Program Specialist (Supervisory)

Summary

The incumbent is organizationally aligned under Nursing/Operational Programs and reports directly to the Assistant Chief Nurse, Operational Programs. The primary purpose of the position is to provide administrative leadership, coordination, and oversight for the inpatient administrative support functions across multiple clinical units within the health care system.

Duties

• The position serves as the facility's technical authority for inpatient administrative operations, develops and implements administrative procedures, ensures compliance with applicable policies and regulations, and coordinates with clinical and administrative stakeholders to support efficient patient flow and high-quality administrative service delivery. Major Duties and Responsibilities include but are not limited to: Operations Policy & Process Control: Interpret and implement VHA/Facility directives affecting inpatient administrative operations (admissions, eligibility, transfers, discharges, consents, privacy/confidentiality, records scanning, scheduling, and contingency workflows). Data Quality & Analytics: Build and maintain routine analytical products (monthly/quarterly dashboards; ad hoc analyses) using local/VISN/national data sources (e.g., VSSC, CPRS, VistA, and unit-specific clinical/administrative databases). Systems & Access Governance: Coordinate with IS/IRM and clinical services to ensure appropriate menu options, templates, and user roles in VistA/CPRS align with assigned duties (principle of least privilege). Compliance, Privacy & Information Management: Serve as the technical point for privacy, confidentiality, and information security requirements as they apply to inpatient administrative operations (e.g., patient data handling, scanning/record integrity, access controls, chain of custody for records). Contingency & Emergency Administrative Operations: Maintain and test downtime procedures for inpatient administrative workflows (admission/discharge, order filing, records, and scheduling) to ensure continuity during network, CPRS, or VistA outages. Cross-Service Technical Coordination: Represent inpatient administrative operations in facility/service meetings and interdisciplinary workgroups as the technical owner for process and data issues (not as rating official). Supervisory Duties: The incumbent serves as a second-line supervisor for the inpatient administrative program and exercises supervisory authority only over Hybrid Title 38 personnel within Inpatient Medical Support Services. Supervision of GS Supervisory Medical Support Assistants: The incumbent provides line supervision to the GS-8 Supervisory Medical Support Assistants (SMSAs), who serve as the first-line supervisors for inpatient administrative staff across all inpatient units and divisions. Administrative Oversight of Hybrid Title 38 Personnel: The incumbent provides administrative supervision only to Hybrid Title 38 staff assigned to inpatient administrative roles. Personnel and Workforce Management: The inpatient administrative workforce consists entirely of Hybrid Title 38 personnel. Program-Level Staffing Oversight: The incumbent ensures that inpatient administrative units remain adequately staffed to meet operational requirements. Labor & Employee Relations: The incumbent participates in labor-management and employee-relations activities for Hybrid Title 38 inpatient administrative personnel within the limits of administrative supervisory authority. Supervisory Oversight Across Multiple Divisions: Supervision is exercised over inpatient administrative personnel located across multiple VAPAHCS divisions, including Palo Alto, Menlo Park, and Livermore, as well as programs such as the Emergency Department, Operating Room, Outpatient Surgery, mental health programs, rehabilitation services, Polytrauma, Spinal Cord Injury, and the Western Blind Rehabilitation Center. Program Representation and Coordination: In the capacity of second-line supervisor and program lead, the incumbent works collaboratively with Nurse Managers, section chiefs, and service leadership to coordinate administrative operations across clinical units. Other Duties as assigned. Preferred Experience: 5+ years of demonstrated leadership/managerial experience. Demonstrated ability to manage a diverse workforce responsible for inpatient hospital functions across multiple facilities and services that are responsible for the intake of patients, insurance verification, and customer service and performance reporting. Skill in managing and directing the work of others to accomplish program goals and objectives. Demonstrated proficiency in navigating and managing Electronic Medical Record (EMR) systems, such as Epic or Cerner, along with workforce management software and common software programs (i.e., Microsoft Office Suite, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, etc.) and other electronic data and documentation programs. Work Schedule: M-F 7:30 am - 4:00 pm or as determined by the supervisor. Compressed/Flexible: This may be authorized at the supervisor's discretion. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Program Specialist (Supervisory)/PD03393O

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement 09/17/2026. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade at any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-11 position, you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09. 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-09 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 that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the above duties of the position successfully, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level, you must have a Ph.D. OR Equivalent doctoral degree OR 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., if related. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education. Combining Education and Experience: Combinations of completed post-high school education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements for the grade levels specified in the table, and may be computed by first determining the applicant's total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required for the grade level; then determining the applicant's education as a percentage of the education required for the grade level; and then adding the two percentages. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify an applicant for that grade level. Only graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be used to qualify applicants for positions at grades GS-9 and GS-11. (When crediting education that requires specific coursework, prorate the number of hours of related courses required as a proportion of the total education to be used.) The following are examples of how education and experience may be combined. They are examples only, and are not all-inclusive. The position to be filled is a Quality Assurance Specialist, GS-1910-5. An applicant has 2 years of general experience and 45 semester hours of college that included 9 semester hours in related coursework as described in the individual occupational requirements. The applicant meets 67 percent of the required experience and 38 percent of the required education. Therefore, the applicant exceeds 100 percent of the total requirement and is qualified for the position. The position to be filled is a Management Analyst, GS-343-9. An applicant has 6 months of specialized experience equivalent to GS-7 and 1 year of graduate-level education. The applicant meets 50 percent of the required experience but none of the required education, since he or she does not have any graduate study beyond that which is required for GS-7. Therefore, the applicant meets only 50 percent of the total requirement and is not qualified for the position. (The applicant's first year of graduate study does not qualify for GS-9.) The position to be filled is a Music Specialist, GS-1051-11. An applicant has 9 months of specialized experience equivalent to GS-9 and 2 1/2 years of creditable graduate-level education in music. The applicant meets 75 percent of the required experience and 50 percent of the required education, i.e., the applicant has 1/2 year of graduate study beyond that required for GS-9. Therefore, the applicant exceeds the total requirement and is qualified for the position. (The applicant's first 2 years of graduate study are not qualifying for GS-11.) 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 may 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

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/.

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/13056804. 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, 09/17/2026. 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 Sans, Source Sans Pro, Roboto, or Noro Sans. Make your page margins 0.5 inches. Consider using 14-point font size 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