Program Assistant

Full Job Description

The primary function of the Program Assistant is to assist the Chief, PAS in managing community provider network adequacy and community provider relationships. This position is located at Audie L.

Murphy VAMC in San Antonio, Texas within Patient Administration Service (PAS)/Community Care.

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 04/17/2026.

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-07 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-06. 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-06 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 claims and billing principles and concepts is required to assist community providers with basic questions regarding VA payment for care; Proficient in the use of MS Excel computerized spreadsheets; Proficient in the daily use of various portals and websites use by both VA staff and Community Providers for VA Community Care; Ability to accumulate data for reports, inquiries, investigations, and analyze the contents.

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: -Analysis and Problem Solving -Education and Training -Capacity Management-Information Management -Partnering 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. Note: 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.

Physical Requirements: 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.

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/.

Major Duties:

Duties may include but are not limited to: -Serves as primary point-of-contact for all inquiries concerning community care contracts and agreements.

-Facilitates in person visits to community hospitals and providers offices with a team of Community Care staff to meet, build rapport and trust in VA, and educate community providers on VA processes and applications.

-Works closely with Department of Defense (DOD) to establish and update referral documents pertinent to our VA-DOD Sharing Agreements.

-Responsible for establishing and managing Microsoft Excel spreadsheets and querying the VA electronic databases to provide monthly breakdown on expenditures for each medical contract and agreement.

-Reviews the volume of community providers enrolled in the South Texas catchment area to determine CCN adequacy and identify areas that need additional providers by specialty to ensure there is capacity and capability to refer Veterans for timely care.

-Monitors and ensures all contracts and agreements are current, valid, up to date, and adhered to in accordance with specified terms and conditions.

-Maintains databases to ensure proper funding for assigned contracts and agreements.

-Develops reports as needed by using Power BI and other available resources and platforms to extract data on volume and to identify utilization trends by service, etc.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 7:30a.m. to 4:00p.m. Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Program Assistant/PD00289A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required