Program Specialist

Full Job Description

The Primary Purpose of the Position is to be assigned the work and responsibility for providing effective, efficient, direction, control, and operation of the Employee Experience Section.

Assigned work is inclusive of providing service management with objectively based information for making decisions on program operations.

The incumbent performs a variety of analytical, planning, educational, presentation, evaluative and advisory work.

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 03/12/2026.

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. 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-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 and understanding of the concepts, principles, practices, and techniques of program analysis to analyze and evaluate previous, current, and projected operating programs and budgetary requirement for potential effectiveness in meeting their objectives.

Knowledge and understanding of mission, functions, resource requirements, program plans, and objectives to develop, review, analyze, adjust, and program requirements.

Knowledge and skill in applying analytical and evaluative methods accompanied by an understanding on how regulatory programs are administered to select and apply appropriate program evaluation and measurement techniques to ensure compliance with pertinent rules and regulations.

Skilled in oral and written communications to enable presentation of sensitive and sometimes controversial material and recommendations to higher authority.

Ability to take vague guidance and mold the information into a meaningful end product, frequently having to brief results to management and higher-level officials.

Requires 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.

Work requires considerable interpersonal skills in presenting recommendations and negotiating solutions to disputed recommendations.

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

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

or J.D., if related. (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 bachelor's degree.

(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/.

Major Duties:

Reviews documents, reports, and/or applications for omissions and inconsistencies and ensures data entry is 2 complete and accurate.

Develops, maintains, and enters pertinent information into a tracking system. Maintains tracking system of program-specific data to track items such as project milestones and progress reports.

Reviews, analyzes, and evaluates reports and statistics to advise on trends, out-of-line situations, and anticipated needs.

When a problem area or out-of-line situation is identified during a review, will inform the supervisor, and make recommendations for corrective action.

Prepares graphs, charts, and other audio-visual displays depicting program information and statistics for use in training, management briefings, and information dissemination activities both within and outside of AVAHCS.

Uses personal computer and other high technology equipment to prepare and produce this data. Assists workgroups with the analysis and action planning development and execution.

Facilitates focus groups on identified work groups to provide more in-depth feedback to leadership.

Responsible for the coordination, organization, and promotion of a system-wide calendar for local, regional, and national educational and growth-related opportunities for employees to participate in.

Develops system-wide recognition program using multiple strategies for leadership and staff.

Provides marketing strategy input and assists in the execution of strategy to promote All Employee Survey participation, evaluation, analysis, and action planning lifecycle.

Provides written reports of all findings including recommendations, as required by AVAHCS Leadership, or as otherwise directed.

Data and information presented in the reports provide an in-depth analysis of operations and are used by Leadership in making decisions concerning workload planning, leadership training, resource allocation, and Veteran and Employee Experience.

Independently performs tasks relating to budget execution for the AMA Experience Office by compiling resource data from various financial management reports.

Tracks funds distribution, reconciling commitments and obligations, and reallocating organizational funds as directed.

Assignments include new and unusual work situations which require the adaptation of guidelines such as tracking costs separately during contagious disease outbreaks or for special projects.

Monitors costs and prepares reports projecting use of available resources. Advises supervisor of conditions which would result in over-obligation of funds.

Gathers, extracts, and compiles data for use in recurring and nonrecurring report formats and provides status updates on a regular basis.

Ensures all budgetary transactions are in compliance with authorized policies and procedures. Ensures that funds are available.

Prepares annual phased plan to show projected monthly expenditures and reimbursables. Compares current estimates with ongoing expenditures on a continuing basis.

Performs duties as a timekeeper or backup timekeeper. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; 8:00am - 4:30pm Telework: Ad-hoc. This position may be authorized for telework.

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Program Specialist/PD012240 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized