Program Specialist

This position is in the VA Regional Office. The incumbent is assigned to the Office of the Director and reports to the Assistant Director. The incumbent serves as a Program Specialist responsible for providing performance management and technical support for the regional office HR program. The incumbent is the key advisor to the Director and the Division Chiefs on all human resources issues and coordinates directly with the HR Center.

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement:08/03/2026.

As a current Federal, GS employee you must 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 level. For a GS-11 position, you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09 level. For a GS-12 position, you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-11 level.

All current or former Federal employees must provide a copy of their SF-50 (you may need to submit more than one), The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service.  Notice of Personnel Action  that indicates proof of status and time-in-grade eligibility. The SF-50 must include your position, title, series, grade, step, tenure (1 or
2), and type of service (Competitive or Excepted). 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:

Applicants must have one year of specialized experience at least the next lower grade level (GS-07) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience is defined as: assisting with the administration of federal human resources programs by applying established rules, regulations, policies, and procedures; compiling and tracking HR-related data (e.g., personnel actions, leave records, or staffing metrics) to support office operations;

and responding to routine inquiries from employees and supervisors on general HR and administrative matters under regular supervision.

• Assist employees with advice on a variety of rules, regulations, and practices pertaining to human resources.
• Provide guidance and explanations of the organization's policies, procedures, and guidelines to leaders and employees.
• Provide advice regarding appropriate levels on personnel actions.

OR Education Substitution:
Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education, you must have: a Master's or equivalent graduate degree, if related (You must provide transcripts); OR Two (2) full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree; or LL.B. or J.D., if related (You must provide transcripts) OR Combination:
Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at the GS-09 level. Equivalent combinations of (1) specialized experience and (2) Master's or equivalent graduate education. The total percentage must equal at least 100% to qualify.

Applicants must have one year of specialized experience at least the next lower grade level (GS-09) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled.

To be creditable, this experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-9 level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as: administering or coordinating one or more human resources program areas by applying federal HR rules, regulations, policies, and procedures; analyzing HR-related administrative processes and recommending improvements; and providing guidance to employees and supervisors on a variety of HR and program functions (e.g., staffing support, benefits administration, records management, or workforce data reporting) with limited supervision.

• Provide advisory services to leaders and employees on a range of human resources concepts, laws, and policies.
• Assist leadership in solving a range of complex problems and issues.
• Participate in policy development groups or projects based on broad organizational requirements.

OR Education Substitution:
Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education, you must have:
Three (3) full years of pro