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Program Applications Specialist

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration
Veterans Health Administration

Summary

The Program Applications Specialist provides continuous business oversight for a variety of software programs integral to the overall administration and operations of the business and effects programmatic changes at the facility level. The incumbent coordinates ongoing data collection and analysis and uses knowledge of System Redesign principles to determine organization performance.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$61,722 - $97,087 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 9 - 11
Promotion potential
11
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
Not required
Appointment type
Permanent
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
CBTG-13078469-26-DMM
Control number
887119800

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Open to current, permanent Veterans Health Administration (VHA) employees and CTAP eligibles. First consideration will be given to current, permanent Robley Rex VA Medical Center employees.

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Duties

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This job opportunity announcement (JOA) will be used to fill one (1) full-time, permanent Program Applications Specialist, GS-0301-09 Target 11, vacancy with Business Office Service at the Louisville, KY VA Medical Center.

Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level.

Knowledge can be gained and expanded on during the initial GS-9 period but will be expected to be fully gained prior to recommendation to GS-11.

The Program Applications Specialist (PAS) serves as the integrator that coordinates the business process and software functions. The PAS provides continuous business oversight for a variety of software programs integral to the overall administration and operations of the business and effects programmatic changes at the facility level. The PAS coordinates ongoing data collection and analysis and uses knowledge of System Redesign principles to determine organization performance. The PAS conducts business process modeling, projects and studies that will impact on the overall functions of the services in such areas as, policy development and implementation, work methodology, processes, streamlining, etc.

Major duties include but are not limited to:

  • Skill with MUMPS/File Manager Applications Sufficient to Develop and Create Data Extract Templates, Rules, and Printouts.
  • Oversees the coordination, planning, implementation, and training for service and facility staff in business and functional areas for various information technology VISTA packages.
  • Serves as the functional "expert" for matters relating to the Patient Information Management System (PIMS) core package.
  • Plans initiatives for hardware and software needs for the service.
  • Assesses individual needs to determine appropriate level of menu access for staff, Regional Office employees, and employees from VISN VA facilities.
  • Identifies system inefficiencies and develops studies or data collection techniques related to specific identified problems.
  • Coordinates ongoing data collection and analysis and uses knowledge of System Redesign principles to determine organization performance.
  • Conducts business process modeling, projects and studies that will impact on the overall functions of the services in such areas as, policy development and implementation, work methodology, processes, streamlining, etc.
  • Performs a continuing evaluation and analysis to assess program effectiveness and to identify areas requiring management attention.
  • Analyzes utilization trend data on a monthly/quarterly basis to verify the accuracy of the data, identify problem areas, provide objective assessments, prioritize identified problems, analyze variances, and recommend appropriate actions and/or alternatives.
  • Establishes administrative qualitative standards; the objective of which is intended to improve programs, facilities, and operations. The incumbent develops and implements standards that affect the service.
  • Develops initiatives which will enable the facility to provide quality health care to its population while operating in a more effective and efficient manner.
  • Designs and develops dissemination and training materials, local standard operating procedure manuals, develops and utilizes monitoring tools, and provides for the implementation of BO programs through on-site education and training.
  • Recommends and implements amendment of business office programs where necessary.
  • Communicate in a clear, logical, and concise to explanation of information, both orally and in written format.
  • Preforms the coordination, planning, implementation, and training for service and facility staff in business and functional areas for various information technology VISTA packages.
  • Develops and presents both formal lectures and on-the-job sessions to those employees who will be entering, changing, and extracting data.
  • Designs and develops dissemination and training materials, local standard operating procedure manuals, develops and utilizes monitoring tools, and provides for the implementation of BO programs through on-site education and training.
  • Other duties as assigned.
Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Telework: Adhoc
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Program Applications Specialist/PD403700 and PD5324
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

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 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, 10/09/2026.

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-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07. For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09. 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.

The full performance level of this position is GS-11. The incumbent may be noncompetitively promoted to the next level when all the requirements are satisfied, including satisfactory performance, qualifications requirements, and the continued availability of duties at the higher grade.

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-07 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 health care systems and delivery systems, management principles, practices, methods and techniques, and skill in integrating management services with general management of the organization is needed.
    • Applies knowledge and abilities to analyze, evaluate and make recommendations on major aspects of all assigned VISTA and commercial off the shelf computer packages. Incumbent works with OI&T to troubleshooting computer packages, which require developing specifications and business process models.
    • Ability to retrieve, track and trend information for analysis and reporting. Management analysis techniques and methods are needed to develop and refine information for comprehensive reports, addressing elements such as cost analysis, work measurement, trend analysis, efficiency, effectiveness, productivity, and assess the success or failure in attaining program goals/objectives.
    • Knowledge of the service software is required to train employees, identify inconsistencies, discuss with management the capabilities of software feasibility toward meeting objectives, validate new programs/options, recommend changes in existing programs and modify programs to meet future needs. A comprehensive knowledge of software programs of other services (i.e. Radiology, Dietetics, Health Summary, OE/RR, CPRS, Laboratory and Pharmacy) is needed due to the interrelation of the VISTA programs to train staff.
    • Knowledge of, and skill in applying user acceptance testing principles, methods, and approaches sufficient to test, debug and maintain software applications that meet functional requirements. OR,
  • Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a related Master degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree (TRANSCRIPTS REQURIED). OR,
  • Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and related graduate level education (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED).

You may qualify for the GS-11 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-09 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 health care systems and delivery systems, management principles, practices, methods and techniques, and skill in integrating management services with general management of the organization is needed.
    • Applies knowledge and abilities to analyze, evaluate and make recommendations on major aspects of all assigned VISTA and commercial off the shelf computer packages. Incumbent works with OI&T to troubleshooting computer packages, which require developing specifications and business process models.
    • Ability to retrieve, track and trend information for analysis and reporting. Management analysis techniques and methods are needed to develop and refine information for comprehensive reports, addressing elements such as cost analysis, work measurement, trend analysis, efficiency, effectiveness, productivity, and assess the success or failure in attaining program goals/objectives.
    • Knowledge of the service software is required to train employees, identify inconsistencies, discuss with management the capabilities of software feasibility toward meeting objectives, validate new programs/options, recommend changes in existing programs and modify programs to meet future needs. A comprehensive knowledge of software programs of other services (i.e. Radiology, Dietetics, Health Summary, OE/RR, CPRS, Laboratory and Pharmacy) is needed due to the interrelation of the VISTA programs to train staff.
    • Knowledge of, and skill in applying user acceptance testing principles, methods, and approaches sufficient to test, debug and maintain software applications that meet functional requirements
    • Possess an expert degree of knowledge of Patient Information Management System (PIMS) software to create entry transactions on simple data needs and provide reports about any of the clinical or administrative data elements contained in the PIMS package. OR,
  • Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a related Ph. D. or equivalent doctoral degree or three full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED). OR,
  • Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond the first two years of graduate level education (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED).

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

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

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:

  • 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?

Agency contact information

David Mason
Phone
304-669-0978
Email
david.mason2@va.gov
Address
Robley Rex VA Medical Center
800 Zorn Avenue
Louisville, KY 40206
US

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