Supervisory Program Specialist - Chief Consumer Relations Service

Chief Consumer Relations Service

The incumbent will serve as the Chief, Consumer Relations Service for the VA Maryland Health Care System and will be organizationally located within the Office of the Associate Director for Operations. The incumbent is responsible for overall Patient Advocacy, Patient Satisfaction, and Customer Service programming and supervision of the leadership staff of the Patient Advocacy, Patient Satisfaction, and Customer Service Programs and their subordinates assigned to the Consumer Relations Service.

Responsibilities may include:

• Incumbent performs administrative work, which includes management and overall scheduling of conference calls and committee meetings for Patient Advocacy, Patient Satisfaction, and Customer Service activities.
• As an expert on short/long-range planning, recommends and participates in developing strategies for implementing planning for the Patient Advocacy, Patient Satisfaction, and Customer Service Programs on VISN and VAMHCS levels and participates in the development and documentation of long- and short-range planning efforts.
• Coordinates the preparation of and is a chief contributor to reports and other presentations on program planning and evaluation.
• The incumbent oversees the daily operation of the units, ensures agency policies and priorities are being followed; develops performance standards; and evaluates work performance of subordinates.
• The incumbent gives advice, counsel, and instruction to employees on both work and administrative matters.
• The incumbent establishes performance standards and evaluates the performance of subordinate supervisors, makes determinations on grievances, recommends training, and approves leave of subordinate supervisors.
• The incumbent hears grievances as second level supervisor, reviews recommendations for hiring, promotion, and adverse actions made by subordinate supervisors, and supports and implements established Equal Employment Opportunity policies and programs.
• Also, protects the data from unauthorized release or from loss, alteration, or unauthorized deletion.
• Follows applicable regulations and instructions regarding access to computerized files, release of access codes, etc., as set out in the computer access agreement the employee signs.
• The incumbent interviews candidates for positions in the unit; recommends appointments, promotions, and reassignments to unit positions; identifies and provides for training needs; and finds ways to improve production or increase the quality of work within the area of authority.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8am-4:30pm

Telework: This position is not authorized for telework. Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Supervisory Program Specialist- Chief Consumer Relations Service/PD18010O

Requirements Conditions of Employment:

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
• Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements.
• Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications:

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 01/13/2026. 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-13 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-12. 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-12 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to:

• Advanced knowledge of the principles, practices, techniques and methods of Patient Advocacy, Patient Satisfaction, and Customer Service Program services and concepts with the skill to apply this knowledge to the development of a comprehensive and effective consumer relations program.
• Skill in applying principles, practices, techniques and methods of oral and written communication; analytical methods; and interpersonal relations practices.
• Formulating ways to enhance the program's effectiveness in an increasingly competitive environment with dwindling financial and human resources.

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:

• Communication
• Decision Making
• Leadership
• Managing Human Resources

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 work requires considerable walking; and lifting and transporting relatively light pieces of equipment, brochures, materials and supplies.

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/.

Additional Information:

"Whole Health is an approach to health care that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their life to the fullest. The VA is committed to Whole Health and values Veteran and Employee health and wellbeing. As a VA employee, you will practice Whole Health in an environment that supports personalized and proactive care."

Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

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.