Program Specialist- Activation Spec

Your tasks

The incumbent serves as a Project Activation Specialist for the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center. As such, the incumbent's main responsibility is to develop systems and procedures that will assist in the coordination of activities associated with all phases of (construction) projects including, but not limited to, initial planning, design, on-going construction, and post-construction activation action at all sites of care including the main medical center, all Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs), leased space, installations, and any other site of care or of interest. The incumbent works under the direction of the Chief of Space Administration, but also with other Senior Management staff including Service Chiefs. The incumbent will work in close coordination and interaction with all sections of the Engineering Service and Information Technology (IT) for all types and scopes of projects (Majors, Minors, NRM's, and station-level projects) to include the coordination of the space management program of the medical center. The incumbent also performs other duties as assigned by the Chief of Space Administration, Director, and other Senior Management officials. Comprehensive and thorough knowledge of Title 38, Hybrid 38 and Title 5 Pay Systems, VA Directives, CFR (Code of Federal Regulations) and VA qualification guidelines, and special pay. Expert knowledge of VHA policies and regulations as they relate to providing care to Veterans and beneficiaries. Must have extensive knowledge of VHA policies that relate to resource allocation and budgetary issues.

Team Lead, Data Management and Process Improvement Leads the team and provides the day-to-day work direction, review, and distribution, balance, and adjustment of workload Monitors and reports on the progress of the team's work and provides updates to the supervisor Coaches and develops the team using appropriate tools and techniques to address a variety of issues and situations Oversees general administrative issues regarding subordinates' leave, scheduling, appointments, etc. Provides the team formal and informal training information related to patient advocacy service, customer service, techniques, and resources needed to educate themselves Provides higher-level data management and analysis function for the Patient Advocate team Develops and maintains organizational dashboards and data sets Regularly produces cumulative reports which includes a categorization of patient inquiries to track and trend the patterns to identify opportunities for improvement

Complaint Resolution Leads and oversees the facility Veteran Centered Complaint Resolution (VCCR) process, including complaint resolution, data capture, and analysis of issues/complaints to make system improvements Works in collaboration with Patient Advocates, Service-Level Advocates (SLAs), and front-line staff to resolve complex issues that occur at the point of service or due to further investigation of the problem(s) Addresses complaints and proactively explores all avenues to identify the nature and scope of the problems and initiates appropriate action to expedite resolutions

Patient Advocate Representation and Relationship Management Serves as the liaison between the facility, patients, staff, and the community, ensuring Patients understand their rights, in addition to, their responsibilities Determines causes of patient dissatisfaction, misinformation, or complaints and documents patient encounters and contacts appropriate services to establish resolutions Leads and ensures that rounds throughout the facility are conducted on a routine basis to solicit patient feedback and build strong relationships with SLAs and service leadership. Leads staff in responding to patients' inquiries through multiple VA approved forms of contact (e.g., Inquiry Routing and Information System (IRIS), My HealtheVet, Secure Messaging, E-mail, Phone, Walk-in, Town Halls, etc.), where patients pose questions, complaints, compliments, and suggestions.

Work Schedule: Monday -Friday 07:00 am- 3:30 pm Compressed/Flexible: Not Authorized Telework: Ad-Hoc may be authorized, VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. 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- Activation Spec/PD00048A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 11/06/2026. 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-12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-11. 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 as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-11 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Developing procedures, oversees, and with the assistance of Engineering Service staff, helps coordinate all phases of projects involving (mainly) construction, including pre-planning, submission of any application materials (including mitigation requirements), all levels of analysis, design (A/E work), actual construction, and all post-construction activation activities. Projects involve both clinical and administrative services. Develops policies and procedures to help oversee and coordinate the space management program at the main medical center, all CBOCs, leased space, VA-DoD locations, and any other location of interest. Prepares, reviews, and/or monitors required training with respect to project activation issues and/or special projects. Identifies and determines training priorities, conducts, surveys, analyzes information obtained, submits recommendations to supervisor, and provides necessary training. 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/. Preferred Experience: Project Management Certificate

There is no educational substitution at this grade level. 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: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

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 (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification 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) 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.

Other

The incumbent serves as a Project Activation Specialist for the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center in Charleston,South Carolina. As such, the incumbent's main responsibility is to develop systems and procedures that will assist in the coordination of activities associated with all phases of construction projects including, but not limited to, initial planning, design, on-going construction, and post-construction activation actions at all sites.