Summary This position is located at the NCA North Atlantic District Office in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Responsibilities This position is in the North Atlantic District Office (NAO), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This office has responsibility for 54 national cemeteries located in North Carolina, Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, New York, Massachusetts, Vermont, and Maine. The incumbent of this position functions as an advisor to the NAO Director and to NAO cemetery directors primarily providing guidance and direction for the national cemetery mapping; safety; and design, construction, and maintenance programs. The incumbent provides guidance, direction, policy interpretation on sensitive and complex issues in support of the mapping; acquisition and administration of construction projects; and safety programs. The incumbent functions as the NAO Regional Safety Officer, and NAO Regional Emergency Manager. This position has collateral IT/Information Security duties as well. Other research and analysis; and special projects may be assigned as appropriate. As Engineering Technician, incumbent is responsible for administering and updating the NAO cemetery gravesite burial status (Currently tracked through GBSAT); the electronic and paper drawing files; cemetery AutoCAD mapping; and cemetery kiosk maps. The Engineering Technician also prepares and reviews, designs and specifications for NAO construction projects for both new and existing cemeteries. The Engineering technician is an expert in the use of AutoCAD software. The Engineering Technician is required to travel as necessary to perform field verifications as required to deliver accurate work. Incumbent maintains current and archived Grave Site Burial and Accounting Tool (GBSAT) data for the NAO. This is done by working closely with cemetery staff to obtain accurate data for relative depletion @types. (I.e. pre-placed crypts, traditional, in-ground cremains, niches, etc.) The depletion tool is used to track grave site depletion at each of the district cemeteries, and plan for gravesite expansion projects as necessary to maintain continuous cemetery operations. ncumbent develops, maintains, and updates AutoCAD drawings. Drawings include cemetery site plans, cemetery kiosk maps, sectional burial maps, general construction and renovation drawings related to various engineering disciplines. Prepares gravesite layout plans for national cemeteries, which reflect gravesites, topography, structures, roads, wells, and utilities. Maintains and updates as built drawings. Serves as a GADD operator, performing drafting duties utilizing standard drafting; and computer aided design & drafting (GADD) techniques. Preplans work to optimize computer's capabilities, making maximum use of duplication, mirroring, recall and modifications of existing data, or any other available computer system techniques. Converts computer data to plot mode and plots final drawing(s) on appropriate medium (paper, drafting, film, etc.). Work schedule: Required to work Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm. May include occasional weekends. Due to the mission of the National Cemetery, the cemetery cannot be closed for more than 2 consecutive days at any given time. Additionally, when a Federal holiday falls on a Monday or Friday, staff may be required to work on that holiday or a Saturday. All staff is required to work Memorial Day and Veteran's Day each year. Staff will be required to work overtime, weekends and holidays when necessary to meet the needs of the cemetery. Occasionally staff may be called back to the facility to perform emergency overtime work. Compressed/Flexible Schedule: Telework: Available Remote/Virtual: This is not a virtual or remote position. Position Description Title/PD#: Program Specialist (CADD)/PD1607566 The full performance level of this position is GS - 13. At the level GS-12, you will perform similar duties but under closer supervision. Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level. Relocation Expenses: Not Authorized Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required If interested in applying for this position you may preview the online application: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12992602 Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all specialized experience and time in grade requirements within 45 days of the closing date of this announcement, 07/06/2026. 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 within 45 days of the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-11. 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 your most recent non-award 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 non-award SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one year time-in-grade. 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, as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade. For a GS-12 position you must have 52 weeks at the GS-11 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to experience supervising, leading, influencing, motivating, and challenging others; performing the full scope of supervisory duties; preparing, justifying managing, administering, and executing a budget for a program or organization; monitoring expenditures to ensure cost-effective support of programs; establishing short or long term goals for a program, project, or initiative; planning, coordinating, and executing business functions and resource allocations; overseeing procurement and contract activities for a program or organization; serving as a contract officer representative; promoting the services and products of an organization; engaging in speaking events; and preparing or delivering oral presentation. Specialized Experience: For a GS-13 position you must have 52 weeks at the 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 experience supervising, leading, influencing, motivating, and challenging others; performing the full scope of supervisory duties; preparing, justifying managing, administering, and executing a budget for a program or organization; monitoring expenditures to ensure cost-effective support of programs; establishing short or long term goals for a program, project, or initiative; planning, coordinating, and executing business functions and resource allocations; overseeing procurement and contract activities for a program or organization; serving as a contract officer representative; promoting the services and products of an organization; engaging in speaking events; and preparing or delivering oral presentation. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Self Management Interpersonal Skills Problem Solving Planning/Evaluating Customer Service Writing Lead or Supervise 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 primarily sedentary and performed in an office environment. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. 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 period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Education There is no educational substitution for experience at the GS-12 or higher. Additional Information Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities [i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities], and/or Disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. Contact the Agency Contact for information on how to apply under this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator. 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 (have a final rating of 85 or more) for this vacancy. Information about 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. 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. Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members. For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.
