Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to current, permanent VA-Wide employees, Federal Employees, Career transition (CTAP/ ICTAP) , Land & base management, Individuals with disabilities, military spouses, and veterans.

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Major duties include, but are not limited to:

• Serves as team leader for the Executive Office secretaries and advises medical center clerical and administrative support staff on administrative policies and procedures.
• Performs coordinating and supportive responsibilities to ensure effective functioning of clerical processes in the office in support of the Director.
• Communicates to the administrative support team when a problem or issue is identified in the Executive Office, and collaborates with the team to identify a viable solution.
• Coordinates with the team and identifies team members for collateral duties including Safety, Combined Federal Campaign, Equipment inventory, Listing Coordinators, and site visit support.
• Develops recurring schedules for activities specific to the Executive Suite; coordinate office coverage during staff meetings, staff training, and office programs.
• Responsible for the management of day to-day administrative activities for the Office of the Director.
• Manages the flow of all system-wide correspondence, mail, and electronic mail on behalf of the Director.
• Responsible for the organization-wide oversight of all CTVHCS administrative assistants and secretaries for correspondence preparation, and appropriate administrative functions.
• Organizes annual training and learning sessions encompassing all administrative assistants and secretaries for the purpose of providing up to-date office skills, to review current and established VA correspondence procedures, and to assist with overall CTVHCS administrative team-building.
• Advises clerical and administrative support staff of CTVHCS on administrative issues. Provides expert advice on correspondence preparation, file maintenance, and other administrative issues based upon medical center, VISN, and VACO-established guidelines.
• Establishes and maintains subject matter files and records for the Executive Office relating to all functional areas of the medical center.
• Serves as an Automated Data Processing Application Coordinator (ADPAC) for the Executive Office.
• Assists with Talent Management System (TMS) by coordinating assignments for web-based educational courses, and monitors employee training records to ensure training and mandatory educational training hours are completed in accordance with mandated local and VHA policies.
• Collaborates with Contracting Officers Technical Representatives (COTR) on appropriate contracting issues for the Office of the Director.
• Serves as Fund Control Point (FCP) Approving Official for the Office of the Director.
• Serves as primary timekeeper for the Office of the Director, posting time and attendance.
• Prepares performance appraisal program (PAP) folders for the Office of Director managerial and supervisory staff, ensuring appropriate documents are maintained in accordance with established CTVHCS PAP guidelines and deadlines, and to ensure proper and timely communication of performance standards with staff and supervisors.
• Serves as WebHR coordinator for the Office of the Director, collaborating with Human Resources Management Service (HRMS) for the preparation of SF52 personnel actions as appropriate.
• Controls the scheduling of the Director's calendar. Sets priorities and schedules appointments and travel arrangements based on known priorities without prior clearance or approval.
• Manages temporary duty (TDY) travel for the Director, using sound judgment to make decisions on developing travel itineraries to coincide with agendas and schedules at TDY sites. Processes travel requests and coordinate all travel requirements to include airline, rental car, and lodging accommodations in accordance with local and procedural requirements and the Federal Travel Regulation.
• Establishes meeting schedules, develops agendas, compiles data, coordinates participants' and presenters' attendance and logistical requirements, tracks action items and follows up with staff members to ensure commitments made at meetings are met, and serves as recorder, transcribing minutes in final format for publication.
• Serves as liaison between the Director's Office and other VA agencies on administrative issues, assigning and tracking suspense actions to ensure mandated timelines are met.
• Receives visitors and telephone calls to the Office of the Director. Contacts include Veterans, their family members, Veteran Service Officers (VSOs), Congressional staff personnel, officials of other federal, state, and local agencies, affiliated medical schools and health care systems, civic groups, medical center staff, and the general public.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm or 7:30am - 4:00pm
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Secretary (OA)/PD#674-8623-O
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)

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period or trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 01/29/2026.

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-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-08. 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 as described below:Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-08 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to:

• Providing executive level secretarial and administrative support to senior leadership/managers
• Responding to inquiries from Congressional Representatives, State and local officials, and officials from other federal agencies
• Prioritizing work and multi-tasking
• Establishing office procedures and recommending improvements as needed
• Answering and directing phone calls
• Scheduling appointments
• Coordinating meetings and/or conferences
• Maintaining calendars and schedules for staff
• Arranging employee travel; composing correspondence and preparing in final format using a variety of computer software applications
• Performing timekeeping duties

In addition to the specialized experience, applicants must meet the following:

• Proficiency Requirements: Applicants for these positions must show possession of the following skills, as appropriate: 40 words per minute typing speed with three or less errors.

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this 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; 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 sedentary. Some work may require movement between offices, hospitals, warehouses, and similar areas for meetings and to conduct work. Work may also require walking/standing, in conjunctions with travel to and attendance at meetings and/or conferences away from the work site. Incumbent may carry and lift light items weighing less than 15 pounds.

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.