Program Specialist

Full Job Description

The position is located in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Health Administration (VHA), at the VA San Diego Healthcare System, a complexity level 1-a facility, in the Financial Resources Management Service.

It is a component of the VA Desert Pacific Healthcare network (VISN 22), providing services to veterans residing in Southern California.

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 02/16/2026.

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.

To be eligible for the GS-07, Applicants must possess at least one (1) year of specialized experience in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization equivalent to the GS-6.

The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service.

To be eligible for the GS-09, Applicants must possess at least one (1) year of specialized experience in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization equivalent to the GS-7.

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: To be eligible for the GS 07, applicants must have: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.

Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Administrative issues; planning and preparing for meetings including scheduling, mailings, travel and lodging arrangements; maintaining calendars; providing agendas; preparing responses to correspondence; scheduling appointments and meetings; answering phones; tracking time and attendance; and maintaining all paper and electronic files.

To be eligible for the GS 09, applicants must have: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.

Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Administrative issues; planning and preparing for meetings including scheduling, mailings, travel and lodging arrangements; maintaining calendars; providing agendas; preparing responses to correspondence; scheduling appointments and meetings; answering phones; tracking time and attendance; and maintaining all paper and electronic files.

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

To qualify based on education for this grade level, you must possess a master's or equivalent graduate degree or at least 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree.

This education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do this position. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with your application materials.

Education cannot be credited without documentation.

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Administration and Management Communications Cost Benefit Analysis Customer Service 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.

Preferred Experience: Experience overseeing the Employee Travel and Tuition program at a facility.

Experience with developing and implementing local medical center policies and procedures based on Federal travel policies and other published guidance that support the Travel and Tuition Program.

Effective verbal and written communication skills and ability to present highly complex data and information to audiences of senior mangers, executives and auditors of VA and outside organizations.

Verbal and communication skills to establish and maintain effective work relationships with a broad range of people.

Extensive knowledge of the laws, rules, regulations, VA policies and related directives regarding employee travel, employee tuition, employee travel cars, service tuition purchase cards and corporate travel cards in order to oversee the Employee Travel Program.

General knowledge of government-wide, VA and Facility procedures and requirements in various administrative areas such as budget, procurement, travel, tuition, and purchase cards.

Ability to plan and organize diverse work activities with often conflicting deadlines and priorities.

Negotiate effectively with management to accept and implement recommendations where the proposals involve substantial agency resources.

Experience utilizing a wide range of computer software to prepare a variety of written reports, memoranda, and supporting documentation into VA proprietary systems.

Physical Requirements: Physical demands in the job are very limited. Work is mainly sedentary with slight physical demands on occasion.

Occasional travel to other locations within the catchment area may be necessary for meetings or as part of data collection.

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:

Include but are not limited to the following: Coordinates and ensures acceptability and applicability of sharing of medical and other resources pursuant to Section 301 of Public Law 104-262, VHA Directive 1660.1, Conflict of Interest, Enhanced Sharing Directive 1660.3 and other related directive/regulations.

Providing guidance on administrative processes to selling parties on agreements, drafting and finalizing memorandums of understanding (MOU), drafting and finalizing contracts where VA medical care resources are utilized by and provided to the Research program; collaborates with contracting officials as necessary.

Collaborates with the Chief Financial Officer, Utilization Management (UM), Associate Chief of Staff (ACOS) for Research, Executive Director of the Veterans Medical Research Foundation (VMRF) and the Network Contracting Office (NCO) receiving general information as to the nature of proposed sharing arrangements Subject matter expert between the VASDHS, VMRF and other government and community agencies and organizations in the coordination of sharing agreements.

Primary point of contact between VASDHS and sharing partners.

Develops and initiates reports, prepares correspondence, arranges and attends meetings between VASDHS and sharing partners when appropriate.

Facilitates and develops Statements of Work (SOW) to include all activities, including research and study programs; performs cost analyses and receives the support and concurrence of clinical and administrative staff at both VASDHS and prospective sharing institution(s); works with selling entity (i.e.

department providing service) to prepare justification explaining the need for the service.

Primary resource to Employee Travelers and Employee Travel and Tuition supporting staff when guidance and oversight are required.

Develops and initiates oversight reports, analyses of travel and tuition costs related data; conducts and analyzes quality control audit data for compliance of program; approving official for travel authorities, travel expenses, employee tuition requests and travel purchase card activities.

Develops and implements local medical center policies and procedures based on FTR and other published guidance that support ARS and the Travel and Tuition Program.

Monitors and enhances services, developing and/or revising standard operating procedures, recommends and implements local policy changes.

Ensures the Chief of Finance and Business along with the AFO and CFO are kept apprised of trends, developments and issues in the field of travel, tuition and ARS.

Subject matter expert, interpreting laws, and the application of rules, regulations, decisions, and other government directives and guidelines relating to the full range of ARS, as well as activities related to Travel and Tuition.

Develops, coordinates and maintains a tracking system for all Employee Travel Requests.

Develops, prepares and reviews reports, performs cost analysis to determine recovery of costs, monitors timelines and deadlines, develops mechanisms to evaluate the status of billing and collections, and compliance with appropriate regulations.

Review of employee and corporate travel and tuition purchase cards for appropriate usage, timely payments and reports misuse per policy and regulations.

Examines contracts on a routine, periodic basis and at time of termination to assess appropriate utilization, appropriate usage in conformance with terms, timely bill submission and revenue reflected in appropriate accounts.

Possess the knowledge and skills required to effectively implement the GEMS. Other duties as assigned.

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. Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 0800-1630 PST Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Program Specialist/PD11755A and PD11629A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized