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Program Support Assistant

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Benefits Administration
Veterans Benefits Administration

Summary

The employee serves as a Program Support Assistant in the Support Services Division (SSD) of the Regional Office (RO). The incumbent's primary duty is to actively assist the supervisors and management of the Support Services Division (SSD) in performing administrative work. Based on a sound knowledge of the organization and programs under the SSD's span of control, the incumbent independently resolves problems associated with the administrative and operational functions of the SSD.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—This position is eligible for situational (ad hoc) telework only. The selectee is required to report to the official duty station each scheduled workday. Telework may be approved only on a case-by-case basis with supervisory approval. Routine or recurring telework is not authorized for this position.
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$47,488 - $61,734 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 6
Promotion potential
None
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time - 7:30AM - 4:00PM
Travel Required
Not required
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
Not Required
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
330-26-MB-13041754
Control number
881534600

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

This vacancy announcement is open ONLY to current, permanent VA employees in the Milwaukee commuting area and current/former VA employees who are CTAP eligible.

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Duties

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Specific duties include:

  • Preparing, assembling, and correlating information in connection with surveys and one-time reports required by Central Office, the Area Office, the Regional Office (RO), or Division management regarding administrative support functions from other divisions and outside sources of data.
  • Processing incoming and outgoing materials such as correspondence, reports, memoranda, and other forms of written communications.
  • Reviewing and analyzing these materials, determines action necessary, researches and assembles background information, and refers said materials to the appropriate section when necessary.
  • Editing documents, composes letters and reports, reviews correspondence for accuracy and completeness, prepares public presentation outlines, and develops standard for form letters and replies to inquiries.
  • Liaising with the customer and identifies requirements for equipment purchase, lease, trade-in, excess, move to another location, warranty periods, etc. and then passes those requirements on to the appropriate Administrative Section staff for action.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 7:30AM - 4:00PM
Compressed/Flexible: N/A
Telework: Yes - This position is eligible for situational (ad hoc) telework only. The selectee is required to report to the official duty station each scheduled workday. Telework may be approved only on a case-by-case basis with supervisory approval. Routine or recurring telework is not authorized for this position.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Program Support Assistant; PD37329A
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may 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 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.
  • You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
  • Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
  • You may be required to serve a probationary period
  • 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 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.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement:08/29/2026.

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.

  • For a GS-06 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05 level.
  • If you are a current VBA employee outside of the commuting area seeking reassignment or change to lower grade via this vacancy announcement, you must currently hold the GS-06 (or higher) and the promotion potential of your current position must be at least None.
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.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENT: You may qualify based on your experience as described below:
GS-06 Grade Level:
  • Specialized Experience: (1) Maintains controls of and prepares designated reports (2) Maintains control over priority mail, (3) Assists in the management of the unit mail management system to include diagnoses of equipment malfunctions, operating problems, and performs corrective adjustments; (4) Ensures adequate supplies are maintained within the division to support continuous RO operations; (5) Analyzes supply levels on a recurring basis to determine the rate of utilization, and advises the Support Services Specialist when supply orders are required; AND (6) Provides guidance and assistance on procedures, report requirements, deadlines, and related matters to assure compliance with Support Services policies.
Volunteer Experience: 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.
Full vs. Part-Time Employment: Full-time employment is considered to be at least 35 hours per week. Part-time experience will be credited on a pro-rated basis; when including part-time employment in your resume you must specify the average hours worked per week.
Physical Requirements: Work requires some physical exertion such as extended periods of standing, frequent bending,
reaching or similar activities necessary to set up, operate, adjust and monitor operation of the
equipment.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

Education

Some federal jobs allow you to substitute your education for the required experience in order to qualify. For this job, you must meet the qualification requirement using experience alone--no substitution of education for experience is permitted.

Additional information

The 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 (have a final rating of 85 or more) for this vacancy. Information about 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.
It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.
This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members. 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 (TJO). Please visit the Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP), https://www.va.gov/EMPLOYEE/docs/The-Fair-Chance-to-Compete-Act.pdf

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. (https://appsupport.usastaffing.gov/hc/en-us/sections/28980686389652-Reasonable-Accommodation-Information)For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

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.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

  • Inputs data for outgoing express mail shipments into a computer, which allows for computerized addressing of shipping labels, tracking of shipments, and accurate shipping costs.
  • Maintains inventory control, ensures adequate supplies are maintained within the divisions to support continuous RO operations, oversees receipt and distribution of supply orders. Receives and processes all orders for forms and publications, to include maintaining inventory of forms and order forms.
  • Responsible for providing timely and accurate processing of incoming and outgoing mail, as well as operating a variety of office equipment, such as high-speed printers, an x-ray machine, and mail processing machines to assist in the processing of mail and extended security of the office.
  • Reviews and researches returned mail to determine the reason(s) for its return and routes mail to the appropriate unit for action. Ensures public inquiries and staff mail is properly opened, logged, read, date stamped, and sorted by established categories for accurate distribution to staff.
  • Executes control over priority mail by routing to the appropriate action elements and ensuring timely responses with proper reporting using the Report Log system.
  • Executes control and preparation of internal reports, including monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, and annual reports by utilizing applicable computer programs.

Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or an interview.

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 (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

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


Additionally, you will be assessed on the following technical competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):
  • The USA Hire Assessments includes 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.

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

Veterans Benefits 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." How would you like to become a part of a team providing compassionate care to Veterans

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). As a VA professional, your opportunities are endless with many openings in the multiple functions of VA, you will have a wide range of opportunities and leadership positions at your fingertips.

Agency contact information

Mara Budweg
Phone
515-323-7575
Email
mara.budweg@va.gov
Address
VBACO HRC Detroit
810 Vermont Ave NW
Washington, DC 20420
US

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

http://www.va.gov/jobs

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