Clarification from the agency

Open to current, permanent Veterans Health Administration (VHA) employees and CTAP Eligible in the local commuting area. This is a detail not to exceed 120 days.

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Duties include but are not limited to:

Supervisory (25%)
The incumbent provides technical and administrative supervision for program analyst and administrative, financial, and timekeeping operations of the Associate Director Office and Associate Director service line. Incumbent oversees the daily operation of the office, ensures that agency policies and priorities are being followed; develops performance standards; and evaluates work performance of the Associate direct reports.

Acts as a lead personnel management expert in advising high level officials on all aspects of personnel management activities. Makes recommendations relating to various personnel policy issues and provides advice at a high agency level on personnel management matters and problems. Maintains continuous liaison with the departmental human resources offices in areas of personnel recruiting, promotion, training, equal opportunity employment, disciplinary action, performance evaluation, and recruiting.

Administrative Management (25%)
The incumbent must possess a thorough understanding of the administrative, technical and operational aspects inherent in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) system to be effective in the performance of general and specialized staff functions for which he/she is assigned responsibility.

Incumbent must have the knowledge or regulatory restraints, budgetary vision, and workload capabilities when negotiating with other health care facilities. The incumbent must have the ability to plan, organize and direct health care providers in the development of extended health care programs. The incumbent must be knowledgeable of the impact of the accreditation process such as the Joint Commission (TJC), state, federal regulation in the daily operation of health care units. In the absence of the Associate Director, will serve as an administrative resource person to assist in the analysis and problem solving in any unexpected situation that may occur such as evaluation of significant items in reports, files, and correspondences.

Program Administration and Management (25%)
Incumbent provides administrative and operational assistance necessary to the Associate Director, service leadership and program managers as needed along with each administrative support. Serves as the Administrative Control Correspondence Coordinator for the Associate Director in answering Suspense and Issue Briefs to the VISN by gathering and reviewing data and contacting clinical staffers to discuss and resolve patient care issues. Incumbent writes suspense responses for the Associate Director review and Medical Center Director's signature.

Program Analysis (25%)
The incumbent must demonstrate analytical ability and knowledge to resolve complex administrative and operational issues. Experience in problem-solving abilities to enhance the delivery of health care. Must have the ability to analyze situations and to offer recommendations to improve or broaden healthcare services.

Performs Other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday thru Friday 8:00am to 4:30pm
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Supervisory Health System Specialist-Detail/PD241530
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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
• Subject to background/security investigation
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• 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, 12/29/2025.

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-13 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-12. 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 Requirements (IOR)

Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study--hospital administration, health administration, or related fields such as business or public administration with course work in health care administration. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with your application.

OR,

Specialize 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.

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.
• 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-13 Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-12 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Provides technical and administrative supervision for program analyst and administrative, financial, and timekeeping operations in a healthcare setting. Experience overseeing the daily operation in office setting, ensures that agency policies and priorities are being followed; develops performance standards; and evaluates work performance. Experience giving advice, council and instruction to employees, experience interviewing candidates, recommends appointment and identifies and provides training needs. Experience providing advice to leadership following union guidelines.


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

• Communications
• Organizational Awareness
• 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: Work is primarily sedentary, although some walking is involved in assessing operational space and evaluating problems.

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.