Summary The incumbent is based at the VA Puget Sound Healthcare System and serves in the Patient Experience (Volunteer Support) Service as the Supervisory Program Specialist (Patient Experience Officer). Responsibilities Duties include but are not limited to the following: Assisting with the development, pilot and on-going implementation of customer service (CS) initiatives, patient centered care (PCC), and Whole Health efforts. Develop opportunities for community engagement, as well as engaging patients and clinicians in initiatives Develop Tool-Kits and other resources for evaluation and dissemination of PCC and Whole Health initiatives. Develop a decentralized model of Patient Advocacy. Assure that the organization has trained Service Level Patient Advocate(s). Review patient satisfaction data (i.e. SHEP/PATS) and recommended action plans. Monitor and analyze production efficiency in order to implement and/or recommend process changes Serve as advisor to staff regarding policies, procedures, and directives regarding CS and PCC. Provide briefings to executive leadership and service chiefs on CS and Patient Centered Care practices Collaborate with staff in identifying opportunities for enhancing employee and patient satisfaction. Provide in-depth analysis, extracting, summarizing, and identifying, significant trends and issues. Forecast and estimate program requirements and prepare reports, justifications, charts, graphs, statistical and narrative data for briefings and presentations to management officials. Plan, develop and conduct studies, provide oversight and/or participate in the completion of studies to assess current programs and determine future program needs. Manage the interrelationships with other internal organizational elements, services, and affiliated external organizations such as Veterans Service Organization. Assure customer service programs are continuous and data driven to accomplish the strategic goals of the organization. Work Schedule: Monday to Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Supervisory Program Specialist/PD410530 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this 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) 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 or trial 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 within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement, 03/02/2026. 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-13 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-12. 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: -Knowledge and understanding of the principles of organizational change management. -Applying analytical and evaluative methods and techniques. -Utilizing a variety of qualitative and/or quantitative methods to assess healthcare program effectiveness. -Executing budget management and analysis. -Executing personnel and procurement requirements to maintain a Service line. -Crafting strategic planning and organizational communication initiatives focusing on the provision of healthcare. -Developing medical center staff programs building organizational alignment and employee engagement. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-12 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Knowledge and understanding of the principles of organizational change management; Applying analytical and evaluative methods and techniques; Utilizing a variety of qualitative and/or quantitative methods to assess healthcare program effectiveness; Executing budget management and analysis; Executing personnel and procurement requirements to maintain a Service line; Crafting strategic planning and organizational communication initiatives focusing on the provision of healthcare; Developing medical center staff programs building organizational alignment and employee engagement. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Administration and Management Analytical Thinking Creative Thinking Customer Service Information Management Stakeholder Management Strategic Thinking Veteran and Customer Focus 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: The work is primarily sedentary and performed in a typical office setting. Some slight physical effort may be required. 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 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. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. 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.
