Program Specialist

Program Specialist

Department: Department of Veterans Affairs

Location(s): Madison, Tennessee

Salary Range: $52551 - $68317 Per Year

Job Summary: This position is located at the Nashville National Cemetery in Madison, Tennessee..

Major Duties:

• Primary designated COR for the Grounds Maintenance, Headstone, Interment, and Janitorial Contracts of the Nashville National Cemetery and any additional contracts that are directly related to them. Works closely with the Contracting Officer, Cemetery Director, Financial Administrator and other cemetery team members to acquire the goods and services needed for the mission and goals of the National Cemetery Administration (NCA), Office of Field Programs and South East District Office. Administers contracts, procurements and acquisition segments to include review of statements of work, deliverable timetables and invoice payments. Conducts Quality Assurance checks daily on Grounds Maintenance work completed by contractors and other cemetery contracts. Required to be on-site to conduct Quality Assurance checks and verify proper placement of all interments and any headstones set. Acts as the Cemetery Administration Specialist for committal services when needed to include building BOSS cases, family packets and all Burial Accuracy procedures in the CNC SOP-1 Accountability of Remains. Completes all documentation required for Quality Assurance checks, processes all verification and compliance procedures. Incumbent assists Director/ AO/ Budget Analyst in fiscal tasks for Nashville National Cemetery which includes: budget formulation; utilizing past records; current estimates; and assists with daily input an electronic i.e. blotter record/Resource Management Tool/MADSS Reports/Contract Tracking Spreadsheet and associated excel spreadsheets. Assist in tracking and maintaining fiscal accounting records for all expenditures to assure fiscal integrity. Assists with contract development, communicates with contractors and central contracting, coordinates and monitors procurement activities in the lfams program. Performs public outreach as needed. Work schedule: Required to work Monday through Friday, 7:30 am to 4:00 pm. May include occasional weekends. Due to the mission of the National Cemetery, the cemetery cannot be closed for more than 2 consecutive days at any given time. Additionally, when a Federal holiday falls on a Monday or Friday, staff may be required to work on that holiday or a Saturday. All staff is required to work Memorial Day and Veteran's Day each year. Staff will be required to work overtime, weekends and holidays when necessary to meet the needs of the cemetery. Occasionally staff may be called back to the facility to perform emergency overtime work. Compressed/Flexible Schedule: Not Available Telework: Not Available Remote/Virtual: This is not a virtual or remote position. Position Description Title/PD#: Program Specialist/PD1636654 The full performance level of this position is GS - 09. At the level GS-07, 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 If interested in applying for this position you ay preview the online application: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12903499

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, 03/27/2026. 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-07 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05. 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. Must have the ability to type at least 40 words per minute. Must possess and maintain a valid state driver's license. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education, as described below: Preferred Experience: Program management, contract oversight and compliance (COR Level I or II), cemetery internment operations(BOSS), Finance (IFAMS) Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-05 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: administrative responsibilities including budget, correspondence, and work direction of lower grade employees; analyzes current and proposed program and budget operating programs to evaluate their actual or potential effectiveness in establishing and achieving goals and objectives; compiles and analyzes data, identifies trends, prepares reports, and recommends solutions for resolving problems and to ensure compliance with operational standards and measures. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a bachelor's degree or equivalent degree or 4 years of above high school education leading to such a degree. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work such as, a field of study in accounting, finance, financial management, business administration/management, etc. 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 this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education as described above. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED) You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Budget Administration Communication Computer Skills Planning and Evaluating Problem Solving Critical Thinking 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: The physical demand requires moderate amounts of walking, standing, bending, or stooping. In the absence of sufficient cemetery representative coverage, incumbent may be subjected to inclement weather in accomplishing their task. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

How to Apply: All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 03/27/2026 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12903499. 1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USA JOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire. 2. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package. NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date. To verify your application is complete, log into your USA JOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Application page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. To return to an incomplete application, log into your USA JOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USA JOBS account or your application will be incomplete.

Application Deadline: 2026-03-27