Program Specialist

Summary Provides consultative services to the Imaging Executive Team under the direction of the Administrative Director, this position is responsible for the formulation and oversight of Imaging's financial, technical, procurement, and contractual processes within the annual budget. Responsibilities This position involves a multi-grade career ladder. The major duties listed below represent the full performance level of GS-9, however a selection can be made at any of the following grade levels: GS-07 OR GS-09. At the GS-07 grade level, you will progressively acquire the background necessary to perform at the full performance level of GS-09. Major Duties include but are not limited to: Acts as material manager for Imaging involving oversight of supplies and equipment requests for Imaging Incumbent acts as an approving official for purchase card orders and request for purchases (2237s) for supply, professional fee services (contracts) and equipment requests Reviews work of Imaging staff who has procurement responsibilities for technical accuracy, completeness, and conformance with established policy and responsiveness Determines and develops best training plan for staff based on their individual and/or special needs, grade level, capabilities, and education Makes recommendations to the Administrative Director of Imaging regarding needs, distribution or redistribution of resources. Incumbent develops, implements, monitors, and adjusts plans to effectively and cost effectively accomplish the mission within budgetary constraints. Provides advice to management and program personnel on budgetary and finance issues. Participates with managers on reviewing office needs, plans and goals to develop budget data and justification for review and approval. After the budget has been approved, monitors balances, and status of projects and recommends reprogramming of funds as needed. Justifies requests for reprogramming as necessary. Performs program cost analyses such as development of life cycle or other cost analysis of projects, or performance of cost benefit or economic evaluations of programs. Independently conducts cost effectiveness studies for operating or administrative programs with a regional or equivalent impact. Considers all aspects of new or established programs, including statutes, policies, objectives, workload models, resource estimates and utilization, issues, constraints, impacts, and concerns related to other organizational components. Confirms all significant technical instructions to the contractor; assures that changes in the work or services, and resulting effects on delivery schedule are formally effected by written modification issued by the CO before the Contractor proceeds with the changes Maintains a contract-working file Monitors financial management controls Reviews the contractor's invoices Completes annual contract option review/annual performance reports as requested by the CO, and performs other duties as delineated in the COR letter associated with the contract or other duties as assigned by the Imaging Administrative Director and CO. Assembles and compiles budget information and maintains running account of funds allocated and expended in all sub-accounts by applying budgetary policies, procedures, and regulations. Prepares a variety of budget analyses and maintains budget records. Develops monthly and quarterly cost ceilings while maintaining running control of funds. Exercises responsibility for budget formulation, oversight, and presentation; maintains awareness of and information about the overall status of financial resources for Imaging to react to changing situations with timely recommendations Reviews and negotiates adjustments in support of major program changes and requirements 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 to Friday; 7:00 am - 3:30 pm PST Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Program Specialist/PD215030 and PD215040 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required. Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) This occupation falls under the Administrative Careers with America (ACWA) examination requirement. Applicants at the GS-07 level may have to complete an additional exam if selected. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial 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. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet the Time-in-Grade and Experience and/or Education requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement, 02/17/2026. 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 30 days of the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-07 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05. For a GS-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07. 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 s described below: GS-7: 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, but are not limited to: Ability to do the following with significant oversight, Contracting Officer (CO) develops the contract specifications or work statement; monitors financial management controls; reviews contractor invoices to ensure that they reflect accurately the work completed; Assembles and compiles budget information and maintains running account of funds allocated and expended in all sub-accounts by applying the basic knowledge and understanding of budgetary policies; Develops, interprets, implies and integrates objective criteria and acceptable standards for use in monitoring contractor performance; Oversight of supplies and equipment requests; Reviewing office needs, plans and goals to develop budget data and justification for review and approval; Performs program cost analyses such as development of life cycle or other cost analysis of projects; Develops procedures and systems for establishing, operating, and assessing the effectiveness of administrative control systems and line or operating programs. NOTE: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month & year starting and ending dates AND hours worked per week. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have 1 year of graduate-level education. NOTE: Transcripts required. Education cannot be credited without documentation. Please see education section for details. OR, Superior Academic Achievement: In order to be creditable under this provision, superior academic achievement must have been gained in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled. S.A.A. is based on (1) class standing, (2) grade-point average, or (3) honor society membership. NOTE: Transcripts required. Education cannot be credited without documentation. Please see education section for details. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have possess equivalent combinations of successfully completed graduate level education with a major appropriate to the position (in excess of a bachelor's degree) and specialized experience to meet total experience requirements. NOTE: Transcripts required. Education cannot be credited without documentation. GS-9: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-7 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: At the independent level-Contracting Officer (CO) develops the contract specifications or work statement; monitors financial management controls; reviews contractor invoices to ensure that they reflect accurately the work completed; Assembles and compiles budget information and maintains running account of funds allocated and expended in all sub-accounts by applying the basic knowledge and understanding of budgetary policies; Develops, interprets, implies and integrates objective criteria and acceptable standards for use in monitoring contractor performance; Oversight of supplies and equipment requests; Reviewing office needs, plans and goals to develop budget data and justification for review and approval; Performs program cost analyses such as development of life cycle or other cost analysis of projects; Develops procedures and systems for establishing, operating, and assessing the effectiveness of administrative control systems and line or operating programs. NOTE: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month & year starting and ending dates AND hours worked per week. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed a Master' s or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. of J.D., if related that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. 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 an combination of specialized experience and education beyond 1 full year of graduate level education to be creditable. If you qualify by a combination, your experience must be detailed in your resume and transcripts are required. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with application. Education cannot be credited without documentation. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at Education A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: Additional Information Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act. Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at

Created: 2026-02-09