National Program Manager Jobs in Laurel, MD (NOW HIRING)

Summary
This position is located within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), National Chaplain Service. The incumbent serves as a professional Chaplain (National Program Coordinator (NPC)) Transitional Care Coordinator (TCC) providing transitional spiritual care services and programming for beneficiaries transitioning between the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Department of Veterans Affairs and those transitioning between any of the three Veterans Administrations.
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Duties
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Major Duties:

• Serves as a Chaplain NPC TCC professional providing comprehensive, religious ministry services to service members and their families. Provides transitional care for service members and their families transitioning from active duty into the VHA.
• Provides expert advice and guidance to service members and their families. Performs assignments of significant scope, complexity, difficulty, and variety at least 25% of the time.
• Develops and maintains comprehensive reports on ongoing programs and regularly submits updated summary reports to management.
• Ensures continuity and optimization of spiritual care services and programming. Avoids duplication of facility chaplaincy care services or programming.
• Ascertains accountable clinical program effectiveness and modification of service patterns. Works on various NPC activities in the areas of DoD, VHA, VBA, and NCA facilities, etc.
• Provides effective liaison and builds relationships with transitioning Service Members or family members. Assesses need for basic and complex spiritual care or bereavement care across multiple programmatic venues.
• Uses expert knowledge of practice, policy, standards, and strategic planning in relationship to a large multi-layered, multi-organizational program (e.g., United States Military Bases, VBA, NCA, etc.).
• Maintains relationships with appropriate offices and individuals to keep them abreast of significant accomplishments, program changes, and other substantive events. Sustains strategic partnerships with key internal and external VA stakeholders and community partners on a national level.
• Aligns local chaplaincy services with the strategic goals and objectives at all levels of the VHA for assigned program coordination.
• Achieves performance and productivity metrics and outcomes.. Ensures compliance with agency and accreditation requirements.
• Identifies other Chaplains, religious leaders, and/or persons from the community to provide service members religious needs if necessary. Uses thorough knowledge of different faiths to perform various religious rituals, lead prayers, and answer spiritual questions.
• Oversees administrative responsibilities of program and carries out responsibilities with complete professional independence, where much of the work is performed personally.
• Plans and coordinates program activities and keeps updated records on service members and their families and supports growth and program development.
• Administers ordinances, rites, or sacraments; prepares and delivers sermons; arranges for the atmosphere and symbolism of worship; and conducts funeral services when needed.
• Provides guidance and religious instruction to individuals and groups. Conducts and arranges for religious worship services in chapels and at other locations for service members and their families that are unable to attend regular chapel services.
• Communicates effectively, both in writing and verbally, with persons of varied backgrounds to prepare Chaplain Service-related policies, procedures, and/or practice guidelines on the service delivery area.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
Telework: This position may be authorized for ad hoc telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Ad hoc is defined as occasional, non-recurring telework.
Virtual: This position may be authorized for Virtual Work. Virtual Work eligibility is for current VA employees that are already subject to the return to the in-person work mandate in their current position.
Definition of Virtual Work: Employee works outside of original hiring duty station at a VA-owned or leased space.
Return to Office (RTO): RTO mandates are in effect and selectees will be required to report to in-person work unless they are approved for an exception or an exemption. Any approval for an RTO exception, exemption, or extension will happen after a tentative job offer, but before a final job offer.
Functional Statement #: 27473-0
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Requirements
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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.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• 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 (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). 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.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial 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 trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
Qualifications
Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.
Basic Requirements: To qualify for appointment to this position, all applicants must possess the following:

• Citizenship: Be a citizen of the United States (U.S.). Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens according to 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a)
• Education: Applicants must possess a Master of Divinity degree or equivalent educational qualifications as evidenced by a graduate-level theological degree from a college, university or theological school accredited by a member of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or Association of Theological Schools (ATS) and recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. NOTE: For applicants who do not possess a Master of Divinity degree or equivalent educational degree, an approved educational equivalency review from a nationally recognized board certification body for chaplains (see paragraph d) is acceptable.
• Ecclesiastical Endorsement: In accordance with 38 C.F.R. § 17.655, ecclesiastical endorsement is a condition of employment as a VA chaplain. An individual must possess and maintain a full and active ecclesiastical endorsement to be employed as a VA chaplain. Applicants must have an ecclesiastical endorsement, dated within the past 12 months. Ecclesiastical endorsements must be from the official national endorsing authority of the applicant's/employee's faith group or denomination. Ecclesiastical endorsement is a written official statement, by the official national endorsing body of the faith group or denomination, certifying that the applicant is in good standing with the applicant's faith group or denomination; and stating that the individual is, in the opinion of the endorsing body, qualified to perform the full range of ministry required in the VA pluralistic setting. Loss of endorsement will result in removal from the GS-0060 Chaplain series and may result in termination of employment. The National Chaplain Service maintains a list of approved endorsing organizations that can be found here: National VA Chaplain Service SharePoint.
• Board Certification: Applicants must be a Board-Certified Chaplain certified by BCCI ® or a U.S. certifying body that has a reciprocity agreement with BCCI ®. Board Certification that requires 4 units of CPE is qualifying. The National Chaplain Service maintains a list of approved certifications found on the National VA Chaplain Service SharePoint. Note: Provisional or Associate or other status as a candidate for board certification does not meet the board certification requirement for the FPL GS-11 or above.

May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).
Grade Determinations:
Chaplain GS-13
Experience: One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:

• Ability to effectively liaison and build relationships with transitioning Service members or family members.
• Skill in assessing need for basic and complex spiritual care or bereavement care across multiple programmatic venues.
• Knowledge of chaplain practice, policy, standards and strategic planning in relationship to a large multi-layered, multi-organizational program (e.g., U.S. Military Bases or National Cemeteries).
• Skill in maintaining relationships with appropriate offices and individuals to keep them abreast of significant accomplishments, program changes, and other substantive events.
• Ability to develop and sustain strategic partnerships with key internal and external VA stakeholders and community partners on a national level

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.
The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-13 .
Physical Requirements: This position requires the Chaplain to meaningfully engage with Veteran patients and family members by walking and moving within the healthcare setting or with the incumbent using an assistive device. The Chaplain is required to speak, hear (hearing aid permitted) and work closely with others.
Education
Note: 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. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.
Additional information
Receiving Service Credit for 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.
During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.
This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.
VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.
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.
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Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
Benefits
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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. Opens i