Program Specialist

Full Job Description

The incumbent serves as the "Business Manager" for Primary Care.

The incumbent works at a two-divisional teaching hospital affiliated with the University of Kentucky (UK) Medical Center at the U.S.

Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Healthcare System, Lexington, KY. The affiliation with UK is extremely active and has representation of all major clinical specialties/subspecialties.

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 03/06/2026.

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-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-9. 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 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-9 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 administrative and business practices as they relate to the service's clinical practices, principles, and administration.

Skill in preparing project papers and staff reports and skill in organizing and delivering briefings to managers to encourage understanding and acceptance of findings and recommendations.

Knowledge of qualitative and quantitative techniques for analyzing and measuring the effectiveness, efficiency, and productivity of administrative and technical programs.

Knowledge of the major issues, program goals and objectives, work processes, and administrative operations of the clinical service.

OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience.

To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a Ph.D or equivalent doctoral degree or successfully completed two (3) years of progressively higher-level graduate education, leading to such a degree, or LL.B.

or J.D., in a related field of the position to be filled.

Education at the graduate level must have been obtained in an accredited college or university and must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position, as the education must be directly related to the position of Administrative Officer.

OR, Combination: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed a Ph.D.

or equivalent doctoral degree, or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, or an LL.M. in a field related to this position.

(Transcripts must be submitted with application) NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation.

Preferred Experience: Preferred experience includes: Experience within the VA primary care administration setting Experience with managing and coordinating budgets and physical tracking HR actions such as recruitment, onboarding, time keeping, performance actions Contracting, purchasing, and equipment requests Experience with PCMM, HR smart, clinic grid management Experience with supporting Senior clinical leaders and operational planning and execution Strong organizational skills with ability to manage competing priorities across multiple clinics or service lines Experience with working independently and managing sensitive or confidential matters You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Administration and Management Analytical Reasoning Financial Management Managing Human Resources Organizational Performance Analysis Planning and Evaluating 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 majority of work is performed in an office setting with adequate light, heat, and ventilation.

Work is mostly sedentary; but requires some bending, walking, standing, lifting and carrying of light items, such as reports to various areas of the Medical Center.

Work at the computer for long periods of time and accessing information from the various computer systems is necessary.

Typical office setting is subject to noise caused by multiple visits by staff, equipment and telephone interruptions when performing various functions on a daily basis.

The work requires no special physical demands.

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:

Major duties and responsibilities include: Directs administrative activities of the service including budget and fiscal management, human resource management, assuring that the clinical and administrative functions are integrated to provide optimum utilization of resources Responsible for a multi-million-dollar budget, and for oversight of the service's Administrative Officer on all issues, including staffing, equipment, and contract funds Provides business guidance during the formulation of policies and operating procedures that ensure compliance with VA regulations.

Analyzes and evaluates the effectiveness of existing clinical service programs in meeting established program goals and objectives.

Provides administrative oversight and supervision to all Primary Care administration staff (Program Support Assistant, Clinic Grid Analyst, Administrative Officer, and PCMM Coordinator).

Gives advice, counsel, and instruction to individual employees on administrative matters. Maintains cooperative relationships with corresponding services and other VA facilities as required.

Proposes and conducts appropriate special studies and analyses of complex problems in relation to manpower and requirements, space, equipment utilization, organizational alignment, financial performance, and other areas of concern to the clinical service chief.

Provides analysis and interpretations of performance measures as they relate to the service's operational efficiency.

Collaborates with the facility quality manager to support quality assurance and integrate performance improvement activities for the service's clinical staff as well as providing consultative services to other clinical services.

Performs other duties and tasks as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday- Friday 7:00am-3:30pm Telework-ADHOC: This position may be authorized for ADHOC telework.

Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Program Specialist/PD30502O Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized