Program Specialist

Job Description

This is a TERM appointment (not-to-exceed 1 year and 1 day). Term appointments are non-status, nonpermanent appointments of limited duration. Term employees are eligible to earn leave and generally have the same benefits as permanent employees including health and life insurance, within-grade increases and Federal Employees Retirement System and Thrift Savings Plan coverage. Term appointments may be extended without further competition.

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provides specialized technical input and administrative direction on the development and implementation of comprehensive plans and strategies for the internal and external integration of day-to-day and long-range projects, actions and activities.
• Coordinates the creation and submission of BHQ annual reports and strategic plans, with input from leadership and senior investigators. Writes summaries and narratives; sets goals and develops timelines; and ensures accuracy and efficiency.
• Serves as the point of contact for on-going information exchange and tracking for project operations across sites and projects. Assists in the organization, evaluation, and maintenance of project research and education materials, correspondence, references, and mailing/communication systems.
• Identifies programs weakness and/or flaws and develops new local standard operating procedures to enhance results and remedy deficiencies, submitting the new ideas to the supervisor for approval and implementation.
• Develops procedures and systems for establishing, operating, and assessing the effectiveness of administrative control systems and operating programs.
• Coordinates proposals, both prior to submission of formal applications and during post-award grant administration. Reviews and analyzes all new grant Request for applications (RFA) material and the SF-424 VA-ORD Application Guide to identify any changes or updates to the instructions for each grant submission cycle.
• Works with investigators to compile necessary documents; inspects each grant submission package for completeness and to ensure accurate formatting; and identifies and corrects any problems or issues in the proposal prior to submission.
• Generates and monitors tracking systems to ensure progress on identified projects and grant proposals, timeliness of required responses, and the status of any unresolved actions.
• Acts as the liaison concerning travel-related matters for multi-site projects. This includes travel budget formulation, justification, and execution; financial management; and financial reporting for project travel.
• Maintains administrative systems and prepares research paperwork.
• Analyzes and evaluates, on a quantitative or qualitative basis, the effectiveness of programs or operations in meeting established goals and objectives and analyze program performance data to identify issues and make recommendations for improvement.
• Conducts formative evaluations to identify and render administrative recommendations and/or decisions to implement efficient service management resources and products.
• Gathers and synthesizes information including briefing materials and other documents for presentation, policy analysis, and meetings with stakeholders and high-level officials for internal and external discussions and decision making.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.