Supervisory Program Specialist.

National Cemetery Administration; Bay Pines (FL); On-site; USD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

National Cemetery Administration in Bay Pines, Florida seeks a Supervisory Program Specialist to lead administrative operations and interment scheduling, ensuring compliance with DoD and NCA standards. The role emphasizes workload management, staff development, and coordination of sensitive ceremonies.

The position requires at least one year of specialized federal experience, with education as an acceptable substitute, and a strong commitment to public service.

Qualifications

• Specialized Experience: one year at GS-07 level or equivalent in administrative operations and program management.
• Education can substitute for the required experience (Master's degree or higher; two years of graduate study; LL.B. or J.D. if related).
• Combination of specialized experience and education is acceptable for qualification.

Responsibilities

• Oversee administrative operations in the absence of Cemetery Administrator and ensure policy compliance.
• Assign, balance, monitor workload, and supervise staff performance with coaching and development.
• Manage interment scheduling and verify burial applications and eligibility determinations.
• Coordinate high-profile interments and serve as primary cemetery representative for stakeholders.
• Review and verify eligibility documentation with DoD, NCSO, NPRC, funeral directors, and families.
• Lead training and guidance on interment operations and cemetery procedures; update SOPs annually.
• Oversee IT access, system privacy, and equipment inventory; ensure reporting and quality control of interment documents.

Skills

Typing 40 wpm

Education

Master's degree or higher

Job description

Supervisory Responsibilities (25%)

• Oversees administrative operations in the absence of the Cemetery Administrator and ensures compliance with NCA standards and policies.
• Assigns, balances, and monitors workload; supervises staff performance and provides coaching, training, and development.
• Manages all interment scheduling and verifies accuracy of burial applications and eligibility determinations.
• Responds to sensitive or complex situations involving families, military honors, disinterments, and Veteran Service Organizations.
• Prepares statistical reports and analyzes scheduling workflow for productivity and accuracy.

Program Management (75%)

• Maintains accurate gravesite data, reconciles interment records, and reports discrepancies to leadership.
• Analyzes processes and recommends improvements to enhance efficiency and coordination across cemetery operations.
• Coordinates high-profile and sensitive interments; serves as primary cemetery representative for internal and external stakeholders.
• Reviews and verifies eligibility documentation using DoD, NCSO, NPRC, funeral directors, and family records.
• Processes sensitive cases with Cemetery Leadership, General Counsel, NCSO, and regional offices; provides training and guidance to staff.
• Serves as SME for interment operations, eligibility policies, and cemetery procedures; annually updates SOPs and ensures staff comprehension.
• Oversees weekend scheduling, pending cases, error tracking, and quality control of interment applications.
• Serves as cemetery IT POC; manages system access, equipment inventory, and IT/privacy compliance.
• Ensures coverage for all committal services; establishes priorities, assigns work, and verifies timely completion of reports and case documentation.
• Participates in hiring panels; addresses employee concerns; recommends personnel actions; conducts training and improves SOPs.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Work schedule

Required to work Monday through Friday, 7:30 am to 4:00 pm. 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

Position Description Title/PD#

Supervisory Program Specialist/PD1730837

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.

Relocation Expenses

Not Authorized

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives

Not Authorized

Financial Disclosure Report

Not Required

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 applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 10/19/2026.

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 within 45 days of the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07. 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 your most recent non-award 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 non-award SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one year time-in-grade.

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.

• Must have the ability to type at least 40 words per minute.

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-07 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: interpreting administrative laws, policies, regulations, and precedents applicable to business initiatives, program goals, and objectives. Using analytical methods to assess and recommend improvements for program effectiveness and management processes and systems in order to maintain administrative operations. 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 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. or J.D., if related. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. 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 first 18 semester hours of graduate-level education earned.

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:

• Accountability
• Customer Service
• Decisiveness
• Flexibility
• Interpersonal Skills
• Problem Solving
• Resilience

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

Work is primarily sedentary and performed in an office environment.

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.

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)

The ICTAP and 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

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.

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.

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.