Lead Program Specialist
What you'd do
The purpose of this position is to perform, and to lead others in the support of the ILEAD Chief Learning Officer by assuring that all face-to-face events are captured, documented, approved, and executed efficiently and economically within Federal, VA, VHA and ILEAD guidelines and performance of project management for service line-wide initiatives through internal as well as contract resources.
Major duties
MAJOR DUTIES: Completes the elements of conference package and education support coordination within broad guidelines established by supervisor. Independently determines priorities and methods of project delivery. Supervisor is only consulted when unanticipated problems arise. Work product of employee and employee's subordinates is routinely delivered without review by supervisor Independently aligns resources to Program Specialists (Organizational Title: Conference Manager) and performs conference package development and final quality review for all developed conference packages based upon priorities determined through contacts with organization-wide stakeholders. Distribute and balance the workload among employees in accordance with established workflow or job specialization, assure timely accomplishment of the assigned workload, and assure timely accomplishment of each employee. Keeps in touch with the status and progress of work, and make day-to-day adjustments in accordance with established priorities, obtaining assistance from the supervisor on problems that may arise, such as backlogs which cannot be disposed of promptly. Estimate and report on expected time of completion of work and maintain records of work accomplishments and time expended and prepare production reports as requested. Coaches staff in the appropriate problem-solving methods and techniques, provides advice on work methods, practices, and procedures, and assists the team and/or individual members in identifying viable solutions. Serves as a consultant for the staff and provides advice and council concerning the interpretation of Department of Veterans Affairs, Financial Policy, Chapter 10, Conference Planning, Oversight, and Reporting as it relates to conference package development. Amend or reject work not meeting established standards, refer to supervisor questions or matters not covered by standards and problems in meeting performance standards. Maintains positive communication with ILEAD clients and customers to ensure satisfaction at all levels of project development. Intercedes on client/staff behalf and acts as advocate to each side of issues. Performs work in direct support of ILEAD and its clients. Performs support work for the program offices educational projects, specifically serves as the subject matter expert and primary point of contact for projects requiring complex conference package support (i.e., hybrid face-to-face and GETA approvals). Oversees the work of Program Specialists, assigning, reviewing, and accepting work they produce which meets the desired technical, and content requirements, and is delivered by the required due dates. Authors and develops customer guidance when changes to public law, VA and/or ILEAD policies impacting conference packages occur, as necessary to adapt and formalize EMAP for use within the service line and VHA. Work Schedule: Mon-Fri, 8 am to 4:30 pm Telework: This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Return to Office (RTO): RTO mandates are in effect and selectees will be required to report to in-person work unless they are approved for an exception or an exemption. Any approval for an RTO exception, exemption, or extension will happen after a tentative job offer, but before a final job offer. Position Description/PD#: Lead Program Specialist/PD191190
What you need to qualify
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 08/10/2026. 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-13 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-12. 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 as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-12 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience at the GS-12 level is defined as work that includes but is not limited to: 1. Leads and coordinates complex analyses, system development, and deployment activities across multiple locations, ensuring quality, performance, compliance, and timely delivery. 2. Conducts program and policy evaluations and applies advanced analytical methods to improve operations, assess risk, and advise leadership on strategy and policy. AND 3. Manages multiple projects and complex documentation while interpreting and revising policies, meeting regulatory requirements and tight deadlines. 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 but involves walking, standing, carrying files, pushing office supplies on a cart. 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.