Program Support Assistant.

National Cemetery Administration; Bourne (MA); On-site; USD 60,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

The National Cemetery Administration seeks a Program Support Assistant at the Massachusetts National Cemetery to provide clerical support, assist with budget tasks, and serve as a point of contact for families and visitors during committal services or burials.

Responsibilities include handling documents, reports, and data, coordinating meetings, directing services, and maintaining records. Knowledge of KIOSK/BOSS systems and strong typing skills are essential.

Qualifications

• Must be able to type at least 40 words per minute.
• Experience interacting with customers and staff and preparing reports and presentations.
• Ability to maintain filing and reference systems and generate various reports from databases.

Responsibilities

• Provide specialized and general clerical support for the Massachusetts National Cemetery office.
• Assist in budget preparation and management; serve as purchase card holder and time keeper.
• Explain gravesite and marker information to bereaved family members and visitors; locate gravesites using KIOSK or BOSS.
• Direct traffic at the cemetery, accompany families to committal shelters and gravesites, and assist with funeral processions when needed.
• Perform general office tasks such as copying, filing, and preparing documents and correspondence.

Skills

Typing 40 wpm

Customer interaction

Data analysis

Report preparation

Scheduling

Filing and record keeping

Tools

KIOSK

BOSS

Job description

Duties

Provides specialized and general clerical assistance to the office of the Massachusetts National Cemetery. Performs general clerical support in office with copying, filing, storing stock items. Assignments can vary involving routine and non-routine office functions such as preparing documents and correspondence, sorting, copying, and filing. Prepares reports for Cemetery Administrators use. Assist in budget preparation and management. Serves as purchase card holder and time keeper. Represents the Massachusetts National Cemetery meeting funeral directors, families and honor guard members who are attending committal services or burials at the Cemetery. Provides information to bereaved family members concerning gravesite and marker information. Retrieves gravesite information from the KIOSK or BOSS (electronic burial register) in assisting families locating loved ones' gravesites. Duties may include but are not limited to: maintaining control of traffic to the cemetery, directing funeral corteges so as to keep all family members together, accompanying families to committal shelters and gravesites, providing veteran burial benefit information to family members and visitors, answering general questions of family and visitors, assisting visitors and family members locating gravesites.

Performs public outreach as needed.

Work schedule

Required to work Monday through Friday, 7:30am - 4:00pm. May include occasional weekends. Due to the mission of the National Cemetery, the cemetery cannot be closed for more than 2 consecutive days at any given time. Additionally, when a Federal holiday falls on a Monday or Friday, staff may be required to work on that holiday or a Saturday. All staff is required to work Memorial Day and Veteran's Day each year. Staff will be required to work overtime, weekends and holidays when necessary to meet the needs of the cemetery. Occasionally staff may be called back to the facility to perform emergency overtime work.

Compressed/Flexible Schedule: Not Available

Telework: Not Available

Remote/Virtual: This is not a virtual or remote position.

Position Description Title/PD#

Program Support Assistant / PD295730

The full performance level of this position is GS- 07.

Relocation Expenses

Not Authorized

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives

Not Authorized

Financial Disclosure Report

Not Required

If interested in applying for this position you may preview the online application:

Requirements

• Subject to a background/security investigation.
• Designated and/or random drug testing may be required.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• You may be required to serve a probationary period.
• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.

Qualifications

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

• Must have the ability to type at least 40 words per minute.
• Must possess and maintain a valid REAL ID compliant state driver's license.

You may qualify based on your experience, as described below:

• Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-06 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: interacting with customers and staff, analyzing data; preparing graphs, charts, presentations, maintaining a database system; tracking and logging expense items; scheduling appointments; coordinating meetings and scheduling conferences; establishing and maintaining an efficient filing and reference system for all files; using automated data processing equipment to generate a variety of reports; typing letters, memos, reports, etc. in final form; processing incoming and outgoing materials such as correspondence, reports, memoranda, and other forms of written communication; establishing priorities and setting deadlines; providing an interpretation of policies; gathering data; preparing reports, and making recommendations; develop findings, recommendations, and justifications, etc.

Competencies

• Communication
• Computer Skills
• Critical Thinking
• Self-Management
• Writing

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 requires no special physical demands. It may involve some walking, standing, bending, or carrying of light items.

Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.

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.

Education

There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

Additional information

The 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 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

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

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 The Fair Chance Act.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members

Please visit the

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.