Program Specialist

The Program Specialist is responsible for administrative and technical work in the Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) Division. The Program Specialist is the divisions primary public contact support, virtually and in person. The Program Specialist is responsible for assisting the Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors (VRC), other VR&E staff and management with technical management of the VR&E caseload and providing assistance to Veteran clients. Qualifications: TIME-IN-GRADE REQUIREMENT: Applicants who are/were federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements. For a GS-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07 level. To support your claim of time in grade, you must submit your most recent appointment, promotion, or within grade increase SF-50 (not an award or general adjustment SF-50). Some applicants may have to submit more than one SF-50 to demonstrate their eligibility. See the required documents section for more information. Specialized Experience: Must have one year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade, GS-07, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in this organization. Specialized experience is defined as: Experience in administrative, customer service, and technical work; Experience using and referencing applicable state, federal and local Veteran benefit programs as well as federal regulations and legislation that pertain to the full array of Veteran benefits and programs; Experience and demonstrated skill in technical management of governmental caseloads and providing assistance to Veteran clients; Experience in timekeeping duties; scheduling appointments; and mail management; Experience in administrative tasks and fiscal responsibility in supply procurements. Or applicants may substitute education for the experience required to qualify at the GS-09 level: Education Substitution: You may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education you must have: A master's or equivalent graduate degree in an accredited or pre-accredited college or university; or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree; or Possession of a LL.B. or J.D degree, if related. or Graduate level education must demonstrate the competencies necessary to do the work of the position. or 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. Click here for more information. 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 mostly sedentary. The employee will be required to talk for long periods of time which occasionally puts a strain on the throat/vocal cords. There are no other special physical demands required to perform the work. There may be some walking, standing, and carrying of light items such as papers, books, claims folders, and files from one desk to another or for returning to storage. Extensive use of a computer and a telephone with a headset is required. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at http://://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.