Program Specialist.

Veterans Benefits Administration; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Veterans Benefits Administration in San Diego, CA seeks a Program Specialist to manage planning, development, and direction of VR&E programs for servicemembers and dependents. You will support Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors and Employment Coordinators with technical caseload management and veteran referrals.

The role involves coordinating office programs, developing action plans, contracting service procurement, and outreach activities to inform the public about benefits and

Qualifications

• Experience coordinating large-scale programs and working with multiple stakeholders.
• Knowledge of program management processes and performance measurement.
• Familiarity with Federal contracting practices and interagency collaboration.
• Understanding of Veterans Readiness and Employment (VR&E) operations.

Responsibilities

• Oversees planning and execution of VR&E program activities and coordination with VRCs and ECs.
• Provides technical management of VR&E caseloads and assists veteran clients.
• Develops action plans, assesses program effectiveness, and ensures goal alignment with agency objectives.
• Gleans program requirements and negotiates support agreements with other Federal agencies.
• Leads outreach efforts, explains eligibility and benefits to veterans and families, and facilitates referrals.
• Analyzes data to assess program progress and prepares briefing materials and issue papers.
• Represents the program in meetings, communicates with stakeholders, and maintains program progress updates.

Job description

Duties

The incumbent is responsible for managing the efficient and effective coordination and accomplishment of the planning, scope, development, design, and direction of the programs VR&E provides servicemembers and their dependents. Responsible for assisting the Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors (VRC) and the Employment Coordinators (EC) with technical management of the VR&E case load and aiding veteran clients.

• 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

This position has promotion potential to the GS-11 Grade Level.

Work Schedule

Full Time, Monday - Friday 7:00 am - 3:30 pm

Compressed/Flexible

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; PD40259A and PD40258A

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives

Not Authorized.

Financial Disclosure Report

Not Required.

Bargaining Unit

Yes

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 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, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Additional Conditions Of Employment Are As Follows

• 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: 08/27/2026.

TIME-IN-GRADE REQUIREMENT

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.

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.

Gs-9

Specialized Experience Requirements

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 GS-9

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;

Combination GS-9

Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at the GS-9 level. Combinations of successfully completed post‑high‑school education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements for the grade levels specified in the table and may be computed by first determining the applicant's total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required for the grade level; then determining the applicant's education as a percentage of the education required for the grade level; and then adding the two percentages. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify an applicant for that grade level. Only graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be used to qualify applicants for positions at grades GS-9. (When crediting education that requires specific course work, prorate the number of hours of related courses required as a proportion of the total education to be used.) Your transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Gs-11

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.

The applicant must demonstrate knowledge of the VRE business line and program operations.

Education GS-11

Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., if related

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

The work is primarily sedentary. 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

Additional information

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

Career Transition Assistance Plan

The Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced 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. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at

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.

To determine if you need a RA, please review:

Candidate ideals

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.

Benefits

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.