Program Analyst

Summary The incumbent will serve as a Program Analyst organizationally aligned to the High Reliability Organization (HRO) Section, Office of the Medical Center Director. The primary purpose of the position is to improve the quality, efficiency and effectiveness of health care by integrating HRO processes necessary to achieve successful adoption and application of new technologies throughout the VHA. Responsibilities Major duties include, but are not limited to: Consult, advise and educate all levels of employees including the highest levels of management, on methods and means to make health care operations more effective and efficient. Integrate knowledge of clinical and information processes to achieve successful adoption and application of HRO principle and values to support health care operations and systems. Represent a wide variety of stakeholders and liaisons with both internal and external organizations. Maintain knowledge of changes in HRO and Patient Safety environment to identify, propose, formulate and support new or revised major administrative and clinical policies and directives in accordance with VHA regulations. Advise those in the HRO organizational structure of locally developed programs and policies, and advises staff members on directives, policies, and best practices for making requirements operational. Provide knowledge in the design of decision support tools that improve health care efficiency, effectiveness and safety. Develop and present recommendations for improving data management methods, follow-up procedures, and timely compliance with regulatory guidelines. Provide relevant clinical and/or administrative data to identify, quantify and resolve organizational problems. Use the applicable systems and tools, develop, modify and test components specific to fields and data that individualize/customize applications to user roles/needs while maintaining integrity. 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-Friday; 8:00am-4:30pm Telework: Ad-hoc Schedule Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Program Analyst/PD939980, PD939990, and PD940000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 You may be required to serve a probationary period Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. Qualifications In order to qualify for this position, you must meet the following requirements within 15 calendar days of the closing date listed on the announcement: 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. For a GS-9 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-7. 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. Applicants must be eligible under the VA Interchange Agreement, having served continuously for at least one year in the other merit system under this interchange agreement. For more information regarding the VA Interchange Agreement please visit: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-authorities/competitive-hiring/. All Title 38 Veterans Canteen Service (VCS) employees must have served in their Excepted Service position for at least 90 days in order to be eligible for a position within the Competitive Service. Applicants who were previously selected under a Competitive Delegating Examining Office (DEO) announcement must have served in their position for at least 90 days prior to being eligible for other positions within the Competitive Service. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: GS-7 Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-5 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Experience using Microsoft applications such as Word, Excel, Power point and Outlook; experience completing data collection, data analytics, creation and maintenance of databases, and to format data into a presentation; coordinating with others between various units and offices to accomplish work related projects; analyzing work flow to determine potential problem areas and making recommendations to correct; proofreading documents for grammatical errors; notifying others of pending appointments and meetings; and advising others on processes or procedures. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have completed 1 full year of graduate level education or superior academic achievement that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. (Transcripts must be submitted). OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education beyond a Bachelor's degree. (Transcripts must be submitted). GS-9 Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-7 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Assisting with collecting, compiling, and/or tracking data and statistical information in support of program operations; supporting supervisors and leads in developing procedures and processes; making recommendations to current processes in relation to measuring and tracking service performance measures; assisting with coordination of quality assurance activities for assigned program(s). OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have completed a Master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education or a J.D., related to the work of the position. One year of graduate education is 18 semester hours or the number determined by the school attended to represent one year of full-time study. (Transcripts must be submitted). OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education beyond the first year of graduate level education. (Transcripts must be submitted). GS-11 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: Gathering and analyzing a wide variety of data; maintaining records, preparing administrative and statistical reports, assuring compliance with review process, and monitoring compliance with program requirements; designing, developing, and disseminating training materials, local standard operating procedures (SOPs) for implementation; provides education on system data requirements, data entry processes and use of the generated data. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have completed a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., if related to the work of the position. (Transcripts must be submitted). OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education beyond two years of graduate level education. (Transcripts must be submitted). Preferred Experience: Preferred, but not required, completion of HRO trainings and Change Management course. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Administration and Management Creative Thinking Customer Service Education and Training Influencing and Negotiating Interpersonal Skills Systems Thinking 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 work is usually sedentary, but it requires periods of walking, standing, bending or climbing, and employees may carry light items such as books, instruments, laptops, and other similar materials. 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/. Education A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. "VA Healthcare System Serving Ohio, Indiana and Michigan (VISN 10) advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being." If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.