USAJOBS · 10 hours ago
Program Specialist (SAMS Specialist)
Phoenix, Arizona, USA
Full-time
Onsite
Entry Level
$53K/yr - $69K/yr
1+ years expThe Phoenix VA Health Care System (PVAHCS) is actively recruiting for a Program Specialist for the Survivors Assistance and Memorial Support (SAMS) Program. The incumbent carries out and enforces all Federal and State Laws as they pertain to the deaths of veterans, providing guidance to families on funeral arrangements at the Phoenix VA Health Care System (PVAHCS).
ConsultingGovernmentHuman ResourcesInformation TechnologyInternetStaffing Agency
No H1B
U.S. Citizen Only
Responsibilities
Create funeral and burial arrangements of veterans who expired whiles under the care of the Phoenix VA Medical Center (PVAMC)
Partner with Medical staff to coordinate the facts and to determine whether or not it is a Medical Examiner's case
Notify the authorities and the Phoenix VA Police and works with the Phoenix Police Department making available all necessary records and information
Coordinate all details making certain the deceased is eligible for burial in a National cemetery
Contact the cemetery for available space, works with Supply Services in obtaining a satisfactory contract with a local mortuary and assures sufficient fund are obligated
Assure burial arrangements are in accordance with contractual agreement between the mortuary and the Phoenix VAMC
Utilize Social worker, Professional/Medical Staff and counsels the patient or next of kin of the patient concerning VA Death Benefits and/or pre-funeral arrangements
Identify and explain benefits that pertain to the individual's circumstances
Assist patient or next of kin concerning autopsies and donations of organs/tissues, assistance in properly completing arrangement forms
Maintain a current registry of local mortuaries that will provide completes service for VA burial and travel allowances
Prepare correspondences for the signature of the Medical Center Director and Chief, Health Administration Service
Assure that all information pertaining to the Decedent Affairs functions are entered correctly
Qualification
Required
You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
Designated and/or random drug testing may be required
Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
You may be required to serve a probationary period
Subject to background/security investigation
Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 02/05/2026
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-07 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05
You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:
GS-07 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: Provide administrative and technical support, Use Microsoft Office products ( e.g. Word, Excel, Access, or Power Point) to create reports, spreadsheets, presentations, memorandums, graphs, correspondence, etc., schedule and maintain appointments, Prepare a variety of recurring reports, consolidate and coordinate submissions of information
You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Administration and Management, Client Orientation, Communication, Manages and Organizes Information
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)
Physical Requirements: Work is mostly sedentary. To accomplish assigned duties within the medical center frequent walking, standing and carrying may be required. Except for assisting mortuary's in releasing bodies, occasional lifting of 5 to 10 pounds is required. Concentration and sustained performance under prolonged stress is required because of the time factor involved in completion of work assignments within deadlines
A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education
Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment
Benefits
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package.
As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding.
Company
USAJOBS
USAJOBS enables federal job seekers to access job opportunities across hundreds of federal agencies and organizations.
10001+ employees
Funding
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