Program Applications Specialist

This Program Applications Specialist position is with Veterans Health Administration (Department of Veterans Affairs) in Tucson, AZ. The position is in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Health Administration (VHA), at the Southern Arizona VA Health Care System in Tucson, Arizona (SAVAHCS) in the Office of the Deputy Associate Director of Patient Care Services (DADPCS). The DADPCS provides nurse staffing, education, recognition/awards, transition to practice, and academic affiliation support to all facility services. The incumbent reports to the Chief DADPCS. Key duties: • Duties include but not limited to: The incumbent serves as the Program Application Specialist (PAS) that coordinates software implementation and data retrieving processes. The primary functions of this position will be to ensure a data retrieving process is in place to support the implementation of new and updated information technology systems. This position will ensure DADPCS has the support and services required to have an overall understanding of the integration of software applications, user interaction, and the data to support those functions. In order to ensure the success of this integration, an extensive knowledge of Veterans Integrated Systems Technology Architecture (VistA) packages that support the DADPCS processes is needed. The incumbent of this position provides analytical, planning, and oversight for a variety of software programs integral to the overall administration and operations of the service. The incumbent plays a significant role in DADPCS process re-engineering of administrative programs to integrate with existing and new software applications to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the current service programs. The incumbent conducts business process modeling, projects and studies that will impact on the overall functions of the services in such areas as, policy development and implementation, work methodology, processes, streamlining, program/service goals and objectives, staffing plans, etc. The incumbent is responsible for the planning, implementation, training and coordination for service and facility staff in DADPCS and functional areas for various information technology packages: VISTA packages, e.g. Bar Code Medication Administration (BCMA), Discharge Data summary; Picis, surgical and critical care applications; Bed Management Solution portal; VetLink point of care kiosks; AMTIS business planning tool; Staffing Methodology calculators; and a multitude of other software modules. The incumbent serves as the functional "expert" for all matters relating to the AcuStaf Nursing Scheduling portal. Additionally, the incumbent provides training on other data analytic web portals, such as the VHA Support Service Center (VSSC), Nursing Unit Mapping Application (NUMA), and Labor Mapping. The incumbent provides assistance, training, and troubleshooting for clinical and administrative staff in the data processes and associated supporting software. Provides training for individual users on daily operational tasks and trains new users. Trains service employees and facility employees in the use of DADPCS programs, to ensure that data is entered correctly and optimizes clinic utilization. Training consists of development and presentation of both formal lectures and on-the-job sessions to those employees who will be entering, changing and extracting data. Trains users in resolving minor processing and equipment problems. The incumbent is the point of contact for OI&T for information technology planning initiative for hardware and software needs for the service. The incumbent is responsible for the development, preparation and implementation of the business contingency plans for system failure specifically addressing manual system backup plans addressing how day to day business will be conducted for long and short-term outages. Collects physical and data security needs for the service areas. The incumbent collaborates with the responsible office(s) for medical center workload to assure the accuracy of the data in VISTA. Incumbent is the business point of contact for all business implementation phrases of new software or devices. The incumbent is the problem solver with the special ability to integrate overall knowledge of the service system with VISTA applications and to be innovative in the process. Assists other services in the medical center to achieve workload studies. Provides testing of new options and software versions prior to implementation to gain familiarity with the new product features and confirm that software is working according to specifications. Provides staff support to OI&T by providing information and analysis of software functions within the service. Is responsible for designing and developing data management analyses, special studies, and reports for use by top management for budget preparation, workload projections, and quality assurance and utilization reviews. The incumbent requires an expert knowledge in business metadata that allows the ability to provide information related to continued business operations and external requests such as The Joint Commission (TJC), System-wide Ongoing Assessment and Review Strategy (SOARS), and other internal audits. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 4:30 pm Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Program Applications Specialist/PD11764A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Qualifications: To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 08/17/2026. 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 by 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 the most recent 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 SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: 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: Planning, implementation, and coordination of various information technology packages, re-engineering of programs to integrate with existing and new software applications, providing assistance, training, and troubleshooting for clinical and administrative staff in the data processes and supporting software; and development, preparation and implementation of the business contingency plans for system failure including manual system backup plans. 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 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree, or an LL.B. or J.D. in a related field that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with application. Education cannot be credited without documentation. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education (in excess of the first year or 18 semester hours) and specialized experience to meet total experience requirements. (NOTE: If using education combined with specialized experience to qualify, a copy of your transcript is required.) . For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/. View the full announcement and apply on USAJOBS.gov.