Program Specialist

Summary

The position is located within the Salt Lake City Health Care System, at the VA Medical Center, Surgical Care Service in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Program Specialist reports directly to the Administrative Officer of Surgical Care Service and provides administrative and program management support for the service, with responsibility for coordinating equipment and supply program activities and other assigned administrative programs.

Duties

• Duties include but are not limited to the following: Tracks assigned actions and suspense dates, prepares reports and correspondence, arranges meetings, and follows up with responsible personnel to ensure required actions are completed. Serves as an administrative liaison among Surgical Care Service leadership, specialty sections, other medical center services, affiliated institutions, and external stakeholders. Coordinates equipment and supply program activities for assigned Surgical Care Service specialty sections. Maintains equipment inventory, request, and status information to support accountability and program planning. Tracks equipment and supply requests through the approval, ordering, delivery, and activation processes and provides status updates to the Administrative Officer and requesting personnel. Serves as a Contracting Officer's Representative Level I for assigned requirements in accordance with the written delegation of authority and applicable Federal, VA, and local policies and procedures. Works with section chiefs, clinical personnel, and administrative staff to identify and document equipment and supply needs. Reviews requests for completeness and accuracy and coordinates their submission through established processes. Reviews established processes and workflows to identify procedural problems, delays, or inconsistencies affecting the efficiency and effectiveness of service operations. Other duties as assigned. 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. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 7:30am-4:00pm Telework: This position may be authorized for ad-hoc telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Program Specialist/PD149120 and PD149130 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 11/09/2026. 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-07 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05. 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 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 GS-07: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-05 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Strong oral and written communication skills to explain requirements, coordinate activities, present recommendations, and work effectively with diverse stakeholders. Knowledge of administrative and program management practices to coordinate Surgical Care Service programs, maintain records, and support operations. Ability to apply analytical methods to identify, evaluate, and resolve procedural and operational issues. Skill in collecting, validating, and analyzing data to identify trends, address deficiencies, and improve program effectiveness. Knowledge of Surgical Care Service operations, workflows, and organizational relationships to coordinate activities across clinical and administrative functions. Knowledge of agency and facility policies governing administrative programs, equipment and supply management, inventory accountability, and records management. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have one (1) full year of graduate level education or have superior academic achievement. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond a bachelor's degree to qualify at the GS-7 level. Specialized Experience GS-09: 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: Strong oral and written communication skills to coordinate activities, present information, and interact effectively with stakeholders. Knowledge of administrative and program management principles to coordinate Surgical Care Service programs, maintain records and tracking systems, and support service operations. Ability to apply analytical methods to identify, evaluate, and resolve procedural and operational issues. Skill in collecting, validating, analyzing, and reporting data to identify trends, deficiencies, and improvement opportunities. Knowledge of Surgical Care Service functions, workflows, and organizational relationships to coordinate activities with clinical and administrative staff. Knowledge of agency, facility, and service policies governing administrative programs, inventory, records management, and related activities. Knowledge of equipment and supply request…

Education

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/.