Clarification from the agency

This position is open to Current, Permanent employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Other Federal Employees, and CTAP/ICTAP eligibles.

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The Health System Administrator (Deputy Director) determines program goals and objectives, develops short and long- range plans for achieving them in conjunction with the overall plans of the Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) and consistent with the strategic planning process. The Deputy Director is the Healthcare System's principal extension of the Director's authority, with responsibility for assisting the Director and staying abreast of those tasks and issues the Director is working on, while focusing on guiding and coordinating operational elements of the Healthcare System. The Deputy Director is responsible for business management and for taking the lead in coordinating and developing stakeholder support and resourcing to meet the Healthcare System's programs and objectives.

• Functions with delegated authority from the Healthcare Systems Executive Director, and in Director's absence, serves as the primary Acting Executive Director, exercising that level of authority, direction, and control over the Healthcare System and all assigned resources.
• Coordinates with the Director, the Deputy Director has full delegated line authority and responsibility for executive level management of a VA health care facility or facilities.
• Responsibility for planning, organizing, directing, coordinating, controlling, reviewing, evaluating, and improving medical, administrative, and supporting operations of a health care system which administers a variety of medical care and treatment for a large geographic area.

These duties are geared to successful accomplishment of the Healthcare System's assigned patient care, treatment, medical education, research, and DOD contingency support missions.

Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm.
Telework: May be Authorized
Virtual: This is not a virtual position
Position Description/PD#: Health System Administrator (Deputy Director)/PD672-12778-O
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: May be authorized for highly qualified candidates.
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Authorized
PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Required

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
• 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
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)
• Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.

NOTE: Participation in the seasonal influenza program is a condition of employment and a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). It is a requirement that all HCP to receive annual seasonal influenza vaccination or obtain an exemption for medical or religious reasons. Wearing a face mask is required when an exemption to the influenza vaccination has been granted. HCP in violation of this directive may face disciplinary action up to and including removal from federal service. HCP are individuals who, during the influenza season, work in VHA locations or who come into contact with VA patients or other HCP as part of their duties. VHA locations include, but are not limited to, VA hospitals and associated clinics, community living centers (CLCs), community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs), domiciliary units, Vet centers and VA-leased medical facilities. HCP include all VA licensed and unlicensed, clinical and administrative, remote and onsite, paid and without compensation, full- and part-time employees, intermittent employees, fee basis employees, VA contractors, researchers, volunteers and health professions trainees (HPTs) who are expected to perform any or all of their work at these facilities. HPTs may be paid or unpaid and include residents, interns, fellows and students. HCP also includes VHA personnel providing home-based care to Veterans and drivers and other personnel whose duties put them in contact with patients outside VA medical facilities.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 02/17/2023.

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-15 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-14. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade.

Individual Occupational Requirement: The 0670 series requires specific education or experience to be met in order to be appointed into a position of this series. You must meet the pre-determined Education or Experience Individual Occupational Requirement below as set by Office of Personnel Management (OPM).

1. Undergraduate and Graduate Education in a Major study of: hospital administration, public health administration, or related fields such as business or public administration with course work in health care administration.

2. Progressively responsible analytical or administrative, or clinical management or supervisory experience in the health care field. This work may have been performed in an operating health care facility or a higher organizational echelon with advisory or directional authority over such facilities. Work must have involved a close working relationship with facility managers and analysis and/or coordination of administrative, clinical, or other service activities, and provided knowledge of the following:

• Missions, organizations, programs, and requirements of health care delivery systems; and
• Regulations and standards of various regulatory and credentialing groups; and
• Government-wide, agency, and facility systems and requirements in various administrative areas such as budget, personnel, and procurement.

Applicants must also possess:

• Management ability to delegate authority, evaluate and oversee people and programs, recognize and adapt to changing priorities; and
• Knowledge of the interrelationships and interdependencies among various medical and administrative services and programs.

3. Successful completion of an agency-sponsored on-the-job training program may be substituted for qualifying experience, provided it included a formal individualized training plan. Such a training program must have been conducted in an operating health care system and included:

• Assignments providing a knowledge of basic health system administration philosophies, practices, and procedures, and basic government administrative polices and requirements;
• Practical assignments providing an opportunity to apply health system administration skills and principles (as the individual progresses, work assignments must be characteristic of the grade level to which he or she is assigned); and
• Oversight by an experienced health system administrator with periodic evaluation of the individual's progress and appropriate adjustment of the training program.

You may qualify based on your experience as described below:

GS-15 Grade Level Requirement
Specialized Experience: In addition to the Individual Occupation Requirement above, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-14 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.

• Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-15 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience is defined as:
• The Deputy Director's managerial duties and responsibilities involve final decisions which have a direct and substantial effect on the health care organization and programs.
• Delegating authority as appropriate and holds managers responsible and accountable for the performance of the product lines, programs, and services under their supervision and management.
• Knowledge of program goals and objectives, develops short and long- range plans for achieving them in conjunction with the overall plans of the Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) and consistent with the strategic planning process.
• Developing and presenting recommendations and actions that contribute to the development of the functional efficiency of a healthcare system.
• In-depth knowledge as well as special skills in administration and health care systems management which have enabled him/her to effectively carry out various management aspects of as Deputy Director position.
• Analyzing and competing executive demands on resources.
• Maintaining abreast of new and existing health care technology and administrative concepts and analyze them with the overall needs of the healthcare system in mind.

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:

• Conscientiousness
• Decision Making
• Flexibility
• Leadership
• Managing Human Resources

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). 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.

Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

Physical Requirements: The work is done in an office environment and is mostly sedentary in nature, although some walking or carrying of files is required.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

How you will be evaluated

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

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview. Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.

Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.