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Program Specialist

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration
VHA VISN 20 Health Care System

Summary

The incumbent is responsible for the planning, direction, and management of multiple Logistics Programs, including: Medical/Surgical, Dental, Pharmacy, Laboratory, Radiology, and Supply, Processing and Distribution (SPD)/Reprocessing of Medical Equipment (RME).

This is an open-continuous announcement. It establishes a standing register of eligible applicants which closes on March 31, 2026 or until all positions have been filled.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
03/26/2026 to 03/31/2026
Salary
$96,443 to - $125,378 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 12
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Vancouver, WA
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
25% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
CBSV-12921244-26-SE
Control number
862788200

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Duties

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Major duties include but is not limited to:

  • The incumbent is responsible for the planning, direction and management of multiple Logistics Programs such as: Medical/Surgical, Dental, Pharmacy, Laboratory, Radiology, and Supply, Processing and Distribution (SPD)/Reprocessing of Medical Equipment (RME). Because the mission of Logistics is one of service to clinical, administrative and facility management elements of the Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN), the adequate and effectiveness of the program directly affects the accomplishments of the Healthcare System's total health care mission as well as its economy of operations.
  • In addition to VA directives, all program activities are required to be consistent with legal and administrative requirements
    imposed by higher authority. It is therefore significant that a high degree of effectiveness, efficiency and consistency with the goals and objections of management be maintained in all functional elements of the Logistics Program to ensure a basic understanding of the acquisition process and the impact of the process as it relates to inventory management responsibilities. In addition, the incumbent supports multiple Community Based Outpatient Clinics and Outreach Clinics.
  • The incumbent twill be involved with the front end acquisition process, to include participation on IPT's (Integrated Project Teams), advanced procurement plans (APP), strategic planning at the VISN Level, and portfolio/project management concepts.
  • The incumbent will provide the necessary business acumen for clinical and other administrative program managers in the health care organization, locally (Facility and VISN) and at a regional level (multiple VISN's).
  • This includes consultation and providing advice to a variety of leaders relating to acquisition strategies, development of contract procurement packages and statements of work (SOW's), and requirements determination.
  • Will review multiple data sources to perform analysis and strategies to best meet the needs of the organization, considering items such as
    clinical needs, national and local standardization initiatives and best practices.
  • In collaboration with the Capital Asset Manager, participates and/or coordinates the facility submission to the Capital Investment
    Board (CIB) in Capital Investment planning and activities. Participates in VISN level facility oversight audits and reviews as they relate to the Logistics Program requirements.
  • Assist in the development, review and revision of policies to ensure compliance with all applicable regulatory and accreditation entities.
  • Assure the VA policies and procedures related to mandatory topics are presented during orientation and thereafter to all personnel in an annual review.
  • Create service based quality improvement plans to ensure performance measures, analysis tools to change and improve performance feedback, coaching and teaching. Establish meaningful service goals and action plans and facilitate accomplishments of these goals.
Work Schedule: Monday- Friday, 7:30am to 4:00pm PST
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Program Specialist/PD10236A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved
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 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.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet time-in-grade and specialized experience requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement, 03/31/2026.

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 within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-11. 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 as described below:

Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-11 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to:

  • Conducting audits and analyzing procurement and financial records to assess their impact on government programs or operations.
  • Apply qualitative and quantitative methods to assess and recommend improvements for program efficiency and effectiveness.
  • Analyze multiple datasets to develop strategies that meet organizational needs, considering clinical requirements, standardization, and best practices.
  • Implement organizational and system-wide strategies to support continuous quality improvement.
  • Provides consultation and advice to leaders on acquisition strategies, contract procurement package development, and statements of work.
  • Oversee detailed procedure of budget and supply activities.
  • Evaluate health information systems and demonstrate proficiency in Microsoft Office. Analyze data and develop strategies to meet organizational needs.
Note: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month & year starting and year ending dates AND hours worked per week.
Preferred Experience: Experience with VA Veterans Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture (VISTA), VA budget and supply programs and procedures, including IFCAP, and proficiency in Microsoft Office applications such as Excel, Power BI, and Pyramid.

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

There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

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.

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/.

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.

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.

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:

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


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.

Resume Reminder - Your resume must include the following information for each job listed:

  • Job title
  • Duties (be as detailed as possible)
  • Month & year start/end dates (e.g. June 2007 to April 2008)
  • Full-time or part-time status (include hours worked per week)
  • Salary/Rank etc.
  • Series and Grade, if applicable, for all Federal positions you have held
  • References, current or recent supervisor
Do not include the following types of information in your resume:
  • Classified or Government sensitive information
  • Social Security Number (SSN)
  • Photos of yourself
  • Personal information, such as age, gender, religious affiliation, etc.
Please be aware that your answers will be verified against information provided on your resume. Be sure that your resume clearly supports your responses to all of the questions by addressing your work experience in detail. The experience stated in your resume must support your assessment responses.

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.

Veterans Health Administration

OUR MISSION: To fulfill President Lincoln's promise "To care for those who have served in our nation's military and for their families, caregivers, and survivors" - by serving and honoring the men and women who are America's Veterans. How would you like to become a part of a team providing compassionate whole health care to Veterans?

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Agency contact information

Suzy Everett
Phone
702-817-6811
Email
Suzy.Everett@va.gov
Address
VHA VISN 20 Human Resources
1601 E. 4TH PLAIN BLVD
VANCOUVER, WA 98661-3713
US

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