Program Specialist
What you'd do
The primary purpose of the position is to serve as the Program Specialist at Veterans Health Care System (VHSO) of the Ozarks, Fayetteville, AR. The Program Specialist is responsible for the coordination and oversight of the Employee Engagement and Experience Program. This position is created under the Director's Office and is a direct report to the Executive Director.
Major duties
Responsible for creating policies, theories and strategies and putting them in to action to grow and strengthen Employee Engagement. Reviews employee satisfaction data; organizational performance planning as it relates to employee experience; and collaborates with services to develop organizational performance, planning and development of long-term strategic initiatives geared toward improvement. Functions as the facility's Program Specialist for Employee Engagement and Employee Experience. Researches ways to improve and enhance Employee Engagement and the Employee Experience and spreads/provides staff training on the key components for implementation. Performs tasks relating to budget execution by compiling resource data from various financial management reports. Conduct studies on new models of Employee Engagement growth to determine the benefit of this growth to the Employee Experience. Provides active leadership on interdisciplinary committees, task forces, and other groups which have the objective of improving organizational performance and/or strategic planning. Serves as the AES coordinator for VHSO, controls, coordinates, analyzes, validates, and participates in the preparation of the AES and numerous other statistical and narrative reports. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm, subject to change based on the needs of the facility. Telework: This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Program Specialist/PD032920 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS):Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required
What you need to qualify
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 07/23/2026. 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-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09. 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: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-09 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Experience planning, developing, and managing employee engagement and employee experience programs. Experience conducting complex analytical studies and evaluations. Experience collaborating with leadership and teams to implement initiatives. Experience designing, coordinating, and implementing employee engagement and employee experience programs, including developing recognition activities, organizational strategies, and system-wide engagement initiatives. Experience conducting analytical studies and data-driven assessments using tools such as the All Employee Survey (AES), V-Signals, SHEP, and other feedback mechanisms to identify trends, evaluate program effectiveness, and recommend improvements. Experience collaborating with executive leadership, interdisciplinary teams, and service lines to plan, develop, and execute long-range strategic initiatives aimed at enhancing organizational culture, employee well-being, and workplace performance. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed 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. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with application. Education cannot be credited without documentation.. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have the equivalent combinations of successfully completed graduate level education (in excess of the first two years or 36 semester hours) and specialized experience to meet total experience requirements. NOTE: If using education combined with specialized experience to qualify, a copy of your transcript is required. Veterans' Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire. You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.). If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference" with required proof as stated on the form. Documentation is required to award preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit Feds Hire Vets - Veterans - Job Seekers - Veterans' Preference. Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members. 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/.
Before you apply
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