Summary Employee will serve as a Program Support Assistant within the Research and Development Service (R&D) located at the G. V. (Sonny) Montgomery Veterans Medical Center in Jackson. MS. Responsibilities THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION This announcement will remain open through the closing date, OR when the applicant count is reached, whichever is earlier. The applicant count is the point at which the first 100 applications are received. All applications submitted that day up to 11:59 p.m. eastern standard time on the date the applicant count is reached will be accepted and considered. The primary purpose of this position is responsible for the day-to-day administrative activities for health services research. Duties will include, but may not be limited to the following: Manages various administrative and technical processes within the office and ensures that procedures are understood and followed by the research community. Coordinates office operations and processing, ensuring accurate preparation of documents, action items, correspondence, personnel issues, and travel issues using office automation applications. Arranges leadership calendar, making appointments, including for engagements and conferences. Coordinates travel, makes reservations for travel and accommodations for management and staff members. Coordinates with Human Resources personnel to ensure proper processing and tracking of personnel actions, vacancy announcements, in-processing new staff, performance appraisals and serves as timekeeper. Serves as the automated data processing coordinator to assist with computer needs and access. Performs educational needs assessment to determine training required, designs and plan programs to meet identified needs; ensures training records are documentation and maintains. Reviews research activities involving biological, chemical, physical, and radiation hazards for compliance with applicable regulations, policies, and guidelines. Coordinates and reports all safety-related activities in research laboratories, i.e., safety inspections, accident reporting, etc. Advises and educates investigators and study staff on operational procedures for obtaining and maintaining approval to conduct research. Manages and enters data into specialized research software to track research project status and prepare reports. Prepare agendas for meetings Serves as a purchase card holder for the acquisition of supplies, equipment, and services. Maintains system of accountability of research funds and reconciles/balances books to research fund control points. Coordinates the maintenance and repair of all equipment. Initiates requisitions for maintenance contracts, and repair orders. Performs other duties as necessary. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Requirements 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 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) - See "Required Documents" below for details. 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, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Requires one full year of specialized experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-6) in the Federal service. Specialized experience is coordinating the day-to-day administrative activities of the office and includes: Scheduling meetings/conferences, preparing agendas and meeting minutes, making travel arrangements/accommodations; Serving as a purchase card holder for the acquisition of supplies and equipment, maintaining system of accountability of funds and reconciling fund control accounts; and Utilizing automation software and databases, entering data, preparing a variety of reports and correspondence and maintaining documentation. (Applicants resume must meet all of the above skills to receive consideration. See the announcement duties section for details.) PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: The work is primarily sedentary, although some slight physical effort may be required. 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. 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 There is no educational substitution at this grade level. Additional Information Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation and be found well-qualified (have a final rating of 80 or more before any Veterans preference points) for this vacancy. 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/. Note: Per "Executive Order 14251: Exclusions from Federal Labor-Management Relations Programs", this position is no longer eligible for bargaining unit participation.
