Program Analyst
What you'd do
The Program Analyst position will help evaluate the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the Surgery service line operations at the VA Black Hills Health Care System. This includes knowledge of applicable laws, regulations, and policies which affect the ability of the service to effectively execute its mission. *Supervisory approval is required to apply for this temporary assignment.
Major duties
This position is for a temporary promotion, not to exceed 1 year. Position may be extended up to 3 years, or be converted to permanent without further competition. You may be returned at any time to the position from which you were temporarily promoted, or to a different position of equivalent grade and pay. This position involves a multi-grade career ladder. The major duties listed below represent the full performance level of GS-9. At the GS-7 grade level, you will perform assignments of a more limited scope and with less independence. You will progressively acquire the background necessary to perform at the full performance level of GS-9. Promotion is at the discretion of the supervisor and is contingent upon satisfactory performance, availability of higher-level work, and availability of funds. Major duties include but are not limited to: Coordinate with numerous contacts within VISN 23 and the VA Central Office in Washington, DC. Provide administrative support to the health care management team. Assist on complex administrative matters affecting the health care delivery system. Complete cost and personnel analysis on Surgical and Specialty Clinics. Manage data and reports from various systems, such as DSS, VISTA, CPRS, MCAA, and VSSC. Plan, schedule, and conduct evaluations to recommend process improvements to increase productivity and access of the service line. Interact with customers in a courteous, tactful, and respectful manner. Provide customers with consistent information according to established policies and procedures. Safeguard electronic user IDs, passwords, and verify codes. Serve as backup timekeeper for the Surgery Service Line. Attend meetings, prepare minutes, and follow up on action items with appropriate staff members. Process incoming and outgoing materials, such as correspondence, reports, memoranda, and other forms of written communication. 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, 8:00am - 4:30pm Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Program Analyst/PD208680 and PD208670 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized The VA Midwest Health Care Network advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being.
What you need to qualify
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 08/20/2026. 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 and GS-09 position, you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05 and GS-07, respectively. 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. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: GS-07: Specialized Experience: 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: customer service, communicating with customers in a courteous, tactful, and respectful manner providing consistent information according to established policies and procedures; processing incoming and outgoing materials such as correspondence, reports, memoranda, and other forms of written communication; utilizing various software systems to manage data and reports; and experience analyzing and interpreting data to solve problems (This experience must be well documented in your resume or application package). OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have 1 full year of graduate level education in a subject area related to the position, such as business, social science, or a closely related field; or a bachelor's degree with superior academic achievement **(SAA). 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 bachelor level. **S.A.A. is based on (1) class standing, (2) grade-point average, or (3) honor society membership. Class standing -- Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses. Grade-point average (G.P.A.)-- Applicants must have a grade-point average of: 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on their official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum. Grade-point averages are to be rounded to one decimal place. For example, 2.95 will round to 3.0 and 2.94 will round to 2.9. Election to membership in a national scholastic honor society -- Applicants can be considered eligible based on membership in one of the national scholastic honor societies listed by the Association of College Honor Societies. GS-09: 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: performing cost and personnel analysis; utilizing various software systems to manage data and reports; evaluating the efficiency of operations; recommending process improvements for productivity; coordinating with multiple contacts both inside and outside the organization; and preparing various correspondence, such as meeting minutes, memoranda, or other forms of written communication. (This experience must be well documented in your resume or application package). OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a master's (or equivalent) degree or 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree in a subject area related to the position to be filled, such as business, social science, or a closely related field. 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 the first year (18 semester hours) of graduate level. 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/. 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 Demands: The work is mostly of a sedentary nature with some lifting of light boxes required. You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination. Work Environment: The work is performed in an office environment, with adequate lighting and climate control, with no unusual risks or discomforts. Position may require occasional travel.
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