Clarification from the agency

Open to current, permanent employees of VHA

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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. These include, but are not limited to, decisions affecting the nature, scope, quality of, and emphases on, the facility's patient care programs and activities.
The Deputy Director: (1) 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; (2) directs a comprehensive evaluation of program and goals and objectives and makes necessary adjustments to improve delivery of patient care services; (3) establishes local policy in such areas as program emphasis and operating guidelines; (4) administers and ensures compliance with a system designed for the development and communication of program policies and procedures in accordance with new or existing rules and regulations; and (5) administers a management reporting system which provides appropriate data for decision making in such areas as organizational improvements; change in delegations of authority; position management; and coordination among the center's programs and services.
The Deputy Director: (1) organizes and controls program evaluation activities; (2) develops and coordinates a quality assurance program to ensure that both clinical and administrative activities are in compliance with standards issued by various accrediting and regulatory groups; (3) develops plans (with target completion dates) to ensure that action has been taken to correct deficiencies cited by accrediting bodies; (4) conducts a comprehensive and effective quality management program for the facility; (5) initiates corrective action on elements considered unacceptable from the standpoint of quality or program service management, and (6) ensures that patient complaints related to the communication of clinical and administrative aspects of their care are promptly addressed. Some functions of this position involve multiple worksites with differing patient care programs and/or capabilities and requires the analysis of many complex problems. The incumbent evaluates the needs of a variety of worksites and assesses the treatment of a wide variety of problems. Included are plans which provide the effective distribution of resources needed to accomplish the mission of the medical center within the given allocations.
The Deputy Director: (1) participates in planning and development of current and proposed program objectives in conjunction with administrative and clinical managers, develops short and long range fiscal year plans that meet the objectives of current and proposed programs; (2) develops a balanced financial plan designed to meet realistic needs of the facility and the network., makes important decisions substantially affecting economy of operations by limiting operating expenses without impairing patient care activities through management assessment, cost effective position management techniques, reorganization, methods improvements, and automation; (3) ensures that utilization of available resources is in line with plan or modified through recurring review; (4) allocates available resources to provide the best possible patient care in line with established priorities; (5) expects and obtains, as the accountable official, positive accomplishments in effective utilization of resources as related to budget, manpower, equipment, contractual services, physical facility needs and FTEE control; (6) protects integrity of the budget, position management, classification and other processes to ensure compliance with existing statutes, and regulations; and (7) takes timely corrective action where delegated responsibilities are not being properly applied or executed.
All other duties as assigned per Supervisor and position description.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30am - 4:00pm
Telework: VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Health Systems Administrator (Deputy Director)/PD459-02897-O
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): 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)

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/08/2023.

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. 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.

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.

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. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to:

• Decides on facility operations commitments, considering resources, program needs and public relations implications.
• Administers a management reporting system which provides appropriate data for decision making in such areas as organizational improvements; change in delegations of authority; position management; and coordination among the center's programs and services.
• Develops plans (with target completion dates) to ensure that action has been taken to correct deficiencies cited by accrediting bodies.
• Develops short-and-long-range fiscal year plans that meet the objectives of current and proposed programs.
• Participates in planning and development of current and proposed program objectives in conjunction with administrative and clinical managers.
• Makes important decisions substantially affecting economy of operations by limiting operating expenses without impairing patient care activities through management assessment, cost effective position management techniques, reorganization, methods improvements, and automation.

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

• Accountability
• Analysis and Problem Solving
• Interpersonal Effectiveness
• Leadership
• Organizational Stewardship
• Strategic Thinking

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.