Program Specialist- Activation Spec

Veterans Health Administration (DOVA); Charleston (SC); On-site; USD 90,000 - 116,000; Full time

Job summary

The Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center in Charleston, SC invites applications for a Project Activation Specialist.

You will develop systems and procedures to coordinate all phases of construction projects across the medical center, its CBOCs, leased spaces, and other sites of care. You will work under the Chief of Space Administration and collaborate with Engineering and IT, manage activation actions post-construction, and travel up to 25% as needed.

Qualifications

• Time-In-Grade requirements apply to current federal employees.
• One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least GS-11.
• Specialized experience includes coordinating all phases of construction projects and space management across medical center, CBOCs, leased space, VA locations.
• Education note: Project Management Certificate preferred.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with Engineering Service and IT for all types and scopes of projects.
• Coordinate and manage the space management program for the medical center and all sites of care.
• Perform duties as assigned by the Chief of Space Administration and senior management.

Education

Project Management Certificate

Job description

Summary

The incumbent serves as a Project Activation Specialist for the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center in Charleston,South Carolina. As such, the incumbent’s main responsibility is to develop systems and procedures that will assist in the coordination of activities associated with all phases of construction projects including, but not limited to, initial planning, design, on-going construction, and post-construction activation actions at all sites of care including the main medical center, all Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs), leased space, installations, and any other site of care or of interest.

Location

Charleston, SC

1 vacancy

Salary

$89,508 – $116,362 per year

Work Schedule

Full-time

Travel Required

25% or less – You may be expected to travel for this position.

Appointment Type

Permanent

Occupation and Job Series

• 0301 Miscellaneous Administration And Program

Supervisory Status

No

Federal Service Type

This job is in the Competitive Service

Security Clearance

Not Required

Responsibilities

The incumbent works under the direction of the Chief of Space Administration, but also with other Senior Management staff including Service Chiefs. The incumbent will work in close coordination and interaction with all sections of the Engineering Service and Information Technology (IT) for all types and scopes of projects (Majors, Minors, NRM’s, and station-level projects) to include the coordination of the space management program of the medical center.

The incumbent also performs other duties as assigned by the Chief of Space Administration, Director, and other Senior Management officials.

Comprehensive and thorough knowledge of Title 38, Hybrid 38 and Title 5 Pay Systems, VA Directives, CFR (Code of Federal Regulations) and VA qualification guidelines, and special pay. Expert knowledge of VHA policies and regulations as they relate to providing care to Veteransand beneficiaries. Must have extensive knowledge of VHA policies that relate to resource allocation and budgetary issues.

Team Lead, Data Management and Process Improvement

• Leads the team and provides the day-to-day work direction, review, and distribution, balance, and adjustment of workload
• Monitors and reports on the progress of the team’s work and provides updates to the supervisor
• Coaches and develops the team using appropriate tools and techniques to address a variety of issues and situations
• Oversees general administrative issues regarding subordinates’ leave, scheduling, appointments, etc.
• Provides the team formal and informal training information related to patient advocacy service, customer service, techniques, and resources needed to educate themselves
• Provides higher-level data management and analysis function for the Patient Advocate team
• Develops and maintains organizational dashboards and data sets
• Regularly produces cumulative reports which includes a categorization of patient inquiries to track and trend the patterns to identify opportunities for improvement

Complaint Resolution

• Leads and oversees the facility Veteran Centered Complaint Resolution (VCCR) process, including complaint resolution, data capture, and analysis of issues/complaints to make system improvements
• Works in collaboration with Patient Advocates, Service-Level Advocates (SLAs), and front-line staff to resolve complex issues that occur at the point of service or due to further investigation of the problem(s)
• Addresses complaints and proactively explores all avenues to identify the nature and scope of the problems and initiates appropriate action to expedite resolutions

Patient Advocate Representation and Relationship Management

• Serves as the liaison between the facility, patients, staff, and the community, ensuring Patients understand their rights, in addition to, their responsibilities
• Determines causes of patient dissatisfaction, misinformation, or complaints and documents patient encounters and contacts appropriate services to establish resolutions
• Leads and ensures that rounds throughout the facility are conducted on a routine basis to solicit patient feedback and build strong relationships with SLAs and service leadership.
• Leads staff in responding to patients’ inquiries through multiple VA approved forms of contact (e.g., Inquiry Routing and Information System (IRIS), My HealtheVet, Secure Messaging, E-mail, Phone, Walk-in, Town Halls, etc.), where patients pose questions, complaints, compliments, and suggestions.

Work Schedule

Monday -Friday 07:00 am- 3:30 pm

Compressed/Flexible

Not Authorized

Telework

Ad-Hoc may be authorized, VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.

Virtual

This is not a virtual position.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 11/06/2026.

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-12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the 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. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:

• Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-11 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.

Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to:

• Developing procedures, oversees, and with the assistance of Engineering Service staff, helps coordinate all phases of projects involving (mainly) construction, including pre-planning, submission of any application materials (including mitigation requirements), all levels of analysis, design (A/E work), actual construction, and all post-construction activation activities.
• Projects involve both clinical and administrative services. Develops policies and procedures to help oversee and coordinate the space management program at the main medical center, all CBOCs, leased space, VA-DoD locations, and any other location of interest.
• Prepares, reviews, and/or monitors required training with respect to project activation issues and/or special projects.
• Identifies and determines training priorities, conducts, surveys, analyzes information obtained, submits recommendations to supervisor, and provides necessary training.

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/.

Preferred Experience: Project Management Certificate

Education

There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

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: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Additional Information

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. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

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 the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and 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 current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified : applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM’s Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.

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. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefitsEligibility 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.

Fair and Transparent

The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
Criminal history inquiries Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
Financial suitability New employee probationary period
Privacy Act Reasonable accommodation policy
Selective Service Signature and false statements
Social security number request

Agency Contact Information

• Phone: [phone] X62140
• Email: [e-mail]
• Address: Ralph H Johnson Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 109 Bee Street, Charleston, SC 29401, US