Skip to main content
U.S. flag
 

Program Support Assistant (Office Automation)

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration
VETERANS AFFAIRS TEXAS VALLEY COASTAL BEND HEALTH CARE SYSTEM

Summary

The incumbent provides support to the Administrative Officer (AO), Chief Medical Officer (CMO), and Nurse Manager for one of the following Texas Valley Coastal Bend Health Care System outpatient clinics. The PSA serves as an expert resource for matters related to the administrative functions of the Outpatient Clinics. The incumbent will input data into tracking systems, preparation of correspondence to internal and external customers, coordinating meetings, composing and distributing minutes.

Overview

Help
Accepting applications
This job will close when we have received 50 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—This position may be authorized for ad-hoc telework, as determined by the agency policy.
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$45,409 - $59,031 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 6
Promotion potential
None
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
25% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position between main campus and outpatient clinics.
Appointment type
Permanent
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Represented by a union
Yes
Drug test
No
Security clearance
Other
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
Financial disclosure required
No
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
CAZM-13024579-26-PW
Control number
879644400

Videos

Duties

Help

Duties may include but are not limited to:

1. (5%) Outreach and Teaching - The incumbent is responsible for scheduling, preparing materials and assisting with employee engagement, and Veteran appreciation activities organized by the outpatient clinics. This includes serving as the point of contact for multiple community stakeholders to include Veteran support organizations, workforce solutions, and other local agencies supporting these events. The incumbent will be responsible for coordinating presentations from the Clinic leadership to new employees. Incumbent must demonstrate tactfulness, diplomacy, and politeness to all individuals seeking assistance or information.

2. (30%) Clinic Correspondence - The incumbent will be responsible for incoming and outgoing materials such as correspondence, reports, memoranda, suspense, congressional requests, guidelines, report of contacts, request for supplies, performance appraisals, performance standards and other forms of written communications.

3. (30%) Program Data Management- The incumbent is responsible for assisting the Clinic Leadership in fulfilling national and local requirements to include tracking patient and stakeholder data, data gathering needed for recurring and non-recurring statistical reports, and program audits. The incumbent is also responsible for properly recording and tracking performance measure data for the clinic utilization to include accessing and compiling data from VSSC and other data cubes as appropriate.

4. (5%) Dispatcher- The incumbent will monitor of all required equipment will be kept and tracked on an inventory as appropriate. Receives all incoming mail for the clinic. Screens, reviews and dispatches mail to clinical staff, and determine priorities and proper routing within the service, ensuring the AO, CMO, and NM are advised of all matters requiring their attention. Serves as Liaison with Facility Management and employees for all maintenance problems such as heating, air conditioning, faulty plumbing and lighting located within the clinic. Enters work orders for maintenance issues as items are identified.

5. (5%) Clinic Computer Formats - The incumbent in collaboration with HAS staff is responsible for the development and implementation of new clinic computer formats as needed by staff trainees and coordinates such clinics. The incumbent is responsible for initiating EPAS requests for all new staff arriving at perspective clinic, and work in collaboration with services to ensure proper menu's and keys are issued based on occupations.

6. (10%) Record Keeping - The incumbent maintains accurate and current records as needed per VHA/VCB requirements. The incumbent is responsible for ensuring that all electronic database and all other records are maintained in a suitable and complete fashion. The incumbent will follow all procedures consistent with meeting JCAHO, OIG and/or other applicable standards in force at the time. Establishes, maintains, and dispositions administrative files. Maintains the filing system, which includes correspondence, reports, personnel and training records, project files, publications, and directive material.

7. (10%) The incumbent attends and takes minutes for various meetings chaired or organized by the CMO, AO, and NM. The incumbent also assists with maintenance of the Outpatient Clinic SharePoint sites, service line folders, and program materials needed for Veteran distribution and all activities.

8. (5%) The incumbent maintains all materials, administrative and publication files to include the most current copies of VATVCBHCS, and VHA Policies and Procedures; the incumbent assists staff members when they in need of locating specific policies.


Work Schedule: 8:00 am - 4:30pm (Monday through Friday)
Telework: This position may be authorized for Ad-hoc telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. This is an onsite position. Ad-hoc Telework may be offered when deemed necessary by the department. (Employees who telework on an occasional, episodic, or short-term basis, must complete required telework training and a telework agreement.)
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Program Support Assistant (Office Automation)/ PD 00383A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

Help

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 Requirement: The work is sedentary. Some work may require movement between offices, hospitals, warehouses, and similar areas for meetings and to conduct work. Work may also require walking/standing, in conjunctions with travel to and attendance at meetings and/or conferences away from the work site. Incumbent may carry and lift light items weighing less than 15 pounds.
  • 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 identification 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, 08/14/2026.

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. 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- 05 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Knowledge of medical terminology and usages, spelling, grammar, and composition. Ability to perform, plan and organize work. Skill in use of Microsoft Work, Outlook, and Excel programs, Scheduling; Statistical and analytical processes and deductive reasoning to conduct problem and trend identification and resolution. Skill in applying basic data gathering methods, such as standard interviewing or surveying techniques, to collect various types of factual information. OR,
  • Education: Graduate education may be credited in those few instances where the graduate education is directly related to the work of the position. OR,
  • Combination: Equivalent combinations of education and experience are qualifying for this grade level and position for which both education and experience are acceptable. Equivalent combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and experience may be used to meet total experience requirements at this grade level GS- 06.

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.

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/.

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:

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

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?

VA TEXAS VALLEY COASTAL BEND HEALTH CARE SYSTEM

The VATVCBHCS is comprised of the Corpus Christi Outpatient Clinic, Corpus Christi Specialty Clinic, Harlingen Outpatient Clinic, Health Care Center at Harlingen, Brownsville Outpatient Clinic, Laredo Outpatient Clinic, McAllen Outpatient Clinic and two Mobile Medical Units. The VATVCBHCS is an innovative and dynamic ambulatory health care system offering core services in Primary Care, Geriatrics and Mental Health as well as Specialty Medicine, Pain Management, Surgical Services, Radiology, Dental, Pharmacy, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Women's Health and Urgent Care.

Through the utilization of inpatient/emergency department contracts, approximately 22,500 inpatient admissions and ER visits are managed by VATVCBHCS. Affiliated with the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Medical School, the system has an active ambulatory care program and serves as a teaching and training site for medical residents and a myriad of health professional trainees. The VATVCBHCS is responsible for an enrollee population of over 53,000 Veterans and 612,000 outpatient visits annually.

Agency contact information

Patricia Wilson
Email
patricia.wilson2@va.gov
Address
VA TX Valley Coastal Bend HCS
2601 Veterans Drive
Harlingen, TX 78550
US

Visit our careers page

Learn more about what it's like to work at Veterans Health Administration, what the agency does, and about the types of careers this agency offers.

https://www.va.gov/jobs/

Your session is about to expire!

Your USAJOBS session will expire due to inactivity in 8 minutes. Any unsaved data will be lost if you allow the session to expire. Click the button below to continue your session.