Summary This position is located at the NCA Scheduling Office in Saint Louis, Missouri.. Responsibilities This is a bargaining unit position. This position is represented by AFGE. Please note that as provided for in the AFGE/VA Master Agreement the FIRST area of consideration for this position will be permanent employees of the local facility in which this position is being filled, the SECOND area of consideration will be employees at other VA facilities, and the THIRD area of consideration will be all other eligibles. Assigned responsibility for trouble and high priority cases requiring higher level of sensitivity and knowledge of specific requirements as it pertains to eligibility for burial and scheduling of interments. Has the responsibility and provides front line support to 53 PS within the scheduling division and acts as the Subject Matter Expert (SME) for all issues concerning call handling procedures, burial eligibility, scheduling activities, and customer service. Provides real-time training to new and existing employees and serves as a mentor to and performs quality case reviews for developmental purposes for Program Specialists who have not yet attained full performance level, including research methodology employed, the accurate recording of all relevant data, the interpretation of rules, guidelines, regulations and laws. Sets priorities to accomplish their work in a timely manner and often sets priorities for other employees as established by the supervisor. Serves as a mentor to new employees and provides support and feedback, Responsible for performing in-depth case reviews on all new employee cases during the first 90-day probationary period and verifies that each scheduled interment adheres to established policies, procedures and guidelines of the respective national cemetery. Makes necessary corrections and provides detailed feedback to the employee and supervisors. Monitors the performance of new employees, ensuring that they meet minimum standards. Interacts extensively with both internal and external stakeholders, demanding tact, and patience, particularly in situations where individuals are experiencing emotional distress. They skillfully obtain vital information and schedule interment services in strict adherence to established policies and directives. Answer incoming calls during peak call volume periods as needed or as instructed by supervisor. The incumbent is responsible for monitoring call volumes and wait times and determining if additional phone support is needed and the duration support may be required. Work with the supervisors and keep them informed of call volumes or extended wait times. Maintain and update employee timecards within the VA designated timekeeping system. Incumbent ensures accuracy and timeliness of all leave requests and ensures compliance with established policies, regulations, and leadership directives. Incumbent serves as a backup timekeeper for other teams as required, providing support, and ensuring seamless timekeeping operations. Work schedule: The NCSO is staffed six days a week. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 7:00 am to 6:45 pm and Saturday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Central Time. Program Support Assistants are required to work one of the following shifts as assigned by management. Shift will be assigned based on shift bids and staffing requirements. Employees are required to work on some Federal holidays. Workday Schedule Monday - Friday Work Time Schedules 6:45 am to 3:15 pm 10:15 am to 6:45 pm Compressed/Flexible Schedule: Not Available Telework: Available Remote/Virtual: This is not a virtual or remote position. Position Description Title/PD#: Lead Program Specialist/PD1655679 The full performance level of this position is GS - 11. At the level GS-09, you will perform similar duties but under closer supervision. Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level. Relocation Expenses: Not Authorized Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all specialized experience and time in grade requirements within 45 days of the closing date of this announcement, 11/20/2024. 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 within 45 days of the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07. 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 your most recent non-award 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 non-award SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one year time-in-grade. Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education, as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-07 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Advising, training, and working with others. Serving as mentor to new employees. Subject Matter Expert in determining eligibility in a National cemetery based on various military documents. Utilizing word processing, spreadsheets, databases, and software to manage information. Processing incoming and outgoing materials such as e-mails, instant messaging, correspondence, reports, memoranda, and other forms of written communication. Operating a computer to enter changes, extract information, and interpret automated data processing screens using automated systems in response to inquiries from customers. Proficient in VA specific computer systems to include but not limited to, Burial Operations Support System (BOSS), Veterans Information System (VIS), Memorial Benefits Management System (MBMS), Veterans Benefits Management System (VBMS), Finesse, Cisco Unified Intelligence Center (CUIC). Microsoft Office Suite and others. (This experience must be supported by your resume to be creditable). OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a master's or equivalent graduate degree or two full years of progressively higher level graduate level education leading to such a degree or LL.B. or J.D., if related which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED) OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at the GS-09 level. To calculate, first identify the percentage of required education you have earned (when substituting, you cannot use the first year or 18 semester hours of graduate level education). Then identify the percentage of required experience you possess. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify at the GS-09. For example, an applicant who has 1 year of graduate level education (18 semester hours) plus another 9 semester hours of graduate level education (i.e. 50% of graduate education required) and 6 months of creditable specialized experience (i.e. 50% of the required specialized experience) would equal 100% of the required experience for the position. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Analytical Thinking Communication Computer Skills Customer Service Information Management Technical Credibility Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. Physical Requirements: Work is primarily sedentary and requires a moderate amount of walking, standing, bending, stooping, or lifting. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Education A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. PLEASE NOTE: Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications (particularly positions with a positive education requirement). Therefore, applicants must report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website: http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html. All education claimed by applicants will be verified by the appointing agency accordingly. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. Additional Information Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities [i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities], and/or Disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. Contact the Agency Contact for information on how to apply under this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator. The Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified (have a final rating of 85 or more) for this vacancy. Information about CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/. Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act. Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members. For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.