Program Specialist.

Veterans Benefits Administration; Oakland (CA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Veterans Benefits Administration is seeking a Program Specialist to oversee the management, control, and execution of office programs, developing action plans and coordinating with stakeholders to ensure success.

You will provide program specifications guidance, organize service procurement, conduct outreach to candidates, and represent the organization in community engagements to inform the public about the program and its benefits.

Qualifications

• Experience in overseeing programs and coordinating with multiple stakeholders.
• Ability to prepare briefing charts, fact sheets, and issue papers.
• Familiarity with compliance and performance monitoring.

Responsibilities

• Oversees management, control, and execution of office programs and develops action plans.
• Provides program specifications guidance to Veterans, managers, staff, and other agencies; drafts MOUs.
• Organizes procurement of services and evaluates invoices per contract requirements.
• Conducts outreach and refers candidates for placement.
• Represents the organization in community outreach and informs the public about the program.
• Develops programming decisions to meet short- and long-range goals; analyzes data for assessments.
• Prepares correspondence and marketing materials; coordinates meetings and provides guidance on the program.

Skills

Program management

Stakeholder coordination

Policy guidance

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Tools

Contracting practices

Job description

Duties

The Major Duties Of The Program Specialist

• Oversees the management, control, and execution of office programs, develop action plans to achieve established goals, assess program effectiveness, and coordinate with various stakeholders and entities to ensure program success.
• Offers program specifications guidance to Veterans, managers, staff, and representatives from other Federal agencies, as well as developing support agreements and Memoranda of Understanding with other Federal agencies while ensuring compliance with the agreements.
• Organizes the procurement of services and evaluates invoices in accordance with the contract's requirements.
• Conducts outreach assistance to candidates, providing program information, assessing candidates' eligibility for the program, and making referrals for placement.
• Represents the organization in engaging with community elements to garner support for the VA Program, organizing and participating in community outreach programs, visiting medical facilities and conferences to inform the public about the program and its services, as well as facilitating group orientation sessions and scheduling Veterans while providing information on eligibility and benefits entitlement.
• Develops and recommends programming decisions that impact long and short-range goals, ensuring the accomplishment of individual program objectives and milestones within the overall program objectives, compliance, and analyzing program information data to provide a comprehensive assessment of the program.
• Prepares and responds to program-related correspondence, creating briefing charts, fact sheets, and issue papers, marketing the program through design of brochures, and flyers, attending high-level meetings with key stakeholders to coordinate, explain, and provide guidance on the program, serving as an expert and primary point of contact for the assigned program, and keeping management informed of program progress, issues, and resolutions.

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. The grade progression for this position is GS-9 and GS-11.

Work Schedule

Full Time, Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 4:30 pm.

Compressed/Flexible

Not Available.

Telework

This position is eligible for situational (ad hoc) telework only. The selectee is required to report to the official duty station each scheduled workday. Telework may be approved only on a case-by-case basis with supervisory approval. Routine or recurring telework is not authorized for this position.

Virtual

This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#

Program Specialist; 417080/ 417090.

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives

Not Authorized.

Bargaining Unit

Yes.

Financial Disclosure Report

Not Required.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

Required

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the Agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the Agency or the Government;
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period or trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

• 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 or trial period
• Subject to background/security investigation
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements
• Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement:09/25/2026.

TIME-IN-GRADE REQUIREMENT

• 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.
• If you are a current VBA employee requesting reassignment or change to lower grade via this vacancy announcement, you must currently hold the GS- 9/11 or higher and the promotion potential of your current position must be at least GS-11.

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.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENT

You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:

GS-09 Grade Level

• Specialized Experience: Applicants 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. Specialized experience is defined as work that involves:
  • Experience working with Veterans Readiness and Employment Chapter 31 and Chapter 36 programs;
  • Experience working with contracting practices and procedures;
  • Experience working with Veterans Readiness and Employment operations.
• Education Substitution: 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. Note: Transcripts Required.

GS-11 Grade Level

• Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-09 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience is defined as comprehensive knowledge of pertinent laws, regulations, policies and precedents which affect processes and operations; extensive experience conducting detailed analyses of complex issues, mastery of organizational principles and project management, researching, expert skills information in editing, creating and utilizing various software, and technological platforms.
• Education Substitution: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree (including LL.M., if related) or I have completed three full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree. Note: Transcripts Required.

Combining Education & Experience: If you do not fully meet the length of experience and education described for a specific grade level (e.g. have six months of experience and some coursework but not a degree), the two can be combined to total 100% of the requirement.

Volunteer Experience: 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.

Full vs. Part-Time Employment: Full-time employment is considered to be at least 35 hours per week. Part-time experience will be credited on a pro-rated basis; when including part-time employment in your resume you must specify the average hours worked per week.

Physical Requirements: There may be some walking, standing, bending and carrying light items and shall involve travel to other locations.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at

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:

You may submit unofficial transcripts when applying. However, if you are selected for the position, you will be required to provide an official transcript or a statement from the institution (e.g., from the registrar, dean, or other appropriate official) or equivalent documentation prior to the start date.

Additional information

VA supports the use of telework. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.

Special Employment Consideration

VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities [i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities], and/or Disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. Contact the Agency Contact for information on how to apply under this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator.

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)

provide eligible displaced Federal/VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting your current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified (have a final rating of 85 or more) for this vacancy.

Placement Policy

The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members

Please visit the

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 (TJO). Please visit the Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP),

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests

If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding.

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.