Program Specialist

Summary

Summary

This position serves the Patient Care Services, Whole Health and Wellness department of the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System in Little Rock, AR and assist the Whole Health and Wellness System Manager/Director in fulfilling the administrative missions of the department.

Learn more about this agency

Duties

Help

Duties of the Program Specialist include, but are not limited to:

• Processes all clinical proficiencies for a variety of disciplines at Central Arkansas Veterans Health System (CAVHS)
• Generates reports for Whole Health and Wellness department and others as required
• Coordinates and analyzes internal review activities of the department to ensure that both clinical and administrative functions are in compliance with VISN and Central Office directives and standards
• Serves as a liaison between Whole Health and Wellness and all services across CAVHS with an emphasis in Primary Care (CBOCs), Mental Health, and Specialty Care teams to ensure the expansion of Whole Health and Wellness to all aspects of Veteran care
• Coordinates studies and special projectsto implement health care delivery programs and improve the efficiency of health care operations throughout the Whole Health and Wellness Product Line
• Assists in preparing internal instructions, operating policies, protocols, and other Whole Health and Wellness Product Line procedural guidelines
• Knowledge of financial management principles to formulate budget estimates of programs and activities and write appropriate justifications
• Assists with the Human Resource management for Whole Health and Wellness, performing the full range of human resources requirements, including recruitment, compensation, promotions, awards, benefits, position classification, performance management, leave administration, training, disciplinary actions, and labor relations
• Maintains and updates the departments organizational chart and personnel distribution list
• Assists in the preparation of yearly performance award documents including superior award documents and physician performance pay
• Will be primary purchase card holder for all Whole Health and Wellness departments Fund Control Points as well as assisting with Patient Care Services purchasing when needed
• Assist in the preparation of budgeting and financial management for the department

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, 7:30am-4:00pm (Subject to change based on the needs of the service)

Telework: Not Available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Program Specialist/PD047710 and PD047700

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

Help

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 is mostly sedentary, although there is some walking, bending, and lifting. It is sometimes necessary to work at the computer for extended periods of time. The position requires the ability to concentrate with frequent interruptions. 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 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.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 11/23/2026.

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-7 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-5. For a GS-9 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-7. 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:

Program Specialist, GS-7

Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-5 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to:

• Experience is Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and CPRS
• Skilled in documenting meeting minutes and communicating effectively both verbally and in writing to a variety of audiences.
• Experience organizing events and managing calendars for integrative teams;

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 or superior academic achievement. (transcripts required)

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 a bachelor's degree that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. NOTE: If using education combined with specialized experience to qualify, a copy of your transcript is required.

OR,

Superior Academic Achievement S.A.A. (S.A.A. is based on (1) class standing, (2) grade-point average, or (3) honor society membership. The full provision for Superior Academic Achievement (S.A.A.) is described in the OPM General Schedule Operating Manual.

1. Class standingApplicants 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.
2. 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.
3. Election to membership in a national scholastic honor societyApplicants can be considered eligible based on membership in one of the national scholastic honor societies listed below. These honor societies are listed in the Association of College Honor Societies: Booklet of Information (1992-95) and/or Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities (1991). Agencies considering eligibility based on any society not included in the following list must ensure that the honor society meets the minimum requirements of the Association of College Honor Societies. Membership in a freshman honor society cannot be used to meet the requirements of this provision. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED)

Program Specialist, 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:

• Experience is Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and CPRS
• Skilled in documenting meeting minutes and communicating effectively both verbally and in writing to a variety of audiences.
• Experience organizing events and managing calendars for integrative teams.
• Experience in healthcare administration.
• Experience with fiscal and contract policies and procedures.

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 degree or 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B or J/D, if related. (transcripts required)

OR,

Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and graduate level education in excess of the first year or an excess of 18 credit hours. (transcripts required)

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:

• Attention to Detail
• Customer Service
• Decision Making
• Flexibility
• Integrity/Honesty
• Interpersonal Skills
• Learning
• Reading Comprehension
• Reasoning
• Self-Management
• Stress Tolerance
• Teamwork

Physical Requirements: The work is mostly sedentary, although there is some walking, bending, and lifting. It is sometimes necessary to work at the computer for extended periods of time. The position requires the ability to concentrate with frequent interruptions.

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.

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provides 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 CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.



Help

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

Job Description

Summary

This position serves the Patient Care Services, Whole Health and Wellness department of the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System in Little Rock, AR and assist the Whole Health and Wellness System Manager/Director in fulfilling the administrative missions of the department.

Learn more about this agency

Duties

Help

Duties of the Program Specialist include, but are not limited to:

• Processes all clinical proficiencies for a variety of disciplines at Central Arkansas Veterans Health System (CAVHS)
• Generates reports for Whole Health and Wellness department and others as required
• Coordinates and analyzes internal review activities of the department to ensure that both clinical and administrative functions are in compliance with VISN and Central Office directives and standards
• Serves as a liaison between Whole Health and Wellness and all services across CAVHS with an emphasis in Primary Care (CBOCs), Mental Health, and Specialty Care teams to ensure the expansion of Whole Health and Wellness to all aspects of Veteran care
• Coordinates studies and special projectsto implement health care delivery programs and improve the efficiency of health care operations throughout the Whole Health and Wellness Product Line
• Assists in preparing internal instructions, operating policies, protocols, and other Whole Health and Wellness Product Line procedural guidelines
• Knowledge of financial management principles to formulate budget estimates of programs and activities and write appropriate justifications
• Assists with the Human Resource management for Whole Health and Wellness, performing the full range of human resources requirements, including recruitment, compensation, promotions, awards, benefits, position classification, performance management, leave administration, training, disciplinary actions, and labor relations
• Maintains and updates the departments organizational chart and personnel distribution list
• Assists in the preparation of yearly performance award documents including superior award documents and physician performance pay
• Will be primary purchase card holder for all Whole Health and Wellness departments Fund Control Points as well as assisting with Patient Care Services purchasing when needed
• Assist in the preparation of budgeting and financial management for the department

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, 7:30am-4:00pm (Subject to change based on the needs of the service)

Telework: Not Available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Program Specialist/PD047710 and PD047700

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

Help

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 is mostly sedentary, although there is some walking, bending, and lifting. It is sometimes necessary to work at the computer for extended periods of time. The position requires the ability to concentrate with frequent interruptions. 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 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.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 11/23/2026.

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-7 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-5. For a GS-9 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-7. 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:

Program Specialist, GS-7

Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-5 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to:

• Experience is Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and CPRS
• Skilled in documenting meeting minutes and communicating effectively both verbally and in writing to a variety of audiences.
• Experience organizing events and managing calendars for integrative teams;

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 or superior academic achievement. (transcripts required)

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 a bachelor's degree that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. NOTE: If using education combined with specialized experience to qualify, a copy of your transcript is required.

OR,

Superior Academic Achievement S.A.A. (S.A.A. is based on (1) class standing, (2) grade-point average, or (3) honor society membership. The full provision for Superior Academic Achievement (S.A.A.) is described in the OPM General Schedule Operating Manual.

1. Class standingApplicants 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.
2. 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.
3. Election to membership in a national scholastic honor societyApplicants can be considered eligible based on membership in one of the national scholastic honor societies listed below. These honor societies are listed in the Association of College Honor Societies: Booklet of Information (1992-95) and/or Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities (1991). Agencies considering eligibility based on any society not included in the following list must ensure that the honor society meets the minimum requirements of the Association of College Honor Societies. Membership in a freshman honor society cannot be used to meet the requirements of this provision. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED)

Program Specialist, 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:

• Experience is Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and CPRS
• Skilled in documenting meeting minutes and communicating effectively both verbally and in writing to a variety of audiences.
• Experience organizing events and managing calendars for integrative teams.
• Experience in healthcare administration.
• Experience with fiscal and contract policies and procedures.

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 degree or 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B or J/D, if related. (transcripts required)

OR,

Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and graduate level education in excess of the first year or an excess of 18 credit hours. (transcripts required)

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:

• Attention to Detail
• Customer Service
• Decision Making
• Flexibility
• Integrity/Honesty
• Interpersonal Skills
• Learning
• Reading Comprehension
• Reasoning
• Self-Management
• Stress Tolerance
• Teamwork

Physical Requirements: The work is mostly sedentary, although there is some walking, bending, and lifting. It is sometimes necessary to work at the computer for extended periods of time. The position requires the ability to concentrate with frequent interruptions.

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.

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provides 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 CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.



Help

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.