Clarification from the agency

This announcement is opened to current, permanent Department of Veterans Affairs employees.

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The VA Medical Center provides a wide array of services including for example, but not limited to, primary, medicine, long-term care, surgery, physical medicine and rehabilitation, home and community-based care, mental and behavioral health, traumatic brain injury, blind rehabilitation, research, telehealth, etc.

Duties include, but are not limited to:

• Shares with the Executive Leadership Team a level of responsibility for the direction and management of the Medical Center and is directly responsible for facilities operations.
• Plans and programs are implemented which provide the environment and support activities essential to quality patient care, e.g., appropriate aesthetic environment; smooth patient flow, compliance with all standards for sanitation, fire, and safety; providing appropriate and timely support services; receiving and resolving related complaints; maintaining a system for identifying and taking corrective action for potential problems or deficiencies and responding to recommendations of official reviewing agencies; etc.
• Plans, coordinates, supervises, and directs various administrative and health related services.
• Participates on a day-to-day basis in top level Executive discussions, decisions, policy making and actions of all administrative functions and indirectly of all clinical matters impacting patient care.
• Resolves complex and unusual health care administration issues by independent analysis and action, with the potential to set precedent, and lead organizational change.
• Responsible for the development of plans, programs, direction, and monitoring of clinic and health plan management. This encompasses activities to (1) maintain or improve the quality of service and health care delivered by the health care system, (2) develop and execute budget projections, (3) achieve veteran satisfaction, and (4) respond to accreditation and regulatory requirements.
• Applies specialized principles and practices of health care management to coordinate, direct, and control programs and resources for both clinics and health plan administration.
• Responsible for maintaining and improving facility, VISN and VA relationships through personal, active participation in the administrative, educational, community and social events of federal, state, local and other affiliated organizations involved in health care delivery, veteran service organizations, and community affairs.
• Functions in an active, affiliated, VAMC which also consists of multiple community-based outpatient clinics. The scope of services encompasses a comprehensive range of clinical subspecialties.
• Exercises fiscal management responsibility in developing the overall budget, in monitoring expenditures, and in reallocating funds based on shifting program needs.
• Remains aware of all available resources and establishes priorities for distributing these resources based on program needs, i.e., develops and implements plans for providing and distributing the necessary resources to accomplish the mission of the Medical Center within available limits. Incumbent considers availability of funds, qualified personnel space, material, and equipment.
• Maintains a position management program that utilizes resources effectively and efficiently and promotes cost consciousness and efficiencies.
• Develops, evaluates, and adjusts organizational structures and management systems for the administrative and allied health services, as well as contributes to the development of structures and systems for the overall health care delivery system.
• Assures that administrative policies and programs are coordinated with and supportive of clinical activities.
• Collaborates with the Chief of Staff, Associate Director, Associate Director for Patient Care Services, ACOS for Ambulatory Care, ACOS for Operations, ACOS for Education, and ACOS for Research and Development in the formulation and integration of the administrative activities inherent in patient care, education programs, and research.

Work Schedule: 7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday
Compressed/Flexible: Not Available
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Health Systems Administrator (Assistant Director)/PD001180
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Relocation incentive may be authorized for a highly qualified candidate
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• 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.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 05/05/2023.

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 Individual Occupational Requirement below as set by Office of Personnel Management.
Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study -- hospital administration, public health administration, or related fields such as business or public administration with course work in health care administration.
OR
Specialized Experience: 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;
• 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.

Special Provision for In service Placement: 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 policies and requirements.
• Oversight by an experienced health system administrator with periodic evaluation of the individual's progress and appropriate adjustment of the training program.
• 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).

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-14 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-13. 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.

Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.

You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:

Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-13 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: 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.

• Accountability
• Administration and Management
• Compliance Inspection
• Decision Making
• Customer Service
• Self-Direction
• Technical Competence

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

• Creative Thinking
• Customer Service (Clerical/Technical)
• Interpersonal Effectiveness
• Organizational Stewardship
• Systems Thinking
• Technical Competence

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: No special physical exertion is required. The work is primarily performed while sitting though some work may require periods of standing. The regular and recurring work of the position involves sitting at a desk, conferences, meetings, etc.

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.