Program Specialist - Staff Assistant

Veterans Health Administration • Washington, DC

24d • Onsite

About The Position

This position is located in the Office of the Chief of Staff at the Washington DC VA Medical Center. The Program Specialist (Staff Assistant) provides comprehensive, independent administrative and management support to the Chief of Staff and all three Deputy Chiefs of Staff as a unified executive suite. Two staff assistants serve in the Office of the Chief of Staff.

The role manages executive correspondence, controlled correspondence, congressional inquiries, and taskings; coordinates and edits products for executive review; tracks COS/DCOS-led projects; and supports front-office operations. It also serves as an administrative liaison between executives and service-level staff, synthesizes program and administrative data for executive decision support, provides travel and stakeholder support, and coordinates executive calendars and meetings. The position is onsite, with a Monday–Friday schedule from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The position is a GS-11 role. Applicants generally need one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-09, or qualifying graduate education, or a combination of education and experience. A transcript is required when education is used to qualify. Preferred experience includes reviewing and refining staff-prepared products for executive readiness and independently coordinating service-level leadership on an executive’s behalf; experience in VA or another large federal healthcare system is desirable.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship is required.
• Complete the application, questionnaire, and required online assessment.
• Males born after December 31, 1959, must meet Selective Service registration requirements.
• Current Federal employees and other applicants to whom it applies must meet the GS-11 time-in-grade requirement of 52 weeks at GS-09 by the announcement closing date.
• Qualify through one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least GS-09, or qualifying education, or a combination of education and experience.
• Specialized experience must include relevant executive-level administrative support, independent management of competing scheduling and correspondence demands across multiple senior executives, and sound judgment with sensitive or high-visibility matters.
• Qualifying education is a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, three full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, or a related LL.M.; transcripts are required when using education.
• For the education-and-experience combination, graduate education in excess of two years and specialized experience directly related to the position are required; transcripts are required.
• Submit a transcript if relying on education to meet any qualification requirement.
• Selected applicants must complete onboarding and a background/security investigation.
• Participation in the VA seasonal influenza vaccination program is a condition of employment; an approved medical exemption requires wearing a face mask.
• Serve a one-year probationary period or two-year trial period, as applicable.

Nice To Haves

• Experience reviewing and refining staff-prepared products for executive-level readiness.
• Experience independently coordinating service-level leadership on an executive’s behalf.
• Prior experience within VA or another large federal healthcare system.

Responsibilities

• Manage correspondence, controlled correspondence, congressional inquiries, executive taskings, routing, deadlines, and follow-up for the Chief of Staff and Deputy Chiefs of Staff.
• Prepare, coordinate, and edit correspondence and administrative products for executive review and signature, ensuring appropriate policy, formatting, tone, coordination, and clearances.
• Plan and independently manage COS/DCOS-led projects and initiatives, including scope, deliverables, schedules, action tracking, status reporting, dependencies, resource needs, and risks.
• Perform front-office administrative and management functions, including records and document control, forms, workflow tracking, and recurring executive-suite administrative requirements.
• Review staff actions, memoranda, reports, studies, fact sheets, and information papers for completeness, coordination, consistency, logic, accuracy, and compliance before executive review or signature.
• Represent the COS or assigned DCOS in routine administrative and logistical dealings with Clinical Service Chiefs, Administrative Officers, and other facility staff.
• Communicate executives’ administrative instructions and follow-up requirements, and gather information, updates, and materials for meetings, decisions, or VISNNACO reporting.
• Retrieve, compile, and synthesize administrative and program data into concise, decision-ready summaries for executive situational awareness and meeting preparation.
• Arrange executive travel and reimbursement documentation, coordinate visitors and VIPs, and provide other executive-office support.
• Manage and coordinate executive calendars and meetings for the COS and assigned DCOS officials, with coverage extending across four C-Suite principals as needed.

Benefits

• Federal employee benefits package; specific benefits depend on position eligibility and employment status.
• VA may grant credit for qualifying non-federal job-related experience or active-duty uniformed military service when determining annual leave accrual, subject to advance request and approval.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree