Program Specialist.

About the role

The incumbent serves as a HR Liaison for the regional office. The incumbent is assigned to the Office of the Director and reports to the Assistant Director. The incumbent serves as a Program Specialist responsible for providing performance management and technical support for the regional office HR program. The incumbent is the key advisor to the Director and the Division Chiefs on all human resources issues and coordinates directly with the HR Center.

Responsibilities

• Aid and advice on hiring and classification actions during weekly meeting staff meetings.
• Track any lag time with recruitment or classification actions and provide solutions to management on how to improve processing times for recruitment actions.
• Implement recommendations for changes in established process and procedures which help workflow of applicable sections.
• Review data reviews and analyze data results, identifying any data trends and make recommendations for updating or creating new processes and procedures to help increase workflow.
• Provide technical advice and assistance and disseminate human resource information to the organization.
• Assist in the development of initiatives to improve management processes and systems using the most efficient utilization of human resources.
• Study and advise managers and supervisors on staffing requirements, resources, and problems in assigned offices involving a high degree of complexity.
• Prepare and present reports and briefings on assignment status and/or recommended actions to appropriate individuals.
• Visit activities throughout the office to assist staff, supervisors and management officials as requested or as determined necessary by superiors.
• Assist in the duties for Employee Engagement and Recognition Programs and Performance Management.
• Provide guidance and advice on assigned programs to improve employee satisfaction, provide meaningful employee recognition, and assist supervisors with Performance Management assistance.
• Assist with the initial classification of individual positions for submission to the CCU.
• Manage and maintain full visibility over all RPAs from cradle to grave and provide advice/assistance in all stages of the recruitment process.
• Provide advice and assistance in areas of discipline, adverse actions, grievances, performance management and recognition, employee counseling, and related functions.
• Gather background information and select the appropriate penalty to ensure consistent and progressive discipline throughout the organization.
• Coordinate with legal officials as appropriate.
• Provide advice and assistance to managers and supervisors who are responsible for compliance with EEO, affirmative action, and other special emphasis programs.
• Keep employees informed regarding policies and latest regulations on health and life insurance benefits, retirement, and other benefits, training, time and attendance, pay, leave, overtime, awards, employment opportunities, and other personnel actions.

Qualifications

• To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement: 07/13/2026.
• 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.
• For a GS-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07 level.
• For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09 level.
• For a GS-12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-11 level.
• If you are a current VBA employee requesting a reassignment or change to lower grade via this vacancy announcement, you must currently hold the GS- 09 (or higher) and the promotion potential of your current position must be at least GS-12.
• 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.
• MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS: You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:
• GS-09 Grade Level: Specialized experience - Applicants must have one year of specialized experience at least the next lower grade level (GS-7) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience is defined as experience performing employee and management advisory services for specific requests requiring research of human resources policies and practices relating to staffing, employee relations, or benefits. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to:
• Guide employees in resolving primarily common work-related or personal problems;
• Provide leaders and employees with information and interpretations of the organization's policies, procedures, and guidelines;
• Provide advice regarding appropriate levels of personnel actions.
• OR
• Education Substitution: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. Master's or equivalent degree or 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or LLB or J.D., if related.
• OR
• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at the GS-09 level. Equivalent combinations of (1) specialized experience and (2) Master's education. To compute, divide your total months of qualifying experience by 12. Then divide your semester hours of graduate education beyond one year by 18. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100% to qualify.
• GS-11 Grade Level: Specialized experience - Applicants must have one year of specialized experience at least the next lower grade level (GS-09) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience is defined as experience applying and providing guidance on multiple fields of Human Resources rules, regulations, and procedures including Personnel Management, Recruitment and Staffing, Classification, Employee Benefits (OWCP, retirements, and insurance programs), and/or Labor Relations. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to:
• Provide advisory services to leaders and employees on a range of human resources concepts, laws, and policies;
• Assist leadership in solving a range of complex problems and issues;
• Participate in policy development groups or projects based on broad organizational requirements.
• OR
• Education Substitution: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., if related to the competencies.
• OR
• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at the GS-11 level. Equivalent combinations of (1) specialized experience and (2) PH.D graduate education. To compute, divide your total months of qualifying experience by 12. Then divide your semester hours of graduate education beyond one year by 18. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100% to qualify.