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Program Support Assistant

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration
Wilkes Barre VAMC

Summary

This position is responsible for providing a broad range of administrative and clerical program support and assisting with all projects undertaken by program faculty and staff. The duties are varied and complex but consist mainly of supporting the program Office and activities. The program Office is comprised of approximately 3 employees and numerous trainees from different medical disciplines.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
03/31/2026 to 04/06/2026
Salary
$45,409 - $59,031 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 6
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Wilkes Barre, PA
1 vacancy
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
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
CBSZ-12915875-26-STJ
Control number
863219400

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below. This position is open to facility employees only.

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Duties

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  • This position assists the Program coordinator collaborate with affiliate program leaders in coordinating residency activities, correspondence, rotational schedules of residents, on-call duties and ensures that all appropriate documentation has been completed. He/she liaisons with the affiliated medical school for undergraduate medical education and other graduate medical education affiliates regarding resident and student assignments related to the process of bringing on new continuing graduate medical education trainees (Paid and/or non-Paid), including facilitating trainee orientation and training activities and logistics, and maintaining electronic communication with trainees. He/she routinely reviews manuals, handbooks, policies, and program requirements to ensure that the orientation program maintains full compliance with OAA, Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center, Joint Commission, and affiliate regulations and guidelines.
  • This position assists coordination between the Office of Academic Affairs in VA Central Office, teaching services at Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center, and the respective departments at the affiliates to coordinate training of medical students and residents. Program Support Assistant maintains a list of all residents and responds to requests for information regarding residents and medical students.
  • Maintains a file system/repository of trainee materials following established Records Management guidelines. He/she maintains an extensive informational file system of resident credentials verification letters. This position assists with monitoring and verifying resident attendance through appropriate departments.
  • Assists the program coordinator develop, maintain, publish and distribute the schedule for all the residents working in the inpatient units and clinics. This responsibility includes making changes in the clinic schedules for unexpected events. Works with the physician manager of the Residency Program, Associate Chief of Staffs (ACOSs), Service Chiefs, Primary Care Manager, and medical providers to ensure the residency schedules and training work in concert for effective and efficient management of the program.
  • Uploads supervising physician prepared recommendation letters of reference for the permanent file of the affiliate medical schools.
  • Assists the program coordinator with all Human Resources mandated requirements and arranges for use of VA operational systems. He/she develops resident duty schedules, Resident Call Schedules, and incorporates the Hospitalist work schedule into residency supervision models.
  • Serves as a timekeeper, maintaining accurate timesheets and backup material in compliance with VA regulation, policies and procedures.
  • Acts as a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) Manger and Sponsor for the Service. Determines if new trainee applicants are authorized a PIV Card, non-PIV Card, or Flash Badge. Determines if applicant has initiated or already has a current background investigation on record. Sponsors applicant by entering his or her sponsorship information into the PIV System.
  • Updates the associated health trainee manual annually, with guidance from the GME Associate Director for Education and Evaluation.
  • Maintains the program calendar. Schedules appointments, coordinates meetings, and/or schedules conferences within the VA and affiliate Universities on programs related to the GME and its mission.
  • Assist with scheduling meetings, including arranging for space, notifying participants, preparing the agenda and minutes, and following-up on all commitments to ensure that necessary arrangements have been made.
  • Assists program employees and trainees with computer network and software problems. Reminds employees of privacy policies, sensitive information protection and cyber security and enforce compliance with VA policies. Serves as TMS Administrator for GME.
  • Performs other duties as assigned

Work Schedule: 8:00am to 4:30pm, Monday thru Friday
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Program Support Assistant/PD019390
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 all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 04/06/2026.

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.

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-05 level in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: providing administrative support; collecting, compiling and tracking data and information; processing documents and reports; establishing, updating and maintaining office files and records; performing automation duties using such software applications such as word processing, spreadsheet, electronic mail, desktop publishing, calendar, database and/or graphics; and providing information and customer service. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level. Applicants who have the 1 year of appropriate specialized experience, as indicated in the table, are not required by this standard to have general experience, education above the high school level, or any additional specialized experience to meet the minimum qualification requirements.
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.

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.

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


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.

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?

As a professional at the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), your opportunities are endless. With many openings in the multiple functions of VA, you have a wide range of opportunities and leadership positions at your fingertips. Not only is it the largest, most technologically advanced integrated health care system in the Nation, but we also provide many other services to veterans through the Benefits Administration and National Cemeteries.

The VA has adopted Core Values and Characteristics that apply universally across the Department. The five Core Values define "who we are," our culture, and how we care for Veterans, their families and other beneficiaries. The Values are Integrity, Commitment, Advocacy, Respect and Excellence ("I CARE").

America's Veterans need you!

Agency contact information

Shala Johnson
Phone
(412) 822-2186
Email
shala.johnson@va.gov
Address
Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center
1111 East End Boulevard
Wilkes-Barre, PA 18711
US

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