Health System Specialist

This position will serve as a national-level project manager in the Program Evaluation and Resource Center (PERC). You will lead the rollout of new VHA mental health, substance use disorder, and suicide prevention programs, initiatives, and Congressional mandates. PERC is based at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System. It supports the Office of Mental Health and the Office of Suicide Prevention and evaluates and monitors VA programs nationwide.

Major Duties: Provide project management leadership, strategic direction, and oversight for novel national mental health, substance use disorder, and suicide prevention programs, initiatives, and Congressional mandates. Apply a standardized implementation approach using project management, process improvement, and change management frameworks. Develop and maintain detailed project schedules, milestones, and cost tracking to keep events properly sequenced across the project life cycle. Establish systems and databases to monitor project status, track progress, and confirm compliance with administrative policies and requirements. Gather and combine data from mental health programs across VHA, then evaluate findings and brief Office of Mental Health (OMH) and Office of Suicide Prevention (OSP) leaders. Collaborate with OMH and OSP leaders, other VA program offices, subject matter experts, data scientists, and oversight bodies such as GAO to meet project goals. Lead high-level meetings, conferences, and planning sessions, and report project status, risks, and compliance issues promptly to national leadership. Assist VHA health care systems in planning implementation, and recommend corrective action when goals are missed or delays occur. Lead technical assistance for the field, including answering help desk questions about data products, conducting data "deep dives," and reviewing patient charts to explain anomalous data. Disseminate project results by developing training materials, running monthly national calls, presenting at meetings, and writing white papers and summary reports. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00a.m. - 4:30p.m. PST Position Description Title/PD#: Health System Specialist/PD03142A Physical Requirements: The work is mainly sedentary. Some slight physical effort may be needed when walking between sections of the health care system for meetings or fact-finding.

You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required. Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (Form I-9 Acceptable Documents | USCIS). 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 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.

There is no educational substitution at this grade level.