Clarification from the agency

All groups of qualified individuals.

This position is in the immediate office of the Assistant Under Secretary for Health for Support (AUSH-S), Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

The AUSH-S oversees four business lines: Acquisition, Technology and Logistics (AT&L); Healthcare Environment & Facilities Programs (HEFP); VA Logistics Redesign (VALOR) Program; and the Veterans Canteen Service (VCS). The office of the AUSH-S provides critical resources, tools, solutions and support services that enable VHA to operate the nation's largest integrated healthcare system, including 170 VA medical centers and 1074 outpatient sites of care.

The AUSH-S accomplishes this through five direct SES reports and 6891 employees, with an annual budget of $1.2 billion dollars, executing an annual contract spend of $14 billion dollars.

The Deputy to the Assistant Under Secretary for Health for Support reports to the Assistant Under Secretary for Health (AUSH) for Support. The responsibilities include, but not limited to the following:
The incumbent serves as the leader or member of VHA and VA teams in support of initiatives for the Under Secretary for Health (USH) and Secretary of Veterans Affairs (SECVA).

Provides executive leadership, direction and operational support in accomplishing VHA's mission through the management of multiple programs that support VHA's 172 medical centers and more than 1200 outpatient care facilities.

Directs the day-to-day operations of the Office of the AUSH-S and is instrumental in transforming administrative activities from transactional processes to strategically focused business lines that directly support the VHA, VA, and Executive Branch missions.

Provides guidance and leadership in implementing the President's Management Agenda, VA and VHA management objectives, and ensures strategic business goals and objectives are fully implemented to achieve the desired measurable results. Sets priorities for administrative, management and information technology (IT) programs and projects and provides direction and advice to all organizational components on efficient and effective strategies to ensure Government resources are appropriately managed.

Leads the implementation of strategic human resources management for the AUSH-S, competitive sourcing, E-Government, integration of budget and performance goals, and improved financial performance on behalf of the AUSH-S.

Provides technical assistance to the AUSH-S on the development of strategic planning, policy/program analysis and evaluation, program coordination/networking, special projects, customer service, and program/staff training, coordinating those programs and specific issues/projects which have national impact.

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.
• Incumbents of this position will be subject to a background investigation commensurate with the risk and sensitivity level of the position.
• Successful completion of drug screening required.
• Public Financial Disclosure Report (SF-278) is required within 30 days of appointment.
• May be subject to reassignment geographically or organizationally.
• COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement as required by Executive Order 14043, for further details, refer to additional information below.
• VA structures its SES positions into pay bands. This is a pay band 2 position and the salary range is $135,468 to $196,735. Exceptions to the cap of the range may be considered in certain circumstances.

Qualifications

To meet the minimum qualifications, applicants 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.

MANDATORY EXECUTIVE CORE QUALIFICATIONS (ECQs): All applicants must submit a written narrative response to each of the following ECQs and include your name on each page. Your narrative must address each ECQ separately and demonstrate the underlying competencies in the narrative. Examples should be clear, concise, and emphasize your level of responsibilities; the scope and complexity of the programs, activities, or services you managed; program accomplishments; policy initiatives undertaken; level of contacts; the sensitivity and criticality of the issues you addressed; and the results of your actions. You should use action oriented leadership words to describe your experience and accomplishments and quantify your experience wherever possible to demonstrate your accomplishments (e.g., number of employees supervised; size of budget managed; amount of money saved, etc.). Applicants should use the Challenge, Context, Action and Results (CCAR) model below when responding to each ECQ:

• Challenge. Describe a specific problem or goal.
• Context. Describe the individuals and groups you worked with, and/or the environment in which you worked, to address a particular challenge (e.g., clients, co-workers, members of Congress, shrinking budget, low morale, etc).
• Action. Discuss the specific actions you took to address a challenge.
• Result. Give specific examples of measures/outcomes that had some impact on the organization. These accomplishments demonstrate the quality and effectiveness of your leadership skills.

Your narrative response should not exceed 10 pages, be typed in 12 point font with one-inch margins. It is recommended that you include 2 recent (not older than 10 years) examples per ECQ and draft your ECQs in a Word document before uploading into the system to ensure these guidelines are met. Information that exceeds these guidelines will not be reviewed. Detailed information on each ECQ, the underlying and fundamental competencies, sample narratives and a tips sheet for writing effective ECQs are available in the "Guide To Senior Executive Service Qualifications" GUIDE (opm.gov) at: http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/senior-executive-service/executive-core-qualifications/.

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. (Underlying Competencies: Creativity and Innovation, External Awareness, Flexibility, Resilience, Strategic Thinking, and Vision)

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. (Underlying Competencies: Conflict Management, Leveraging Diversity, Developing Others and Team Building)

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. (Underlying Competencies: Accountability, Customer Service, Decisiveness, Entrepreneurship, Problem Solving and Technical Credibility)

4. Business Acumen: The ability to manage human, financial and information resources strategically. (Underlying Competencies: Financial Management, Human Capital Management and Technology Management)

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. (Underlying Competencies: Partnering, Political Savvy and Influencing/Negotiation)

TECHNICAL QUALIFICATION (TQ)s: In addition, all applicants must submit a written narrative response to the following specific TQ(s). Please label and include your name on each page. 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: Extensive experience in developing, implementing and maintaining a complex program providing healthcare logistics and healthcare support (e.g., federal acquisition, healthcare logistics, healthcare technology management, healthcare environment & facilities programs) for a large healthcare organization.

TQ2: Demonstrated experience leading transformational change in a large, complex organization. Extensive experience advocating for and leading strategic planning, policy/program analysis and evaluation; and presenting, justifying and interpreting policy and programs to top-level officials in a Cabinet agency, Executive Office of the President, Office of Management and Budget, members of Congress, and top levels of federal agencies, industry, labor and public interest groups.

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