Program Specialist

Veterans Health Administration•Salt Lake City, UT

4d•Onsite

About The Position

The Program Specialist works in the Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, at the VA Medical Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, within the Specialty Care Service. The position serves as a service-level liaison and advisor on equipment and product acquisition and equipment/instrumentation service contracts, including specialized services. The incumbent monitors equipment nearing end of life and recommends replacement, obtains vendor quotes, and enters and tracks equipment requests through the Electronic Equipment Request (EER) portal. The role ensures acquisitions are delivered and ready for use, maintains equipment information in the Strategic Equipment Planning Guide (SEPG), and works with Logistics to advance approved requests to Contracting. The Specialist researches and prepares acquisition documentation, including salient characteristics, market research, sole-source requirements and justifications, item descriptions, reusable medical equipment cleaning instructions, instructions for use, and technical specifications. The position tracks procurement data, updates and advises leadership, and provides actionable recommendations on contracting and equipment procurement as the Specialty Care Service’s procurement technical authority. It independently develops contract documents and analyses, establishes controls to ensure contracts are performed according to their terms, reports deviations, and maintains records of contractor information and key due dates. It recommends contract termination or exercise of option years based on performance, funding, and continuing service needs. The incumbent verifies interim contract payments and may certify payments for services rendered. The work schedule is Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Telework may be authorized; eligibility is discussed during the interview. The position is not virtual. Relocation and recruitment incentives are not authorized. The selectee may be promoted to the full-performance level without further competition when regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met; selection at a lower grade does not guarantee promotion.

Requirements

U.S. citizenship.
Meet applicable time-in-grade requirements for GS-9 or GS-11, if applicable.
For GS-9, one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-7, or qualifying graduate education, superior academic achievement, or a combination of education and experience.
For GS-11, one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-9, or qualifying doctoral-level graduate education, or a combination of education and experience.
Experience and knowledge appropriate to the grade level in healthcare supply and support services, equipment needs, procurement, and contract liaison work.
Knowledge of and skill with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, and Adobe PDF; ability to prepare reports, documentation, spreadsheets, graphs, and presentations.
Written and oral communication skills sufficient to explain the service's position to senior leadership and address equipment and supply impacts on patient care.
Submit unofficial transcripts if education is used to meet qualification requirements.
Complete the application and questionnaire, required online assessment, background/security investigation, and online onboarding process.
Register with Selective Service if required.
Participate in the VA seasonal influenza vaccination program.
Serve a one-year probationary period or two-year trial period, as applicable.

Nice To Haves

COR experience.
Experience with contracting and purchasing or tracking equipment.
For GS-11, knowledge of VistA, the EER portal, SEPG, and a coding website for accessing current medical coding information.

Responsibilities

Monitor equipment nearing end of life and recommend replacement.
Contact vendors to obtain quotes for requested items.
Enter equipment requests in the Electronic Equipment Request (EER) portal, track acquisition progress, and ensure delivery and timely readiness for the Specialty Care Service.
Research and prepare acquisition documentation, including salient characteristics, market research, sole-source requirements, item descriptions, justifications, reusable medical equipment cleaning instructions, instructions for use, and technical specifications.
Monitor and enter new equipment into the Strategic Equipment Planning Guide (SEPG) to enable EER submissions.
Work with Logistics to clarify information and advance approved instrumentation, scope, accessory, supply, and equipment requests to Contracting.
Track procurement data, provide updates, and advise leadership with actionable recommendations on contracting and equipment procurement.
Develop performance work statements, cost-benefit analyses, gap analyses, sole-source justifications, quality assurance surveillance plans, market research, and other contract documents.
Establish and maintain controls to ensure contracts are executed according to their terms.
Report deviations from contract terms and maintain records of contractor information and key contractual due dates.
Recommend contract termination or exercise of option years based on contract performance, funding availability, and continued service needs.
Verify the accuracy of interim contract payments and may certify payments for services rendered.