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Program Support Assistant (OA)

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration
Veterans Health Administration

Summary

This position is organizationally aligned under the Acute Care Nursing - Inpatient Division, Management Team Section at the Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center, Milwaukee, WI (695). The primary purpose of this position requires the incumbent to provided administrative support in the Office of the Division Manager, and to perform clerical and assistant duties for Nurse Managers, Supervisors, and other support staff. Incumbent serves as the primary timekeeper within the division.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
03/06/2026 to 03/13/2026
Salary
$42,601 to - $55,382 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 5
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Milwaukee, WI
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
CAZP-12904224-26-TJ
Control number
860276900

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

ALL US CITIZENS DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: This position is being filled using Direct-Hire Authority (5 CFR 337.205) for this occupation.

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Duties

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Major Duties:

  • Routine administrative and clerical work through use of office automation systems, including electronic mail, word processing, data base and spreadsheet software; preparing documents, statistical reports and correspondence
  • Resolves problems associated with administrative and clerical work of the office.
  • The employee assists in the development of new or enhanced procedures and programs related to data entry and the processing and retrieval of data.
  • Maintains databases to accurately reflect status of organizational charts and employee staffing, as well as any applicable recruiting needs or proposals. Initiates appropriate documents to process new actions, renewals, and cancellations. Processes employee gains, losses, inter-unit transfers and details.
  • Reviews outgoing correspondence for procedural and grammatical accuracy.
  • Responsible for trifold maintenance and coordination. Prepares new or revised education materials, competency documents, Position Descriptions, and Functional Statements for employee orientation and continuing education. Responsible for running monthly TMS reports and disseminating results to management. Ensures timely preparation and filing of records/reports for employees, including Phase II orientation documentation, individual unit competency folders, and other requested materials.
  • Initiates, signs, and follows-up on completion of various types of work orders for assigned services
  • Through supervisory guidance, the Program Support Assistant researches/prepares/compiles responses to surveys, investigation, recurring administrative reports, and employment inquiries, as required by the Division. Supports management in preparing responses to requests for information and/or site surveys from regulatory agencies including JC, OIG and national service organizations.
  • Maintain knowledge on directives/instructional materials pertaining to administrative and clerical practices. Composes correspondence relating to administrative matters and other information/data sources. Collaborate with management team members to schedule and coordinate interviews for prospective employees. This includes reviewing and/or developing job postings, interview packets, interview scoring, and assisting management with returning interview related materials to Human Resources.
  • Collaborate with management team members to schedule and coordinate interviews for prospective employees. This includes reviewing and/or developing job postings, interview packets, interview scoring, and assisting management with returning interview related materials to Human Resources. Maintains an accurate record of messages on matters requiring referral, compliance, or follow-up action. Obtains information from appropriate sources to fulfill requests within her/his scope of responsibility.
  • Maintains records on all correspondence and action documents for which she/he is responsible, providing necessary follow-up for timely reply or action. Performs a periodic inventory of files and documents within the office and arranges for the destruction of outdated materials. Maintains prudent inventory, storage, and safe handling of office equipment and supplies, within policy/procedural guidelines.
  • The Program Support Assistant is responsible for creating, processing and maintaining attendance and leave records for assigned Time and Leave (T&L) units within the Division. Division employees may work full time or part time on regular, compressed, flexible, and/or intermittent tours of duty. Division employees represent multiple position levels under Title 38, Hybrid Title 38, and Title 5.

Work Schedule: Days, variable start times.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Program Support Assistant (OA)/PD23107A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized.
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Authorized.
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • 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 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 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 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, 03/13/2026.

You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:

GS 5 Specialized Experience: Do you possess at least (1) one full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-4) in Federal service that equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. Specialized experience includes: Working with computer programs including Microsoft Word, Excel, Access, and PowerPoint, database programs and office equipment. Planning and organizing the activities of an office including reception duties, distributing mail, maintaining schedules, arranging conferences/meetings, preparing correspondence, documents and reports. Demonstrating proper use of grammar, punctuation, spelling, and clerical procedures.
OR
Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have completed a full 4 year course of study, above high school, leading to a bachelor's degree in a field for which high school graduation or the equivalent is the normal pre-requisite. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED)
OR
Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education beyond the second year of undergraduate level coursework. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED)

Typing Proficiency: Must be able to type at least 40 words per minute

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/.

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/.

Additional information

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

How you will be evaluated

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

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following Competencies for this position:

  • Accountability
  • Attention to Detail
  • Customer Service
  • Decision Making
  • Flexibility
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Learning
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Reasoning
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork


USA Hire Assessments include a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment.

Your experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. 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. IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

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.

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities [i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities], and/or Disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. Contact the Agency Contact for information on how to apply under this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator.

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