The Executive Director, Office of Rural Health, is responsible to the Deputy Chief Policy and Planning Officer as well as the Assistant Deputy Under Secretary for Health for Policy and Planning. The responsibilities includes, but are not limited to:

• Leads, manages and directs the planning, development and implementation of the Office of Rural Health to address health care needs of Veterans in rural and highly rural areas.
• Researches, plans, develops, implements, and evaluates policies and programs to improve the access and delivery of health care services for Veterans in rural and highly rural areas.
• Improves communication and coordination among key VA health providers and medical administrators within and across the Veterans Health Administration (VHA).
• Works closely with other key VA officials on cross-cutting programs and issues and is responsible for the planning, direction, coordination, development, and implementation of rural health programs and projects.
• Works with other Federal, state and private sector organizations to leverage resources and advance the health of rural Veterans.
• Serves as VHA subject matter expert in all areas related to rural health care, and is the primary point of contact between VHA and congressional offices and committees, as well as other Federal agencies and government health care providers, such as the Department of Health and Human Services.
• Enhances access to health care services for Veterans in rural and highly rural areas through services such as Telehealth and mental health care.
• Provides health assessment data to promote and enhance information-based health care policy and planning, and to improve the capacity of rural and highly rural health care.
• Collects and analyzes information related to the specific needs of rural health care clinicians and other staff.
• Leads and coordinates technical, professional, and administrative teams established to conduct comprehensive studies on patient care in rural and highly rural settings; the conclusions of which may include recommendations for management decisions relative to the design, development, curtailment or modification of patient care delivery strategies.
• Oversees and monitors the distribution of funds appropriated by Congress for rural health initiatives within VHA. Provides technical and policy advice on health care financing and rural health care proposals reflecting VHA's objectives and priorities.
• Reviews, revises, and develops testimony, legislative proposals and supporting materials related to rural health care for introduction by VA and presented at hearings and other outside activities and meetings. Develops legislative position papers and decision documents representing the position of the Office of the ADUSH for Policy and Planning, Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Health, and the Under Secretary for Health on a variety of complex issues related to rural health care that have significant national impact and involve several functional areas in VHA and other components of the Department.
• Provides liaison between VA and the Veterans Rural Health Advisory Committee (reference Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972), and is responsible for establishing and maintaining an effective working relationship with the Committee.
• Briefs and advises the Deputy Chief Policy and Planning Officer and the ADUSH for Policy and Planning on substantive rural health issues in preparation for research, development, policy, planning, management, and funding decisions.
  

Conditions of employment

• US citizenship is required.
• One year probationary period required for initial SES appointment.
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service.
• Successful completion of background investigation and drug screening.
• Public Financial Disclosure Report (SF-278) is required.
• May be subject to reassignment geographically or organizationally.

MANDATORY EXECUTIVE CORE QUALIFICATIONS (ECQs): All applicants must submit a written narrative response to the following ECQs. Your narrative must address each ECQ separately. Additional information on ECQs is available at: http://www.opm.gov/ses/recruitment/qualify.asp. Applicants are encouraged to follow the Challenge, Context, Action and Results model outlined in the guide. It is recommended that you draft your ECQs in a Word document and then upload into the system.

1. Leading Change: The ability to bring about strategic change, both within and outside the organization, to meet organizational goals. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to establish an organizational vision and to implement it in a continuously changing environment.

2. Leading People: The ability to lead people toward meeting the organization's vision, mission, and goals. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to provide an inclusive workplace that fosters the development of others, facilitates cooperation and teamwork, and supports constructive resolution of conflicts.

3. Results Driven: The ability to meet organizational goals and customer expectations. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to make decisions that produce high-quality results by applying technical knowledge, analyzing problems, and calculating risks.

4. Business Acumen: The ability to manage human, financial and information resources strategically.

5. Building Coalitions: The ability to build coalitions internally and with other Federal agencies, state and local governments, nonprofit and private sector organizations, foreign governments, or international organizations to achieve common goals.

TECHNICAL QUALIFICATION (TQ)s: In addition, all applicants must submit a written narrative response to the following TQ(s). Please give examples and explain how often you used your skills, the complexity of the knowledge possessed, the level of people you interacted with, the sensitivity of the issues you handled managing a large public or private sector organization that administers complex, rules-based benefits or services, etc. It is recommended that you draft your TQ(s) in a word document and then upload into the system.

TQ1: Expert professional managerial experience in Health Care Administration, which includes formulation, analysis, and development of health care delivery programs.

Qualifications

To meet the minimum qualifications, applicant must possess the following technical and executive core qualifications. These qualifications would typically be gained through progressively responsible management or executive level assignments such as director of a regional office, medical facility or program manager. An individual's total experience, education and volunteer work experience must demonstrate the ability to perform the duties of the position.

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; religious; 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.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Step 1: ECQ qualifications

Step 2: Technical Qualification(s)

Step 3: VA Executive Resources Board

Step 4: Nominating Organization may conduct interviews

Step 5: Approval by the Selecting Official (may include additional screening)

Step 6: OPM Qualifications Review Board certification