Summary This position is located in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), North Florida/South Georgia (NF/SG) Veterans Health System, Mental Health Service in Gainesville, FL. The primary purpose for this position is to provide administrative and clerical support to the programs and the multi-disciplinary teams of the Mental Health Service. Responsibilities This position directly supports the administrative functions of the Mental Health Service program staff. The Program Assistant coordinates with the team by performing office support tasks, coordinating communication between Veterans, families and VA and community healthcare services as warranted. They will be responsible for collecting data from multiple computer application database systems to provide information on consult management, resource utilization, quality of care and outcomes, which requires experience with fund control point management and budget reconciliation. Duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to: Compiles statistical data for programs. Prepares data driven reports. Maintains written records. Prepares written correspondence that meets national standards. Procures all needed supplies and equipment. Provides customer service to Veterans, staff, and external stakeholders. Analyzes work flow to identify technical problems. Develops data collection tools. Post time in VATAS. Post payments for assigned fund control points. Routes incoming phone calls to appropriate staff. Utilizes various computer programs to prepare reports. Executes fleet management programs. Independently maintains ongoing records of fund control activity. Prepares and tracks program specific information, grants, contracts. Work Schedule: 8:00 am to 4:30pm, Monday through Friday Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Program Assistant (OA)/PD05857A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: 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 by the closing date of this announcement, 03/27/2026. 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-6 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-5. 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: Familiarity with data dashboards, Leaf system, time and attendance, CPRS, and customer service skills. 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-5 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: General clerical and administrative duties. Receiving, answering and routing phone calls and inquiries. Prepares correspondence, compiling reports, extracting and organizing data. Reviews documents for accuracy and maintaining files. Manages and maintains databases. Proficient with various programs such as VISTA and encounter completion, as well as other computer systems such as Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Access and Outlook. Knowledge of VA regulations and laws pertaining to Veteran Benefits. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Clerical Control of Funds Customer Service Information Management Writing 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: This work involves some walking, standing, bending, and carrying of some light items. The work requires the incumbent to be able to move comfortably around the office and when necessary other locations. The work involves a considerable amount of time gathering and recording data. Work Environment: The work is performed in an office setting with occasional travel to outside facilities for meetings, training, conferences, and networking. The incumbent must be able to operate a standard passenger motor vehicle. The incumbent observes normal safety precautions while working in an adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated office. 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.
