Program Specialist

Summary Program Specialist supports the Health Care System's mission, goals, and objectives, delivering comprehensive policy and document management. The position is aligned under the Chief of Quality and Patient Safety (QPS) Service with the possibility of reporting both quantitative and qualitative analyses directly to the Director and the Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN). Serves as consultant to Executive Leadership in providing guidance to Policy and Directive Management Program (PDMP). Duties 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. Develops and refines facility-wide processes, instructions, and procedures to improve integration, performance, and standardization across healthcare system. Ensures alignment with directives, laws, statutes, and VHA guidance, and supports the creation, management, and submission of implementation plans and policy documents essential to operationalizing programs. Advises and assists staff at all levels-working closely with Service Chiefs, program managers, supervisors, and frontline employees-to strengthen policies and directives that influence patient care, performance outcomes, and clinical operations. The position requires researching, analyzing, interpreting, and applying laws, regulations, policies, and evidence-based guidance to produce policies that safeguard Veteran information and enhance operations. Contributes to accreditation activities, supports logistics for site visits and inspections, develops responses to Office of Inspector General (OIG) referrals and status requests, and manages action items stemming from survey findings. Provides expert guidance to senior leaders on organizational policies and governance. Ensures accreditation requirements are met and required documentation is properly maintained. Analyzes organizational structures, functions, and workflows to resolve complex issues affecting major programs. Develops and recommends new policies and improvements to enhance organizational effectiveness. Supports the coordination, drafting, and submission of policy documents for multi-disciplinary operations. Assists in developing concepts and initiatives that evolve into practical proposals for testing and change, helping shape and update policies to meet the future needs of healthcare systems. Serves as the technical advisor and subject matter expert for all policy and directive management across healthcare system. Mentors and guides disciplines in producing compliant policies, directives, procedures, and programs needed for a fully functional governance structure. Creates administrative policies and documents when appropriate, such as Employee Handbooks. Develops healthcare system policy and directive procedures in alignment with Department and Administration requirements and ensures their effective implementation. Supports service line by managing all accreditation survey logistics, including preparation, scheduling, site-visit coordination, and handling OIG data requests and submissions. Serves as the OIG liaison, prepares agendas, coordinates key staff involvement, and oversees OIG status reports, action plans, and responses to Veteran complaint referrals. Work Schedule: Monday to Friday, 8:00AM

• 4:30PM Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Program Specialist/PD149600 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized 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-07 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. For a GS-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07. 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: GS-07 Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-05 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: responsible for providing policy and document management; performs administrative support work that involves a variety of tasks and supports program functions; creates reports; receives and processes requests; tracks action items and data, monitors customer satisfaction, OR Education: One (1) full year of successfully completed graduate level education or superior academic achievement, that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with application. Education cannot be credited without documentation. Superior Academic Achievement (SAA): SAA at the baccalaureate level in the coursework detailed above is fully qualifying. Applicants who wish to apply under this provision must submit proof from their educational institution that they meet one of the criteria listed below. To qualify for SAA, applicants must have completed all the requirements for a bachelor's degree in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled and meet one of the following: Rank in the upper one-third of your class in the college, university or major subdivision. A grade-point average of "B" (a GPA of 2.95 or higher out of a possible 4.0) for all completed undergraduate courses, or those completed in the last two years of undergraduate study. A grade point average of "B+" (a GPA of 3.45 or higher out of a possible 4.0) for all courses in your major field of study, or those courses in your major completed in the last two years of undergraduate study. Membership in a national honor society (other than freshman honor societies) recognized by the Association of College Honor Societies. For a list of recognized honor societies please visit For more information regarding SAA please visit , OR Combination: equivalent combination of successfully completed education and specialized experience directly related to the work of the position as outlined above that meets the requirements of the position. Only education beyond a bachelor's degree may be used to qualify applicants for the GS-07 level. NOTE: If using education combined with specialized experience to qualify, a copy of your transcript is required For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at GS-09 Specialized Experience: You must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-7) in the Federal Service, that is directly related to the work of the position and has equipped you with the particular knowl