Program Specialist

Veterans Health Administration; Saginaw (MI); On-site; USD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Veterans Health Administration seeks a Health Professions Education Program Specialist to support academic health care operations, analyze issues, and apply analytical techniques to improve service efficiency and productivity.

The role involves interpreting regulations, preparing briefings, and offering consultative advice to leadership. Time-in-grade rules apply for current federal employees and Veterans Employment Opportunities Act provisions may be relevant.

Qualifications

• GS-09 Specialized Experience: 1 year at GS-07 equivalent in program ops, coordinating projects, preparing reports.
• Education substitution: master's degree or 2 full years of graduate-level study; LL.B./J.D. if related.
• GS-11 Specialized Experience: 1 year at GS-9 equivalent; or PhD/LL.M. or 3 years of graduate study; combination allowed.

Responsibilities

• Analyze program operations and apply regulations to improve processes.
• Coordinate or support administrative projects and prepare comprehensive briefings or reports.
• Provide consultative advice to managers or leadership and interpret complex policies.

Skills

Program Management

Policy Interpretation

Reports Preparation

Analytical Techniques

Education

Master's degree or higher

PhD or equivalent doctoral degree

Job description

Health Professions Education Program Specialist, performs a variety of duties and responsibilities in an academic health care environment that require many different and unrelated processes and approaches and differing regulatory criteria and procedures. The position analyzes the issues in the assignment, then selects and applies accepted analytical techniques towards the resolution of procedural problems affecting the service's efficiency, effectiveness, or productivity.

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-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. 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: 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: analyzing program operations, coordinating or supporting administrative projects, preparing and presenting reports, interpreting and applying regulations and policies, and providing recommendations for process improvements. 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 two (2) full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree; OR an LL.B. or J.D., if related. 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 bachelor's degree level. 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 organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: conducting program analysis to develop or revise organizational policies or procedures; managing and evaluating complex projects; preparing comprehensive briefings or presentations; interpreting complex regulations; and providing consultative advice to managers or leadership. OR, Education: 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; OR three (3) full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree; OR an LL.M., if related. 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 master's degree level. Note: a copy of your transcripts is required. Education cannot be credited without documentation. Your resume must indicate clearly the nature of your duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. You will be rated on the following criteria for this position: Program Management Directive and Publications Analytical and Evaluative Techniques Business Functions, Resource Allocation, and Production Software Applications 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 credi