Program Support Assistant - Outpatient Lodging

Veterans Health Administration • Minneapolis, MN

1d • Onsite

About The Position

The Program Support Assistant supports the Center for Development and Civic Engagement (CDCE) at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System by providing guest-facing lodging services and administrative support for safe, organized, treatment-aligned temporary housing for Veterans and eligible family members. The role provides operational, scheduling, hospitality, and documentation support and coordinates with clinical and administrative staff to align lodging resources with outpatient care needs.

The position works Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Telework may be authorized on an occasional, episodic, or short-term basis, subject to eligibility, required training, and a telework agreement. This is not a virtual position. The position is in an office and lodging environment, with routine noise, frequent interruptions, and interactions with guests experiencing stress related to health concerns or travel. The employee must follow health-care safety, infection-control, privacy, security, and records-retention practices.

The work is primarily sedentary and includes regular walking through lodging areas, occasional bending or reaching to tidy common spaces, restock supplies, or inspect rooms, and lifting or carrying light items. No special physical effort is required. A separate physical-requirements statement says the work has no inherent physical requirements that could not be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment.

The position requires one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least GS-5, including experience with records databases, schedule coordination such as bed availability or reservations, administrative duties, customer service, and submitting and tracking facility requests. There is no educational substitution at this grade level. Applicants must be U.S. citizens and complete the required application steps and online assessment. Additional conditions include a background/security investigation, onboarding requirements, seasonal influenza vaccination, and a one-year probationary period. Relocation and recruitment incentives and permanent change of station are not authorized; a Critical Skills Incentive is not approved.

Requirements

• At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least GS-5 in the Federal Service, including experience maintaining a records database; coordinating schedules such as bed availability or reservations; performing administrative duties; providing customer service; and submitting facility requests and tracking them through completion.
• U.S. citizenship.
• Completion of all required application steps and an online assessment.
• Selective Service registration is required for males born after December 31, 1959.
• Subject to background and security investigation.
• Must complete the online onboarding process and provide acceptable identification for employment requirements.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is required for Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel.
• Must serve a one-year probationary period.
• No educational substitution is available at this grade level.

Responsibilities

• Greet and orient Veterans and guests to lodging rules, safety expectations, checkout procedures, amenities, and required acknowledgements; prepare and issue lodging packets and room keys.
• Check regularly on guest comfort, address routine amenity or policy questions, and escalate issues outside the program's scope.
• Verify lodging eligibility using established outpatient and treatment-related criteria and assign lodging according to those requirements.
• Maintain current listings of approved community lodging resources by verifying rates, availability, and points of contact.
• Maintain lodging schedules by entering updates, verifying room availability, reconciling occupancy discrepancies, and completing daily check-in and check-out processes.
• Coordinate with inpatient wards and clinical services to confirm appointment details, verify lodging eligibility, and align lodging availability with outpatient treatment schedules.
• Coordinate lodging for Veterans traveling from other VA facilities by confirming room availability, documenting lodging details, and communicating requirements directly to Veterans, while limiting coordination to lodging functions.
• Maintain lodging databases by entering occupancy data, updating census counts, correcting inaccuracies, running queries, and reconciling information for accurate, audit-ready records.
• Manage lost and found items by logging and securing property, attempting to contact owners, tracking retention periods, and disposing of unclaimed items according to VA policy.
• Prepare correspondence, notices, and informational materials, and maintain lodging documentation in accordance with privacy, security, and records-retention requirements.
• Submit facility work requests with location, urgency, and issue details, and track requests through completion.
• Observe applicable safety, infection-control, and privacy practices in the health-care setting.

Benefits

• Federal employees and their families have access to a comprehensive benefits package; specific benefits eligibility depends on position type and the hiring agency can provide details.
• VA may approve credit for job-related non-federal experience or active-duty uniformed military service when determining annual leave accrual rate; approval is not guaranteed and must be requested before appointment.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed