetery Executive Director in public relations by assisting in maintaining positive rapport with employees and the public in general to represent the best interest of RNC, Los Angeles National Cemetery (LANG) and the National Cemetery Administration (NGA).

RNC is the most active national cemetery in the nation with an annual burial over 8,500. It is comprised of 1,274 acres with over 275,000 existing burials in over 250,000 gravesites. The annual budget is more than $14 million. Authorized FTEE of 69 employees when fully staffed. LANG is the satellite cemetery of RNC with over 600 interment and FTEE of 12.

The incumbent serves as Program Specialist for RNC Training and Safety expert providing valuable assistance to the Executive Director on employee's safety and required training decisions. The incumbent should be an expert utilizing accounting and fund control systems to maintain proper financial balance and to assure that management obtains maximum benefit from financial resources without sacrificing efficiency or violating rules or regulations.

The incumbent performs a variety of clerical and technical support functions to support the administrative, logistical, and analytical activities related to the Safety and Training at RNC and LANG. The incumbent ensures employees perform the function(s) of their job in a safe manner. The incumbent appropriately to emergencies and medical events, reports job-related illnesses or injuries and seeks medical treatment if needed, reports safety issues/hazards, uses safety equipment, personal protective equipment if required and follows safety requirements. The incumbent assists new employees with the information for New Employee Orientation (NEO) and ensures employees complete all NEO training within established deadlines.

The incumbent provides appropriate training and coaching that increases employees' skills and ability to accomplish assigned work. Provides challenging assignments to reinforce learning. Incumbent ensures all collected data is properly submitted in the allotted timeframe to Pacific District and Central Office.

Performs public outreach as needed.

Work schedule: Required to work Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm.
Compressed/Flexible Schedule: Not Available
Telework: Not Available
Position Description Title/PD#: Program Specialist (Safety and Training)/PD1634027
Relocation Expenses: Not Authorized
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required

If interested in applying for this position you ay preview the online application:
https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13062491

Conditions of employment

• Subject to a background/security investigation.
• Designated and/or random drug testing may be required.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• You may be required to serve a probationary period.
• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all specialized experience and time in grade requirements within 45 days of the closing date of this announcement, 09/22/2026.

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 within 45 days of the closing date of this announcement. 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 your most recent non-award 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 non-award SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one year time-in-grade.

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.

• Must have the ability to type at least 40 words per minute.
• Must possess and maintain a REAL ID compliant valid state driver's license.

You may qualify based on your experience and/or education, as described below:

• 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: supervising or coordinating the ordering, delivery, and placement of headstones and markers in a national or state veterans cemetery; developing, managing or supporting a high volume case production environment related to headstone and markers in various VA systems and ensuring compliance with NCA standards and timeliness metrics; working within a case production environment supporting the issuance and tracking of government furnished headstones and markers; experience with memorial product specifications, cemetery operations, and quality assurance procedures.

OR,

• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed 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 which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position.

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 the 36 semester hours of graduate education earned.

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

Analysis and Problem Solving
Critical Thinking
Administration and Management
Computer Skills
Communication

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.

Physical Requirements: Work is primarily sedentary and performed in an office environment. There may be some walking, standing, bending, and carrying of light items like papers or books. No special physical demands are required to perform work.

Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will 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.

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. If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s).

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.

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

• Resume

Please note that resumes must be provided in English to be considered. If your resume includes photographs, inappropriate material, inappropriate content, or personal information such as age, gender, religion, social security number, etc., you will not be considered for this vacancy.

Please limit your resume to 2 pages with the font size no smaller than 10 points.

The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please use this checklist to make sure you have included other documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), 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)
• References
• Other (2)
• Performance Appraisal
• 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):

• You must submit a copy of your most recent SF-50(s) that verify your eligibility for consideration as a current or former federal applicant; and
• Your SF-50 must verify your highest competitive grade, time-in-grade, your current promotion potential or full performance level and proof of permanent appointment if applying based on an interchange agreement. DO NOT submit an award SF-50 or pay adjustment SF-50 as these often do not verify grade or eligibility.
• For consideration for a promotion, Box 4 of the SF-50 must show a date that is at least 52 weeks prior to the job announcement closing. Recommend submitting your last promotion SF-50 or within-grade increase SF-50.

Veterans' Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire. You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.). If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled Veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference" with required proof as stated on the form. Documentation is required to award preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit www.fedshirevets.gov/job-seekers/veterans/veterans-preference/#content.

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