Program Support Assistant (Office Automation)

Summary

The incumbent serves as the Program Support Assistant (PSA), to the Office of Associate Director, Patient Care Services, in support of Telehealth Service. This position requires excellent relational and communication skills; advanced knowledge of and experience with computers, oral and written communication skills, and the ability to work with others, particularly military populations. This position requires independence of action and general latitude for decision making.

Duties

• Duties and Responsibilities: The Program Support Assistant (OA) plays a critical role in the effective operation of Home Telehealth by providing administrative, technical, and clerical support to Care Coordinators. Responsibilities include data entry, patient record management, appointment coordination, supply ordering, customer service, and the generation of reports necessary for patient monitoring and quality assurance. Knowledge of basic data software such as Excel, Access, and/or background to master new software packages is critical. Knowledge of and experience in working with emerging Telehealth initiatives and working with Veterans and family members throughout the lifespan. Time management skills and a high level of judgment are necessary. This position requires independence of action, general latitude for decision making, and knowledge of information sources concerning complex questions, policies, and procedures within the Veterans Affairs and community to expand the use of Telehealth initiatives. The PSA's extensive knowledge and understanding of the organization, regulations, methods, and other tools or resources of management aids the Facility Telehealth and Rural Access Program Nurse Manager by providing reports, tracking data, preparing Telehealth Service Agreements, monitoring of daily workflow, and providing support. The PSA is an important member of the Telehealth and Rural Access Program in assisting with the flow of information to the Telehealth Rural Access Program Nurse Manager. The PSA supports all the administrative functions of the Telehealth and Rural Access program and VA Liaison Programs. Specific duties include, but are not limited to the following: Administratively supports all program staff; assist with coordination of the Telehealth and Rural Access and VA Liaison program offices where veterans seek information and education; coordinates and collects necessary data for the programs. Works collaboratively with all clinical services and ancillary services, and other departments throughout the West Texas VA Health Care System (WTVARCS). Assists in the preparation of all program reports; assists in tracking internal reviews, quality measures, and efficiency of the programs; maintains databases; assists in maintaining available resources and makes recommendations regarding needs and distribution of resources; coordinates correspondence for the Telehealth and Rural Access programs; maintains time and attendance records for the Telehealth and Rural Access program and assists in the daily operation of the Telehealth and Rural Access programs. Successfully manages multiple timelines and projects, and other administrative duties at the discretion of the Telehealth and Rural Access Program Nurse Manager. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Telework: This position may be authorized for Ad-hoc telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. This is an onsite position. Telework may be offered when deemed necessary by the department AD-HOC, (Employees who telework on an occasional, episodic, or short-term basis, and have completed required telework training and telework agreement). (Portion of day acceptable). Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Program Support Assistant (Office Automation)/PD004210 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized 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, 09/14/2026. 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- 06 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS- 05 level. 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. Proficiency Requirements: In addition to meeting experience or education requirements, applicants for these positions must show possession of the following skills, as appropriate. Applicants may meet these requirements by passing the appropriate performance test, presenting a certificate of proficiency from a school or other organization authorized to issue such certificates by the Office of Personnel Management local office, or by self-certifying their proficiency. Performance test results and certificates of proficiency are acceptable for 3 years. Agencies may verify proficiency skills of self-certified applicants by administering the appropriate performance test. 40 words per minute typing speed. 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 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: Knowledge of medical terminology and usages, spelling, grammar, and composition. Ability to perform, plan and organize work. Skill in use of Microsoft Work, Outlook, and Excel programs, Scheduling; Statistical and analytical processes and deductive reasoning to conduct problem and trend identification and resolution. Skill in applying basic data gathering methods, such as standard interviewing or surveying techniques, to collect various types of factual information. Physical Requirement: The work is sedentary. Some work may require movement between offices, hospitals, warehouses, and similar areas for meetings and to conduct work. Work may also require walking/standing, in conjunctions with travel to and attendance at meetings and/or conferences away from the work site. Incumbent may carry and lift light items weighing less than 15 pounds. 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/.

Requirements

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 identification 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.

Education

There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

How to apply

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include the initial online questionnaire and submission of the required documentation specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. To preview the application questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13055664. The application process is as follows: To begin, click Apply Online to create a USA JOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date, 09/14/2026. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. Set aside at least 3 hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link. NOTE: Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused. Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us. To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. To view the announcement status or your application status: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application. Beginning September 27, 2025, Federal agencies will only accept resumes up to two pages in length to comply with the Merit Hiring Plan. Resumes longer than two pages will result in ineligibility for further consideration for the position. USAJOBS will not allow you to upload or build resumes longer than two pages, and you will need to update the resumes in your profile before applying for a job. Resumes should include information relevant to the knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies of the position to which you are applying. VA is unable to make assumptions about qualifications if not clearly listed. Resumes must be legible so they can be reviewed for eligibility, minimum qualifications and other position requirements listed in the job announcement. Your resume must be 5MB or less. We recommend saving and uploading your resume as a PDF to maintain formatting and number of pages. We also accept GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, TXT, PDF, ODT or Word (DOC or DOCX). We do not accept PDF portfolio files. We recommend using a sans-serif font size like Lato, if available. Other widely available options are Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open San Source Sans Pro, Roboto or Noro Sans. Make your page margins 0.5 inches. Consider using 14-point size font for titles and 10-point for the main text in your resume. The resume builder can help you create a resume using these recommendations and uses the information in your USAJOBS profile to help you get started. Helpful Hints for Creating a Two-Page Resume: Prioritize most relevant and recent experience Use concise, results focused language Align language from the job announcement Focus on demonstrating skills and competencies Remove outdated or unrelated experience Use the USAJOBS resume builder Additional guidance on this new requirement and resume building tools can be found at https://help.usajobs.gov/faq/application/documents/resume/page-limit