Summary The Phoenix VA Health Care System (PVAHCS) is actively recruiting for a Program Specialist for the Survivors Assistance and Memorial Support (SAMS) Program. The incumbent carries out and enforces all Federal and State Laws as they pertain to the deaths of veterans, provides guidance to families on funeral arrangements at the Phoenix VA Health Care System (PVAHCS). Responsibilities Duties are included, but not limited to: Create funeral and burial arrangements of veterans who expired whiles under the care of the Phoenix VA Medical Center (PVAMC). Partner with Medical staff to coordinate the facts and to determine whether or not it is a Medical Examiner's case. Notify the authorities and the Phoenix VA Police and works with the Phoenix Police Department making available all necessary records and information. Coordinate all details making certain the deceased is eligible for burial in a National cemetery. Contact the cemetery for available space, works with Supply Services in obtaining a satisfactory contract with a local mortuary and assures sufficient fund are obligated. Assure burial arrangements are in accordance with contractual agreement between the mortuary and the Phoenix VAMC. Utilize Social worker, Professional/Medical Staff and counsels the patient or next of kin of the patient concerning VA Death Benefits and/or pre-funeral arrangements. Identify and explain benefits that pertain to the individual's circumstances. Assist patient or next of kin concerning autopsies and donations of organs/tissues, assistance in properly completing arrangement forms. Maintain a current registry of local mortuaries that will provide completes service for VA burial and travel allowances. Prepare correspondences for the signature of the Medical Center Director and Chief, Health Administration Service. Assure that all information pertaining to the Decedent Affairs functions are entered correctly. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30 AM - 4:00 PM Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Program Specialist (SAMS Specialist)/PD14880-LS Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 02/05/2026. 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-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: Provide administrative and technical support, Use Microsoft Office products ( e.g. Word, Excel, Access, or Power Point) to create reports, spreadsheets, presentations, memorandums, graphs, correspondence, etc., schedule and maintain appointments, Prepare a variety of recurring reports, consolidate and coordinate submissions of information. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Administration and Management Client Orientation Communication Manages and Organizes Information 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 mostly sedentary. To accomplish assigned duties within the medical center frequent walking, standing and carrying may be required. Except for assisting mortuary's in releasing bodies, occasional lifting of 5 to 10 pounds is required. Concentration and sustained performance under prolonged stress is required because of the time factor involved in completion of work assignments within deadlines. Closely associated with physical demand is the unique and special demand for an even temperament, understanding and an unaffected desire to serve. 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/. Education A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html. Additional Information The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal/VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/. 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. It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document. If you are unable to apply online view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.
