Program Specialist

Overview

The employee will serve as the Program Specialist, located in the Employee Experience Team of the Veterans Crisis Line (VCL), Veterans Affair (VA). The VCL is a 24-hour, 7-days-a-week, 365-days-a-year service aimed at connecting callers worldwide to a caring, qualified Veterans Administration employee. The VCL's mission is to provide 24/7, world-class suicide prevention and crisis intervention services to Veterans, Service Members and their family members.

Major Duties

The incumbent will be responsible for the time and leave administration of VCL employees. The incumbent will plan, coordinate, execute, maintain, and evaluate the VCL call center staff levels to ensure that a smooth flow of quality health care services is being provided promptly, courteously, and with a compassionate understanding of Veterans' needs and the needs of those responsible for their care. The work performed by the incumbent will directly influence decisions made by managers concerning internal administrative operations and improve the quality of services to customers and staff. The work will also involve identifying problems and making recommendations concerning the efficiency and productivity of administrative operations throughout VCL. Additional duties include but are not limited to: Maintains staffing levels and master schedules to ensure adequate coverage. Tracks and certifies all forms of employee leave requests and maintains tour of duty updates. Coordinates tour of duty change requests, leave requests, etc. in accordance with approved policy. Tracks and implements employee training, organizes new employee orientations and training shifts for all employees, and creates and reviews travel schedules for employees. Investigates and resolves employee relations issues such as no shows in accordance with approved policy, time/leave/pay/repayment/overtime issues, etc. Coordinates with employees on long term absences including annual and sick leave scheduling. Refers employees to Employee Assistance Program (EAP) as needed and provides support to employees with sensitive time and leave related concerns. Maintains responsibility for scheduling employees on 20 different shifts and 30 plus start times across call centers. Ensures coverage needs are addressed to maintain staffing needs and escalates concerns to supervisory and management staff. Organizes and submits all planned leave requests to Team Operations (TOC) and/or time and leave supervisor for approval. Coordinates with Workflow Coordinators and Workforce Management (WM) regarding staffing. WM provides all staffing data to use in the forecasting for work schedules for VCL. Provides trend analysis to supervisors, TOCs, and management on leave misuse and unplanned leave. Maintains and manages the VCL time and leave inbox groups and associated correspondence by reviewing and resolving issues. Communicates with Human Resources groups and VCL management regarding employee staffing, transfer, part-time, and job share status. Any other duties as assigned by the Time and Leave Supervisor Program Specialist. Work Schedule: Tour of Duty is typically Administrative Hours. Tour is subject to change based on program needs. Compressed/Flexible Work Schedule: May be authorized upon supervisor approval after training per Agency policy. Remote: This is remote position. Selectees will work 100% of the time in a non-VA-owned space outside of the local commuting area of a parent station. The employee's workspace must be suitable for conducting business and as such, remote employees are expected to provide a secure, distraction-free home-based worksite with reliable high speed internet connectivity. The employee will be required to travel to the closest VA Medical Center or VA Outpatient Clinic for issuance of equipment, and as needed for technical support. Selectees will be required to self-certify that their remote workplace meets all safety, privacy, and internet speed requirements. Position Description/PD#: Program Specialist/PD07527A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not required Financial Disclosure Report: Not required This is a bargaining unit position

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 06/01/2026. Grade Requirement: For CTAP eligibility, an applicant's selection priority applies when the vacancy: (1) is at a grade or pay level with a representative rate no higher than the representative rate of the grade or pay level of the CTAP eligible's permanent position of record; (2) has no greater promotion potential than the CTAP eligible's permanent position of record; (3) is in the same local commuting area as the CTAP eligible's permanent position of record; (4) is filled during the CTAP eligible's eligibility period; and, if applicable, (5) is filled under the same excepted appointing authority as the CTAP eligible's permanent position of record if the CTAP eligible is an excepted service employee and the agency CTAP provides selection priority in the excepted service. 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-9) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. In order to meet the minimum qualifications for this position, you must meet 2/3 of the following examples of specialized experience: operating and providing technical guidance on VATAS, ESR, VSS Pro, and other timekeeping/scheduling systems; tracking and administering leave programs and ensuring compliance with agency policies; tracking, implementing, and resolving time and leave discrepancies, pay issues, overtime issues, and repayment issues. 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 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M. if related, in a field that is directly related to the work of this position that 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 an combination of specialized experience and graduate level education (beyond the first 2 years) in a field that is directly related to the work of this position that demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work equivalent to the total requirement of this position (e.g., 6 months of specialized experience and 1 year of post masters degree graduate education). 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/.

Education

Transcript Reminder: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Transcripts must depict the name of the college to determine accreditation, and your name must also be displayed on the transcripts. If qualifying based on a degree, or for positions requiring a degree, the transcript must show the date the degree was conferred. If selected, you must provide official transcripts. Transcripts should state degree conferred and have a date. Copies of official transcripts are accepted and are the best way to ensure your education is interpreted correctly in accordance with OPM qualification standards. Unofficial transcripts are accepted if they contain all the required information. 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/.

You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required. 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 (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial 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; and 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.