Program Analyst Lead
What you'd do
This position is located at the NCA Scheduling Office in St. Louis, Missouri.
Major duties
This is a bargaining unit position. This position is represented by AFGE. Please note that as provided for in the AFGE/VA Master Agreement the FIRST area of consideration for this position will be permanent employees of the local facility in which this position is being filled, the SECOND area of consideration will be employees at other VA facilities, and the THIRD area of consideration will be all other eligibles. Determine eligibility of Veterans and others for interment in VA national cemeteries. Provide guidance regarding time of need and pre-need burial eligibility programs and criteria, gather relevant evidence, identify issues, conduct interviews, and records data necessary to make accurate determination of eligibility and to generate notification to the next of kin, funeral home, and cemetery, describing the decision and the reasons for the decision relating to burial in VA national cemeteries. Assist supervisors in the Eligibility Verification Division in ensuring Program Analysts in the division have the necessary knowledge and skills to perform these tasks to agency standards. Act as a subject matter expert on Public Law affecting eligibility for burial in VA national cemeteries, Title 38 of the United States Code, and Title 38 of the Code of Federal Regulations. Communicate favorable determination by telephone to the requestor and schedules interments when required to do so according to NCSO policy. Communicate unfavorable determinations (denials) by telephone to the involved funeral homes and to the next of kin by both telephone and by formal notification letters. Act as a subject matter expert in the verification of time of need and/or pre-need eligibility for burial and the gathering of facts and data from Veterans, next of kin, and funeral homes and the verification of data through discharge documents and all other systems/sources available to NCSO Program Analysts. Performs public outreach as needed. Work schedule: Required to work Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm. May include occasional weekends. Due to the mission of the National Cemetery, the cemetery cannot be closed for more than 2 consecutive days at any given time. Additionally, when a Federal holiday falls on a Monday or Friday, staff may be required to work on that holiday or a Saturday. All staff is required to work Memorial Day and Veteran's Day each year. Staff will be required to work overtime, weekends and holidays when necessary to meet the needs of the cemetery. Occasionally staff may be called back to the facility to perform emergency overtime work. Compressed/Flexible Schedule: Not Available Telework: Available Position Description Title/PD#: Program Analyst Lead/PD138720 The full performance level of this position is GS - 11. Relocation Expenses: Not Authorized Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authroized Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required If interested in applying for this position you ay preview the online application: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13030462
What you need to qualify
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all specialized experience and time in grade requirements within 45 days of 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 within 45 days of 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 your most recent non-award 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 non-award SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one year time-in-grade. 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. Must have the ability to type at least 40 words per minute. Must possess and maintain a REAL ID compliant valid state driver's license. You may qualify based on your experience and/or educaiton, 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: administrative/office work experience that includes work such as gathering and analyzing data, using automated data processing equipment to generate a variety of reports, establishing priorities and meeting deadlines, and supervising and managing an office staff. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a 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. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education beyond the 36 semester hours of graduate education earned. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Analytical Thinking Communication Computer Skills Leadership Self Management Technical Credibility 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 requires occasional standing, walking, bending, stooping, or lifting. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
Before you apply
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