Program Specialist

Summary This position is located at the VA Central Iowa Health Care System (VACIHCS) in Des Moines, Iowa under the Chief of Quality & Safety. The incumbent must be able to work independently and respond to requests for information and support from all levels of the organization, including senior level managers and service chiefs across the health care system. Responsibilities Major duties include but are not limited to: Works closely with all services to facilitate an efficient and effective tracking process. Prepares reports for senior leadership that identify potential barriers and provides action plans to mitigate barriers. Provides support to specific health care system programs or processes as well as special studies, surveys, projects, planning and management. Leads interdisciplinary project teams to improve processes and increase the quality, safety, and value of care. Develops processes to ensure sustainment of project results and process improvement efforts. Complies data from diverse sources, extracts and assembles information for reports or presentation or for use in developing program proposals specific to assignment. Skill in operating a personal computer with SharePoint, Microsoft Office products or equivalent software. Ability to create tables, charts, educational materiel, flowcharts, forms, presentations, and reports. Collaborates with Experience Officer to identify patient experience priorities and actions. Coordinates with contracted companies to establish mechanisms for ongoing customer feedback and utilizes the customer feedback to continuously plan, provide, and improve services. Attends meetings, briefings, and conferences, as appropriate, with and for the Chief of Quality & Safety. Prepares copious and detailed accounts of meeting minutes; memorializes, identifies, and coordinates action items relating from correspondence and suspense(s) for completion with the Chief of Quality & Safety. 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, 7:30 am to 4:00 pm Telework: VA supports the use of AD-HOC telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Program Specialist/PD304570 and PD304580 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized The VA Midwest Health Care Network 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. 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 To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 12/02/2024. 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. 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. 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: analyzing data and generating reports based on analysis; making oral and written presentations; recommending ways to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of a program; assessing training needs, plans training, prepares training materials, and ensures compliance with facility and agency directives. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed 1 year of graduate-level education that has provided me the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position. OR have bachelor's degree that is related to the work of the position and meets the Superior Academic Achievement requirements based on (1) class standing, (2) grade-point average, or (3) honor society membership. 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 a bachelors degree may be used to qualify applicants for the GS-07 level. GS-09 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: analyzing data and generating reports based on analysis; making oral and written presentations; recommending ways to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of a program; reviewing and analyzing audit results to generate and execute action plans for corrective action; assessing training needs, plans training, prepares training materials, and ensures compliance with facility and agency directives. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed two (2) years of progressively higher-level graduate education or a masters or equivalent graduate degree or LL.B. or J.D., in a related field of the position to be filled. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education in excess of the first year (18 semester hours) may be used to qualify applicants for the GS-09 level. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Customer Service (Clerical/Technical) Database Administration Planning and Evaluating Project Management Reading Comprehension 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: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination. Physical Demands and Work Environment: The work is usually sedentary and usually will sit comfortably to do the work; however, there may be some walking, standing, bending, carrying of light items, such as, papers and books. The work is usually performed in an office environment, meeting rooms, or similar settings. 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. 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.