Program Support Assistant (Mail Clerk)

Clarification from the agency

This vacancy is open to current permanent Federal employees, VEOA, Military Spouses eligible, 30% DV, VRA, People with Disabilities, Schedule A (Disabled/Sch A), Peace Corp eligible, current/permanent VA employees who are CTAP eligible, ICTAP eligible current/former federal employees, and Land Management eligible within the local commuting area of the Columbia Regional Office. Please note, eligible VEOA and LMWFA candidates are not restricted to commuting area.

Major Duties:

This position is located in the Support Services Division of the Regional Office (RO), where the incumbent's primary duties are to process incoming and outgoing mail while actively assisting the supervisors and management of the Support Services Division (SSD) in performing administrative work. Specifically:

1. Sets up, operates, adjusts, maintains, and monitors the operation of single- or multiple function equipment typical of mail, duplicating and reproduction functions.

2. Process all priority mail by routing to the appropriate action elements, input data for shipments, tracking shipments and costs, and ensuring responses with proper reporting.

3. Executes control and preparation of reports by utilizing applicable computer programs.

4. Operates office automation equipment for the preparation of correspondence and reports, receiving and transmittal of electronic mail, and applications used.

5. Acts as liaison between Division Chief/1st Line Supervisors and other divisions' staff by providing guidance/assistance on procedures, and related matter for compliance.

6. Executes processing of incoming/outgoing mail, ensuring it is properly opened, logged, read, date stamped and sorted by established categories for distribution.

7. Review and research returned mail to determine the reason(s) for its return and routes mail to the appropriate unit for action.


Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00 am- 4:30 pm.
Compressed / Flexible: Not Available.
Telework: Not Available.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description Program Support Assistant, GS-303-06/PD#37329A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized.
Financial Disclosure Report:Not required

Conditions of employment

Beginning September 27, 2025, Federal agencies will only accept resumes up to two pages in length to comply with the Merit Hiring Plan. Resumes longer than two pages will result in ineligibility for further consideration for the position. USAJOBS will not allow you to upload or build resumes longer than two pages, and you will need to update the resumes in your profile before applying for a job. Resumes should include information relevant to the knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies of the position to which you are applying. VA is unable to make assumptions about qualifications if not clearly listed.

Resumes must be legible so they can be reviewed for eligibility, minimum qualifications and other position requirements listed in the job announcement.

Your resume must be 5MB or less. We recommend saving and uploading your resume as a PDF to maintain formatting and number of pages. We also accept GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, TXT, PDF, ODT or Word (DOC or DOCX). We do not accept PDF portfolio files. We recommend using a sans-serif font size like Lato, if available. Other widely available options are Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open San Source Sans Pro, Roboto or Noro Sans. Make your page margins 0.5 inches. Consider using 14-point size font for titles and 10-point for the main text in your resume. The resume builder can help you create a resume using these recommendations and uses the information in your USAJOBS profile to help you get started.


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.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 06/26/2026.

GS-6 Level: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least to 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: Federal Service performing the following duties: maintains controls of and prepares designated reports; maintains control over priority mail; assists in the management of the unit mail management system to include diagnoses of equipment malfunctions, operating problems, and performs corrective adjustments; ensures adequate supplies are maintained within the division to support continuous RO operations; analyzes supply levels on a recurring basis to determine the rate of utilization, and advises the Support Services Specialist when supply orders are required; provides guidance and assistance on procedures, report requirements, deadlines and related matters to assure compliance with Support Services policies.

Competencies:

1. Technical Credibility: Knowledge of the organizational structure of business lines to analyze and route materials to organizational units.

2. Technical Application: Selects/understands procedures, machines, tools that will produce the desired results; identifies/solves problems in such as relate to tasks.

3. Planning and Evaluating: Knowledge of the duties, priorities, commitments, policies and program goals of the division sufficient to perform assignments as required.

4. Operations Support: Knowledge of special handling procedures required on various types of forms, correspondence or mail, specifically of a confidential nature.

5. Communication: Ability to communicate clearly and concisely, and interact with a wide variety of individuals within the organization and externally.

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/Working Conditions: Work requires some physical exertion such as extended periods of standing, frequent bending, reaching or similar activities necessary to set up, operate, adjust and monitor operation of the equipment. I he employee lifts a variety of moderately heavy materials and supplies such as mailbags or large quantities of paper stock.

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.

SCREEN-OUT ELEMENT: Your qualifications will first be evaluated against the prescribed screen out element, which usually appears as question 1 in the on-line questionnaire. Those applicants who appear to possess at least the minimal acceptable qualification requirement are considered for further rating; those who do not are rated ineligible and are eliminated. The potential eligibles are then rated against the remainder of the Job Elements:

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

• Resume, limited to 2 pages.

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), 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)
• PCS Orders
• Performance Appraisal
• Professional Certification
• Proof of Marriage Status
• Resume
• Separation Notice (RIF)
• SF-15
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

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 http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/vetpref/index.aspx.

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