Program Specialist

Veterans Health Administration; Monterey (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

The Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System in California is seeking candidates for a GS-9 level position within the VISN 21 network. The role emphasizes adherence to federal qualification standards, time-in-grade rules, and documented specialized experience or qualifying education.

Knowledge in administration and project management is valued for success. Applicants should be prepared to submit SF-50s and demonstrate understanding of policy communication, documentation, and staff

Qualifications

• GS-9 requires one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-7 in federal service.
• Education can substitute for experience per the vacancy guidance.
• Must meet time-in-grade eligibility and provide SF-50 documents.

Skills

Administration and Management

Project Management

Hardware

Time-in-Grade Requirements

Education

Master’s degree or higher

Job description

The Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System (VAPAHCS) is a Level 1a facility and ranks among a complex system in the VA serving the VA Sierra Pacific Network (VISN 21 ). The VAPAHCS offers a full range of comprehensive health care services including Dentistry, Geriatrics and Extended Care, Imaging, Medicine Services, Mental Health Services, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service, Primary Care, Radiation Oncology, Rehabilitation Services, Specialty Services, and Surgery.

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/14/2026. 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-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. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: GS-09: Specialized Experience (GS-9): 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: Advise staff on procedural requirements; Use administrative concepts and practices to recommend changes in administrative policies, devise and install procedures and office practices affecting subordinates, and foresee administrative problems and requirements; Interpret new instructions and procedures to communicate and disseminate to staff; Prepare documents on behalf of Supervisor; Analyze and summarize information, files and other documents for use in preparing reports and correspondence. OR; Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. or J.D., if related. 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 1 full year of graduate level education. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Administration and Management Hardware Project 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: The work may involve some degree of physical effort in testing, installing and operating equipment. The incumbent may be subjected to stressful situations, as video teleconferencing and telemedicine systems can require immediate responses to unpredictable problems. Work hours may vary at times to accommodate clinical staff on irregular shifts. Work is primarily sedentary.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/.