What are the responsibilities and job description for the Program Analyst (TCF Intern) position at VHA VISN 15 Human Resources?
The Technical Career Field (TCF) is a national workforce development program within VHA that was designed to replenish technical staff in critically identified positions. his position is in the TCF program and member of the project team for establishing, planning and directing implementation and ongoing management of Managerial Cost Accounting (MCA) under the supervision of the VISN MCA Program Coordinator.
This is a developmental position leading to a GS-11, performing assignments intended to broaden skills and provide practical experience leading to progressively more complex assignments performed under progressively less supervision. 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.
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-07 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05. 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. 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 education and/or experience as described below:
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.
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/.
Physical Requirements: The work is sedentary. It involved carrying light books, papers and manuals. There is some walking to and from various offices within this facility, stooping, pulling and pushing of file drawers and lifting light file boxes.
The TCF Intern position under the Managerial Cost Accounting (MCA), directly affects patient management by providing data on patterns of care and patient outcomes, as well as their resource and cost implications. The incumbent also serves as an MCA Liaison with the VISN for the Medical Center. The analyst is a professional who is well versed in the objectives and functionality of automated clinical and administrative applications as well as the various data repositories throughout the VHA and the interrelationship of these application and data sets to the operational goals/objectives of this Medical Center.
Duties include but are not limited to the following:
Prepares monthly supply mapping by utilizing multiple reports and service feedback to ensure all cost is assigned to the appropriate MCA department. Prepares labor mapping reviews bi-weekly.
Develops reports for review by Service Chiefs and/or their designee. Ensures cost and encounter data is correctly aligned within the MCA organizational structure, which includes performing detail analyses of workload trends, over a large time period for larger internal program areas. Provides management officials with procedural and regulatory guidance concerning recording of costs and workload. Analyzes the existing workload capture system to determine the best source data for the MCA program.
Analyzes payroll costing of all facility staff at the Medical Center to ensure accuracy of data through cost center and budget object code review. Continually monitors, identifies, and resolves costing/FTEE issues with appropriate staff and works to implement processes at the service level that will prevent similar errors from occurring in the future.
Serves as business analyst; gathering, examining, analyzing and evaluating information related to activities requiring action by the Chief Financial Officer, other Service Chiefs, first line supervisors, and clinical administrative staff. Responsible for extracting, producing, and maintaining various monthly management/briefing reports that meet the operational needs of the Medical Center. Presents information via written memorandums and/or presentations to facility leadership and VISN MCA coordinator.
Assesses ways to improve this monthly process and work with other MCA staff to implement changes where necessary. Coordinates work with other MCA staff to insure accurate and timely documentation and submission of data to prevent problems in the MCA functions.
Performs monthly audits that involve researching source systems and documents to verify the accuracy of MCA. Reviews any validation efforts with services in the medical center and other MCA staff to show them the impact that their data can have on the medical center. Performs monthly maintenance duties and audits on MCA to ensure currency and accuracy of data. Assists with the Event Capture program at the VA Medical Center.
Builds and prepares reports using Microsoft Access, Word, Excel, and Power Point. Downloads files from the Internet, VISTA MCA, and Austin Automation Center and imports them into MS Access databases for review, processing and reporting.
Acts as a liaison between the VISN MCA team and support services within the medical centers which play a major role in the implementation and continuance of MCA. Serves on various committee, task forces, and project teams dealing with Medical Center issues related to information available through and generated by the MCA Program. Interfaces with service line supervisors and administrative personnel in order to keep current on any changes in VA Medical Center functions that may affect the MCA program.
Collaborates with VISN MCA Coordinator to keep current on any changes in National or VISN guidance which may impact MCA, workload, and cost information systems.
Work schedule: Full Time, Monday- Friday, 8:00 a.m.- 4:30 p.m.
Compressed/Flexible Schedule: Not Available
Telework: This position may be authorized for ad-hoc telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.
Position Description Title/PD#: Program Analyst (TCF Intern)/PD09490A
Qualifications:
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 06/15/2026.This is a developmental position leading to a GS-11, performing assignments intended to broaden skills and provide practical experience leading to progressively more complex assignments performed under progressively less supervision. 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.
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-07 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05. 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. 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 education and/or experience as described below:
- Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-05 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Strong analytical skills. Knowledge of statistical techniques, medical center operations. Analytical skills for potential programmatic changes that could significantly enhance patient care, patient safety, overall efficiencies and/or cost effectiveness. Analyzes existing automated and manual systems to determine the type of financial and clinical information available. OR,
- Education: Applicants may substitute education for the experience required. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successful completion of 1 full year of graduate level education. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement. Part-time graduate education is creditable in accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the school attended. OR Superior Academic Achievement. NOTE: YOU MUST SUBMIT COPIES OF YOUR OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS FOR YOUR EDUCATION TO BE CONSIDERED. OR,
- Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have equivalent combinations of specialized experience and education described above that meets 100% of the requirements for this position. Equivalent combinations of successfully completed graduate education and specialized experience, as described above, will meet the requirements for this position. If education is used to meet specialized experience requirements, then such education must include courses directly related to the work of the position.
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.
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/.
Physical Requirements: The work is sedentary. It involved carrying light books, papers and manuals. There is some walking to and from various offices within this facility, stooping, pulling and pushing of file drawers and lifting light file boxes.
Responsibilities:
The TCF career fields represent those technical fields where VA-specific knowledge and experience is desirable for success in the field. Individuals selected follow a formal training plan for two years during which they are trained, coached, and supervised by a preceptor. Preceptors are selected annually, through an extensive application process, for their technical expertise, their commitment to training and the suitability of their facility as a training location. *Selectees will be required to sign Mobility, Training, and Continued Service Agreements.The TCF Intern position under the Managerial Cost Accounting (MCA), directly affects patient management by providing data on patterns of care and patient outcomes, as well as their resource and cost implications. The incumbent also serves as an MCA Liaison with the VISN for the Medical Center. The analyst is a professional who is well versed in the objectives and functionality of automated clinical and administrative applications as well as the various data repositories throughout the VHA and the interrelationship of these application and data sets to the operational goals/objectives of this Medical Center.
Duties include but are not limited to the following:
Prepares monthly supply mapping by utilizing multiple reports and service feedback to ensure all cost is assigned to the appropriate MCA department. Prepares labor mapping reviews bi-weekly.
Develops reports for review by Service Chiefs and/or their designee. Ensures cost and encounter data is correctly aligned within the MCA organizational structure, which includes performing detail analyses of workload trends, over a large time period for larger internal program areas. Provides management officials with procedural and regulatory guidance concerning recording of costs and workload. Analyzes the existing workload capture system to determine the best source data for the MCA program.
Analyzes payroll costing of all facility staff at the Medical Center to ensure accuracy of data through cost center and budget object code review. Continually monitors, identifies, and resolves costing/FTEE issues with appropriate staff and works to implement processes at the service level that will prevent similar errors from occurring in the future.
Serves as business analyst; gathering, examining, analyzing and evaluating information related to activities requiring action by the Chief Financial Officer, other Service Chiefs, first line supervisors, and clinical administrative staff. Responsible for extracting, producing, and maintaining various monthly management/briefing reports that meet the operational needs of the Medical Center. Presents information via written memorandums and/or presentations to facility leadership and VISN MCA coordinator.
Assesses ways to improve this monthly process and work with other MCA staff to implement changes where necessary. Coordinates work with other MCA staff to insure accurate and timely documentation and submission of data to prevent problems in the MCA functions.
Performs monthly audits that involve researching source systems and documents to verify the accuracy of MCA. Reviews any validation efforts with services in the medical center and other MCA staff to show them the impact that their data can have on the medical center. Performs monthly maintenance duties and audits on MCA to ensure currency and accuracy of data. Assists with the Event Capture program at the VA Medical Center.
Builds and prepares reports using Microsoft Access, Word, Excel, and Power Point. Downloads files from the Internet, VISTA MCA, and Austin Automation Center and imports them into MS Access databases for review, processing and reporting.
Acts as a liaison between the VISN MCA team and support services within the medical centers which play a major role in the implementation and continuance of MCA. Serves on various committee, task forces, and project teams dealing with Medical Center issues related to information available through and generated by the MCA Program. Interfaces with service line supervisors and administrative personnel in order to keep current on any changes in VA Medical Center functions that may affect the MCA program.
Collaborates with VISN MCA Coordinator to keep current on any changes in National or VISN guidance which may impact MCA, workload, and cost information systems.
Work schedule: Full Time, Monday- Friday, 8:00 a.m.- 4:30 p.m.
Compressed/Flexible Schedule: Not Available
Telework: This position may be authorized for ad-hoc telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.
Position Description Title/PD#: Program Analyst (TCF Intern)/PD09490A
Salary : $50,460