Program Specialist
What you'd do
This Program Specialist position is located in the Surgical Service at the West Haven, CT VAMC location. This position is a Full-Time position at 40 hours per week.
Major duties
The purpose of the position is to perform administrative functions that include technical support, human resource management, analytical and evaluative techniques, logistics and a variety of related administrative matters in support of the Surgical and Operating Room services. The employee will perform administrative work with one or more of the following areas: personnel management/administration, budgeting and financial management, procurement and contracting, property management, and/or supply. Some of the duties include, but are not limited to; Functions as the primary coordinator for the surgical group for house staff and fellowship programs; Interprets and adapts available guidelines and refers to AMION and Med Hub regrading physician specialty schedules to ensure correct 24hour VA Inpatient/outpatient coverage; Throughout the academic year, the employee will have ongoing duties/responsibilities which include (but not limited to): scheduling conference, journal club, organizing and distrusting call schedules for the month, creating rotation and elective schedules for immersion block, creating call schedules, clinic schedules, serve as an education liaison, coordinating education actives, and etc.; Ensures that all house staff and fellows are properly appointed in the hospital's computer system;; Works closely with liaisons at Yale to ensure a smooth transition during the beginning of the academic year and during all rotation dates; Provides technical support to customers who need advice, assistance, and training in applying hardware and software systems; Performs work related to the resolution of user, hardware, software applications, and/or systems problems; Plans, designs, organize, conduct and/or coordinate all of the computer training and implantation of relevant network applications for the Perioperative Services; Assists in solving problems associated with deliveries in support of individual hardware and software orders; All other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Full-Time/Monday-Friday/8a-430p Compressed/Flexible: Not Authorized 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/PD00588A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Current and former Federal employees must submit copies of their most recent SF-50, (Notice of Personnel Action). The SF-50 must identify the position title, series, grade, step, tenure and type of service (Competitive or Excepted). In some cases, more than one SF-50 may be required to show a higher grade previously held. This position is in the Competitive Service Time-in-Grade Restriction: 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. The grade may have been in any occupation but must have been held in the Federal service. Veterans' preference does not apply for other current permanent Federal agency employees.
What you need to qualify
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 08/14/2026. 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-9 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-7. 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 must 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-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: Understanding of applicable fellowship programs, ability to analyze and evaluate techniques specific to trainee programs, strong communication skills to coordinate among various affiliated educational programs, internal departments and outside organizations, organizational skills to schedule and maintain educational activities, ability to offer technical support to various customers, and developing and maintaining annual budgets in coordination with affiliate training faculty. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a masters or equivalent graduate degree OR have completed two (2) full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree or LL.B. or J.D., if related. Education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of a Program Specialist. Transcripts must be supplied at the time of application in order to be considered. 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. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Attention to Detail Customer Service Decision Making Flexibility Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Learning Reading Comprehension Reasoning Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork 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: The work is primarily sedentary, although physical effort to meet the other employees at their worksites is required. 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
Federal applications are different: your resume should be 3–5 pages and mirror the language of this announcement. Read our federal resume guide first — it's the #1 reason qualified people get screened out.
Don't miss the next one.
Get an email the moment a similar federal job opens — postings can close in as little as 5 days.