Program Specialist

Serves as a Program Specialist within Executive Director Service of VA Northern California Health Care System. The primary purpose of the position is to manage day-to-day operational functions at the

Southern Tier sites, including program management, process improvement, service recovery, safety and

emergency management, space and equipment utilization, and contract management. The incumbent also provides cross-coverage across all Southern Tier campuses, as needed. 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/ . RESPONSIBILITIES: Major duties include but are not limited to the following:

Operations Management

Responsible for planning, organizing, evaluating, and implementing the administrative and operational activities of his/her assigned Southern Tier site. Works collaboratively with the clinic leadership team.

Reviews and implements administrative program guidance, policies, and procedures, and works with clinic leadership to ensure compliance by clinic staff.

Monitors and studies work operations to detect opportunities for improvement and leads process improvement opportunities at the clinic and participates in system-wide opportunities.

Serves as a patient advocate and refers patient concerns to the appropriate parties for service recovery and resolution.

Serves as the safety officer and emergency management coordinator for the clinic and promotes a culture of safety among staff members.

Contract Management

Serves as the primary Contracting Officer Representative (COR) for the CBOC contracts.

Serves as the liaison between the COR, contractor, and subcontractor, and ensures open lines of communication and timely responses to issues.

Applies a thorough understanding of management principles and concepts to evaluate and verify contractor and subcontractor performance, as appropriate, and reports any problems of non-compliance directly to the COR for resolution.

Provides ongoing training and education to onsite contractors (e.g., housekeeping and

security staff) on VA regulations and local policies.

Automatic Data Processing (ADP) Coordinator

Responsible for granting, reviewing, and revoking access based on the health care system's least privilege principles, including evidence of 90-day access review.

Troubleshoots personal computer (PC), telephone, and multi-function (printer/copy/fax) machine problems.

Escalates any work orders submitted to the Office of Information and Technology (OI&T) and/or Engineering Service, whichever is more appropriate, for employees who have been waiting for resolution

Performs other related duties as assigned.

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.

Work Schedule: Full-Time; Monday to Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm

Telework: This position may be authorized for ad-hoc telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Program Specialist / PD02935-A and PD02936-A

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized QUALIFICATIONS: To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 06/03/2026.

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-7 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-5. For a GS-9 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-7. 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:

GS-7:

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: Knowledge of management principles, organizational theory, and techniques of analysis and evaluation, along with knowledge of standardized administrative practices and procedures to conduct studies of clerical work processes in various organizations to identify, analyze, and recommend solutions to problems in organizational structure, staffing, administrative procedures, work processes, or workload distribution. OR,

Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have 1 full year of graduate level education or superior academic achievement. OR,

Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience directly related to the work of the position as outlined above that meets the requirements of the position AND education beyond a bachelor's degree.

GS-9:

Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-7 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Performing work related to the development of program information and resource materials; conducting the analysis of administrative work processes in the programs to identify, analyze, and recommending solutions to problems in staffing, administrative procedures, work processes, or workload distribution facilitate, coordinate, and manage the various programs and achieve the overall goal; applies analytical and evaluative methods and techniques to issues or studies concerning the efficiency and effectiveness of program operations; and possesses effective communication skills in order to present information clearly to management, medical center staff, and members of the public. OR,

Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. or J.D., if related. OR,

Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience directly related to the work of the position as outlined above that meets the requirements of the position AND education in excess of the first year of graduate education (18 semester hours).

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:

Administration and Management Compliance Inspection Creative Thinking Customer Service Problem Solving Project Management Reasoning Technical Competence

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 active, involving conducting and walking around the clinic rounds, writing at a desk, using a computer, lifting boxes/files, and moving heavy carts/equipment. It also requires occasional travel to other VANCHCS campuses or VA facilities. When traveling to other VANCHCS campuses or VA facilities, it will require the use of a government vehicle or privately-owned vehicle. The position is subject to high pressure (e.g., short/conflicting deadlines, shifting priorities, frequent audits/inspections) and requires an ability to adapt to changing situations. The work necessitates daily physical presence at the duty stations but may be suitable for telework.

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/ . SALARY: QuantitativeValue EMPLOYMENT TYPE: Other