Summary Program Specialist position serves as the Veterans Outreach Specialist for the VA New York Harbor Health Care System (VANYHHS) and responsible for working with Veterans' Service Organizations and other community stakeholders, providing specific information and comprehensive assistance to Veterans, their dependents, and beneficiaries concerning any matter within the scope of VA benefits, representing VA New York Harbor at events, and supporting the Communications & Outreach program. Responsibilities Duties include, but are limited to: Serves as an Outreach Coordinator for the medical center by planning, participating, assisting, or advising on community events, such as Yellow Ribbon events, Veteran Stand Down events, community health events, Veteran focus groups, Town Halls, and other high-impact events that lead to significant enrollment opportunities. Serves as a resource for the Veteran community by participating in events and programs. Travels to engage in outreach programs assisting Veterans, their dependents, and their beneficiaries regarding all benefits available through the Department of Veterans Affairs, as well as non-VA benefits available through other agencies. Works closely with Primary Care Medical Management (PCMM) to facilitate a connection between VANYHHS and previously enrolled Veterans that are no longer receiving care to reengage in health care and other qualified benefits. Establishes criteria for the development, implementation, and evaluation of agency outreach programs and develops new methods and techniques in communicating with the agency's various military-affiliated publics including eligible caregivers and dependents. Functions as a liaison between Veteran's Service Organizations, community groups, and others whose interest is in assisting and protecting Veterans, their families, and their representatives. Develops and distributes outreach materials including brochures, fact sheets, web content, photo/video content, and other targeted information. Provides training and information to VA staff, other federal agencies, and community agencies regarding the VANYHHS services and the goal of the outreach programs; Assists veterans, clients, and their families in understanding their rights in addition to their responsibilities. Responsible for the implementation of applicable directives and national initiatives relating to enrollment/eligibility processes. Prepares and maintains administrative records and reports in accordance with program guidelines and policies; implements legal and ethical standards of conduct, privacy, and confidentiality. Establish criteria for the development, implementation, and evaluation of agency outreach programs and develops new methods and techniques in communicating with the agency's various military-affiliated publics including eligible caregivers and dependents. Assignments include planning, implementing and evaluating the facility Outreach program. Gathers and reports public reaction to outreach information programs by using survey methods, Department databases, and evaluative techniques contained in software applications. Evaluates the effectiveness of plans implemented in the Outreach Program in support of organizational initiatives by performing analysis of outreach events, demographic data contained in VA databases, and through questionnaires. Required to refine and develop specific guidelines and methods for the measurement of the Outreach program and Public Affairs program as necessary based upon findings. The common methods of measurement to track performance are VA databases, survey instruments such as questionnaires, and analytical techniques contained in software applications such as excel. Analyze demographic data, population size, geographic and other relevant data contained in VA data bases, monitoring at outreach events, and past precedent in order to develop outreach campaign guidelines. reviews intradepartmental outreach activity found in Outreach Program guidelines to monitor progress with facility-level program outreach goals and offer assistance in problem areas. Establish the criteria that will determine a successful event such as the number of 50 attendees, number of enrollees, etc.; Implement the plan and be present for the event. Performs other related duties as assigned or needed to continually develop and grow a robust Outreach program Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Program Specialist/PD11140A Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 You may be required to serve a probationary period Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 01/31/2025. 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-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: 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, but are not limited to: performing analytical, evaluative, and advisory work to assist with tasks associated with coordinating community and outreach events/initiatives; managing and coordinating administrative services essential to the effective operation of a program; providing high level administrative support; preparing a variety of reports, forms, and correspondence; ensuring adequate resources are available such as staffing, budgeting, equipment, materials, etc.; utilizing various database and other software applications for tracking purposes and accomplishing administrative duties. NOTE: Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must clearly indicate the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have: Successful completion of a master's degree or two (2) full years of graduate level education leading to such a degree in a related field of study that demonstrates your ability to perform the duties of this position. (Transcript Required) OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and successfully completed graduate-level education (beyond the first year).The education portion must have provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position (as described above). (Transcript Required) You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Administration and Management Analytical Thinking Customer Service Interpersonal Skills Organizational Stewardship Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. 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 Requirements: Assignments regularly involve extended periods of walking, standing, bending, and stooping to execute logistics for outreach events. Incumbent is also required to pick up loads of 15 pounds such as boxes of promotional outreach materials and other literature and to push carts of supplies. 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/. 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: 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/. Additional Information Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. 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.