Clarification from the agency

This job is open to current and permanent Memphis VA employees.

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The incumbent is the Program Support in Surgical Service and is responsible for performing a variety of administrative, analytical/evaluative work, technical functions, tasks, and projects.

Duties include but are not limited to the following:

• Participate in special studies on various subjects, most of which require extensive investigation and analysis, which may include reviews of various Surgical Service programs for efficiency and effectiveness and status reports dealing with critical operational matters.
• Must be knowledgeable about the mission and operational objectives of Surgical Service and the Memphis VA Medical Center. Required to have a working knowledge of all the programs and sections in Surgical Service so that support can be provided to them.
• Will frequently be called upon to identify and analyze atypical situations in Surgical Service and to advise the management team on appropriate corrective actions.
• Serves as training coordinator for the Surgical Service clinical teams.
• Arrange training for staff and trainees on topics such as workload and productivity, closing encounters, completing consults, documentation and coding, clinic utilization, clinic profile management, and clinic cancellations.
• Act as training and development coordinator for Surgical Service's administrative team.
• Review and recommend any needed changes to administrative policies. Develop, coordinate, and implement office procedures and practices to be used by administrative support.
• Conducts quarterly informal training sessions in such topics as correspondence preparation and distribution, business writing skills, email etiquette, telephone courtesy, reporting responsibilities, budget, and acquisition, equipment and supply inventory, and reconciliation of UT billing.
• Coordinate activities of the Surgical Service Safety Program, including Chemical Inventories, regular Environment of Care inspections, maintaining update-to-date Disaster Plan, Service Level Preparedness Plan and ongoing staff safety training, fire drills, and evacuation exercises.
• Monitor the service's compliance with The Joint Commission (TJC) and Medical Center standards.
• Incumbent will manage clerical functions, act as Subject Matter Expert (SME), assess workflow and implement efficient procedures to enhance effectiveness.
• Incumbent serves as the approved and delegated Contracting Officer's Technical Representative (COTR) for contracts and sharing agreements.
• Must possess extensive knowledge of the product/equipment or services required in the discipline of the contract in order to draft or revise said proposed contract.
• Works closely with clinical staff in the establishment of performance measure monitors to ensure measures are being met and appropriate reporting to Contracting and the Compliance Officer.
• Assist in using the Invoice Payment Processing System (IPPS) to access, research, and approve invoices for payment.
• Assist in completing annual performance evaluation reports of the contractor and sharing agreement holders. Assist in submitting reports into the contracting system (Forecast of Opportunities and Requirements Center of Excellence - FORCE).
• Maintain certifications as a contracting officer's representative (COR) and Talent Management System (TMS) administrator to track and assist with mandatory training requirements.
• Specialist acts as liaison between patients and the Service Line to resolve surgical complaints and issues at the lowest level. Analyze patient care processes to identify and reduce potential problems. Conduct analysis and suggest solutions or alternatives to existing processes.
• Promote patient satisfaction within Service Line. Communicate feedback to patients through the appropriate professional/administrative staff. Assist and respond to official inquiries received from the Patient Advocate Tracking System Reports, Congressional, White House Hotline, and VA-Exec inquiries.
• Performs other 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: Monday-Friday 7:30am-4:00pm
Telework: This position is not authorized for telework.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Program Specialist/PD504750
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• 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 dentification 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 or trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 03/20/2026.

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-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:

• 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: Specialized experience is defined as: Knowledge of medical/legal issues, peer review, occurrence screens, patient safety reports, quality management, lean process and medical records. Demonstrates knowledge of quality management principles, program responsibility and program goals and objectives, work processes and administrative operations of the organization. Must possess knowledge of the clinical services available in the organization in order to respond or direct inquires appropriately. Understanding of the operations and responsibilities of the Quality Management Service and other services. Knowledge of the supervisor's goals, priorities, policies, and commitments to perform special and routine assignments related to quality and risk initiatives.
• OR,
• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have possess a 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 and education beyond 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.You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:

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

• Administration and Management
• Attention to Detail
• Manages and Organizes Information
• Oral Communication
• 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: Work may be done while seated, such as working at a computer, and also may require mobility (walking, bending, squatting, reaching and assuming awkward positions) to complete review existing/proposed telephone placements. The work requires some physical exertion such as long periods of standing and reoccurring lifting of moderately heavy items.

Work Environment: The work is performed in an office setting. The office of the individual will be within the physical structure of the hospital or one of its surrounding structures. The work area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated. The work environment includes everyday low risk or discomforts which require normal safety precautions typical of offices, meeting, and training rooms.

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/.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview. Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.

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.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

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.