Program Specialist

Description:

The incumbent serves as a Program Specialist to the Chief, Surgical Service and Health System Specialist (HSS) VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare in providing program administration, clerical needs, and coordination of administrative needs for Service personnel. The incumbent providers clerical and administrative support needs for the service, which has training, patient care, research programs and outpatient clinics; all of which require coordination and/or oversight by the Chief Surgical Service.

Requirements:

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 02/06/2026.

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-7 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-5. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service.
• For a GS-9 position you must have served 52 weeks at 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.

In addition to the Time-in-Grade Requirements, you must also meet specialized experience.

To qualify for this position at the GS-07 level, you must meet one of the following:

• SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: You must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-5) in the Federal Service, that is directly related to the work of the position and has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties as a Program Specialist. Qualifying specialized experience is defined as: Experience managing projects and developing programs with responsibility for data collection, management, and reporting and experience developing policies, reports and correspondence.

OR

• EDUCATION: Successfully completed one (1) year of graduate level education or superior academic achievement. 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.

OR

• COMBINATION: Combination of successfully completed graduate level education and specialized experience as described above, to meet the total experience requirements. Only graduate level education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be combined with experience. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. Education cannot be credited without documentation. Experience must be clearly indicated in your resume.

To qualify for this position at the GS-09 level, you must meet one of the following:

• 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 knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties as a Program Specialist. Qualifying specialized experience is defined as: Experience managing projects and developing programs with responsibility for data collection, management, and reporting and experience developing policies, reports and correspondence.

OR

• EDUCATION: Successfully completed two (2) years of progressively higher-level graduate education or masters or equivalent graduate 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.

OR

• COMBINATION: Combinations of successfully completed graduate level education (beyond the first year) and specialized experience as described above, to meet the total experience requirements. The education portion must include graduate courses that demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do to the work of this position. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university.

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

Preferred Experience: Experience in surgery administration, completing OPPEs, clinic cancellations/modifications, performance rating assistance and working directly with clinical staff to relieve administrative burden.

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:

• Administration and Management
• Creative Thinking
• Customer Service
• Data Management

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: Work is in a combination of sedentary and non-sedentary, with some walking, standing, bending, and carrying light items such as papers and books. Typically, the Program Specialist may sit and do the work. No special physical demands are required to perform the work.

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/ .