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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 Telework: Is NOT authorized Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Program Specialist- Veteran Outreach/PD11140A 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: : 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. A pre-employment physical evaluation may be 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 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) 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, 11/04/2025. 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: 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: knowledge of administrative concepts, principles, analytical and evaluative techniques, and practices to perform independent duties involving identification, research, and elimination of issues and problems. a sound working knowledge of word processing, electronic spreadsheets, data base computer applications, prepares and maintains client records/administrative records and reports by documenting events and contacts; Demonstrates the ability to be innovative and creative within program parameters to produce and maintain a variety of required reports and documents; a comprehensive understanding of VHA medical benefits and a sound knowledge of the organization, structure; Skill in organizing and communicating ideas and thoughts effectively through written correspondence and oral presentation. 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 Attention to Detail Customer Service Decision Making Flexibility Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Interpersonal Skills Learning Organizational Stewardship Reading Comprehension Reasoning Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork 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 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. 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. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. 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. 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 http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/ Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.