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Program Support Assistant

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration
Veterans Health Administration

Summary

The incumbent serves as a Program Support Assistant (PSA) for the Clinical Services (CS) of the Erie Veterans Affairs Medical Center (EVAMC) which includes both Primary Care-Erie and CBOCs. The position will report to the Administrative Officer, CBOC's and have second level reporting to the Chief, Clinical Services. The incumbent completes and coordinates a wide variety of administrative, clerical and customer service tasks essential to the executive administration of the Service Line.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
05/08/2026 to 05/18/2026
Salary
$45,409 - $59,031 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 6
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Erie, PA
1 vacancy
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
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-12951785-26-SJ
Control number
868561800

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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Duties and Responsibilities of the Primary Care Clinical Services (PCCS) Program Support Assistant include:

  • Performs primary timekeeping duties for time and leave units within CS; includes daily posting of attendance, tracking of exceptions and timecard certification by supervisors.
  • Serves as CS record liaison. Establishes, maintains, and revises office and electronic filing systems with the appropriate level of security.
  • Organizes, maintains, processes and disposes of routine and confidential paper and electronic files, MSDS sheets, contingency plans, policies and standard operating procedures, personnel actions, faxes, webpages and SharePoint content; coordinates correspondence and communication flow including that of a sensitive nature.
  • Coordinates with facility record manager as needed.
  • Runs the Action Required report and filters the No Status report for CS; maintains consistent communication with clinicians to resolve incomplete visits, incomplete and no status encounters, and incorrect duplicate visits on a regular basis.
  • Assists the Administrative Officer, CBOC with equipment inventory, locating and documenting CS equipment across multiple sites ensuring necessary identification labels are in place.
  • May serve on special committees, initiatives or projects in either a lead or supporting role. Enters work orders when needed; assists with supply purchases by coordinating with end user to identify exact product needed and follow through the procurement process.
  • Responsible for managing key inventory and submitting requests when keys are needed.
  • Consults with and provides education, guidance and technical advice to all service line staff including PC Erie and CBOC partners regarding scheduling, consult management, unsigned notes, encounter completion, missed opportunities, PACT team assignments, Secure Messaging escalation, scheduling, Electronic Wait List management, New Enrollee Appointment Requests, and other related items/initiatives.
  • Identifies and recommends ways of eliminating, combining, simplifying or improving administrative and clerical office procedures and processes with attention to solutions that reduce waste and enable real-time support using various technology and software applications.
  • Works in concert with all staff, clinical and administrative, using considerable tact, diplomacy, civility and courtesy.
  • Makes all necessary arrangements for CS staff when needed for travel and education requests; educates staff on proper documents needing completion and formally prepares and submits requests to CS and facility leadership for review.
  • Schedules meetings and manages meeting logistics to include distributing agendas and setting up video teleconferencing systems and telephone lines. Transcribes minutes and documents in prescribed format for review/approval by meeting facilitator and distributes to appropriate staff. Ensures correct punctuation, spelling, grammar and formatting are used and maintains confidentiality.
  • Oversees CS documentation related to Home Health authorizations from non-VA healthcare agencies. Coordinates with EVAMC Non-VA Care department to track CS open cases.
  • Follows up with clinicians to obtain proper signatures to close out pending orders, tracking progression throughout process.
  • Prepares CS correspondence using Microsoft Suite products, such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook; ensures correct punctuation, capitalization, spelling, grammar, and conformance to style, using familiarity with medical terminology and departmental processes. Retrieves data from various sources (including Decision Support System (DSS) and VHA Support Service Center (VSSC), VISTA, CPRS, PCMM, Pyramid) to include in service line correspondence.
  • Assists with items related to the program and administrative work of the PCSL in support of the Primary Care Medical Director.
  • Understands and assists the service line Automated Data Processing Application Coordinator (ADPAC). Ensures completion of pre-requisite training for all PCSL employees.
  • Serves as the PCSL TMS coordinator, completing administrative duties to ensure employee accounts reflect the correct supervisor, reset passwords and retrieve various types of training reports, coordinating with Education and OIT as needed.
  • Performs other related duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; 7:30am - 4:00pm
Telework: Ad-hoc; This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Program Support Assistant/PD014180
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: 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 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, 05/18/2026.

GS-6 grade level: One year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-5 grade level in the federal service); experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) and other characteristics to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.

Specialized experience includes:

  • Performing administrative functions, office operations and technology support for an organization;
  • Establishing and maintaining filing systems;
  • Experience using automated software applications such as Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Access and PowerPoint); typing letters, memos, reports;
  • Maintaining calendars and schedules.

There is no educational substitution for the GS-06 level.

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.

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.

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
  • Clerical
  • Computer Skills
  • Customer Service
  • Decision Making
  • Flexibility
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Learning
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Reasoning
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork
  • Veteran and Customer Focus
  • Writing


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.

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?

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

Agency contact information

Shawanda Jackson
Phone
813-391-2368
Email
Shawanda.Jackson@va.gov
Address
Erie VA Medical Center
135 East 38th Street
Erie, PA 16504
US

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