Program Specialist

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.

Duties

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 projects to 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

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. 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 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