Summary The Program Assistant provides administrative and management support for the Office of the Medical Center Director and the Veteran Experience Office. Serves as a liaison for the Veteran Experience Office in a variety of situations requiring coordination/assistance for patients and their family members, Medical Center Staff, Congressional Staff, and additional contacts outside of the organization. Responsibilities Major duties include, but are not limited to the following: Refers Veteran/Family concerns to the respective Service or Patient Advocate, unless it can be resolved at the Program Assistant level Acts as the liaison to other managers and staff within the Medical Center and provides accurate advice on procedures, reports, requirements, and other matters necessary to implement the Medical Center Policies, Directives, and instructions Advises the Staff Assistant and the Veteran Experience Officer of important office issues arising during the Staff Assistant's and Veteran Experience Officer's absence, and brings significant items in reports, files, and correspondence to the Staff Assistant and Veteran Experience Officer's attention Performs work involving the collection, compilation, and tracking of Survey of Health Experiences of Patients data, Veteran Signals and other statistical information in support of the organization's Veteran Experience Program Maintains records of program-specific information to track timelines on congressional inquiries, program improvement initiatives, project timelines/milestones, etc. Provides Public contact support services such as answering the telephone, referring visitors, or providing information about the office, its functions, and standard operating procedures as well as similar information Informs Managers of the Medical Center's view on current issues and programs Researches files, develops and assembles background information for the office of the Director's correspondence and reports Serves as coordinator for questions including interpretation of policy relating to the provision of healthcare services Identifies existing/ potential problem areas, suggests solutions or alternatives to existing procedures which contribute to these problems Acts to resolve problems, expedite services, or implement necessary corrective measures within established facility policies Makes inquiry into patient complaints, initiates action, or changes necessary to correct problem situations, and reports on corrective measures taken to the patient or the patient's representative and to a supervisor or higher-level staff, as appropriate Provides assistance to callers and visitors and determines appropriate action/referrals. Responds to questions/concerns from Veterans pertaining to services Provides advisory and technical assistance to Veterans, administrative staff and professional staff regarding medical care Receives and listens to complaints and grievances from Veterans or from individuals on behalf of Veterans Receives, schedules, refers, and contacts members of the staff, agency, and persons outside the agency ranging from other government agencies to the general public Processes incoming and outgoing materials such as correspondence, reports, memoranda, and other forms of written communication Uses the computer system and other office automation equipment and processes in editing, formatting and printing word processing and spreadsheet documents to meet the established time frames Provides clerical, mail and correspondence for proper attachments or consolidating/coordinating submittals of information Serves as the alternate for the Secretary of the Medical Center Director, Associate Director for Administration, and Assistant Director during the absence of the primary in those positions Provides secretarial services such as maintaining calendars and recording appointments, and/or scheduling meetings, video conference calls, telephone conference calls, and administrative conference details Performs work in support of general management and/or program analysis functions in which knowledge of the purpose, operation, methodology, and techniques characteristic of the program are required Obtains and monitors the use of services, supplies, or equipment for the office Screens calls, determines if the call requires their attention, and personally provides requested information when possible Edits/ composes letters and reports, reviews correspondence for accuracy and completeness, prepares public presentation outlines, and develops standard or form letters and replies to inquiries Takes and transcribes all taped or handwritten notes and prepares meeting minutes. Material presented in final form is virtually always free of typing, format, and assembly errors Receives and handles concerns ensuring that quality service is rendered in a timely, competent and caring manner Responds and/or reviews issues and requests related to Information regarding provisions for medical care, eligibility, etc., clarifies issues, and evaluates the need for additional information Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 0730 - 1600 Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Program Assistant/PD12030O 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 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 Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required. 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, 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, 06/29/2026. 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-05 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-04. 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: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-04 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: answering calls, referring visitors and providing information; using software applications such as word processing, spreadsheet, electronic mail, desktop publishing, calendar, scheduling, database and/or graphic; receiving complaints and grievances; ability to research reference materials, regulations, and standards to identify appropriate action necessary to correct problems or issues; and knowledge of computer software (MS Word, Excel, etc). OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have four (4) years of education above the high school level.. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond the first 60 semester hours (i.e., beyond the second year). Preferred Experience: Proficiency in spreadsheets, databases, and report preparation; Ability to draft correspondence, respond to inquiries, and coordinate with diverse stakeholders; Managing documentation, tracking forms, maintaining logs; Experience with travel arrangements, vendor liaison, clerical tasks, and internal controls; Strong skills in office automation, Word, Excel, PDF tools, email/calendar systems. 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information 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. 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. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. 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. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced 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/.
