Skip to main content
U.S. flag
Back to results
 

Secretary (OA)

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration
White City VA Medical Center

Summary

This position serves as Executive Secretary for the Director's Office, supporting the Director, Associate Director, Nurse Executive, Chief of Staff, and Administrative Assistant. The incumbent is the lead secretary among the three executive office secretaries.

Overview

Help
Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
01/28/2026 to 02/09/2026
Salary
$55,882 to - $80,243 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 8 - 9
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
White City, OR
1 vacancy
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
9
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
CBSV-12872816-26-SE
Control number
855798500

This job is open to

Help

Clarification from the agency

AREA OF CONSIDERATION: This announcement is open to CTAP eligible applicants and to current, permanent VISN 20 employees of the White City VA Medical Center ONLY.

Videos

Duties

Help

This position involves a multi-grade career ladder. The major duties listed below represent the full performance level of GS-09, however a selection can be made at any of the following grade levels: GS-08, OR GS-09. At the GS-08 grade level, you will perform assignments of a more limited scope and with less independence. You will progressively acquire the background necessary to perform at the full performance level of GS-09.

Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level.

Major duties include:

  • Receives visitors and telephone calls to the Director's office.
  • Screens callers by determining nature or purpose of call and either handles personally, or refers to other staff members, those not requiring the personal attention of the Director.
  • Suspends action items from the VISN/Central Office and follows through on deadlines with the responsible staff.
  • Ensure templates, Excel spreadsheets, and requested information is accurate. Average 100 suspenses per month from the VISN/Central Office.
  • Incumbent devises and installs a system of office procedures and practices.
  • As principal secretary reviews and coordinates the workflow of the administrative support staff for the Executive office.
  • Arranges conferences for the Director and, at the request of District Counsel, Central Office officials, for meetings to be held locally.
  • In the performance of official duties, the he/she has regular access to printed and electronic files containing sensitive information, which must be protected under the provision of the Privacy Act of 1974, and other applicable laws and regulations.
  • Incumbent receives all mail for the Executive office, independently reviewing and assigning actions to the appropriate staff.
  • Independently creates, copies, edits, calculates, revises, retrieves, stores and prints a wide range of documents in final form from handwritten drafts such as correspondence, reports, graphs, statistics, calendar, table of contents, etc., involving highly technical and specialized terminology.
  • Incumbent is a government credit card holder and has access to the Director's control fund point and the Chief of Staff.
  • Incumbent is knowledgeable of the electronic system used to order supplies, publications and other items for the Executive office.
  • Records and transcribes monthly meeting minutes for the Executive Leadership Team, station Town Halls, and other executive meetings as required.
  • Incumbent serves as principle timekeeper for the Director's assigned T&Ls as well as alternate for the Chief of Staff and the Nurse Executive offices.
  • Incumbent arranges travel and is responsible for the coordination of background materials for all trips for the Director and other Tetrad members as needed.
  • Provides assignments and distribution of workload as needed to ensure coverage for Tetrad member if their secretary is out of the office.
  • Responsible for training, mentoring and providing direction regarding correspondence, congressional responses, publications, directives, reports and public relations responsibilities, to all levels of staff in the organization including service secretaries, administrative and clinical staff. Independently develops, plan, and presents annual administrative training sessions for all secretaries and program assistants in the organization.
  • Ensures that practices and procedures used are consistent with those of the Director's Office and in compliance with VA requirements. Initiates corrective action as needed. Prepares and disseminates issuances providing notices of procedural changes and instructions in implementing such changes.
  • Arrange for guest speakers to present material as needed. The agenda for the above training consists of all phases of duties required by secretaries, such as correspondence, congressional responses, telephone procedures, publications, directives, reports, public relations responsibilities.
  • Independently signs routine correspondence and certain procedural authorizations in the name of the Director, per prior agreement. This includes the VCS Director's canteen fund which he/she has authority to spend according to VCS rules and regulations. Oversees all catering on station that request use of the VCS Director's fund.
Work Schedule: Monday through Friday; 8:00am to 4:30pm PST
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Secretary (OA)/PD902510 and PD902480
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
  • To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.
  • Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
  • Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required.
  • 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, 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 time-in-grade & specialized experience requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement,, 02/09/2026.

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 within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.
For a GS-08 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07.
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.

Please note: In addition to meeting experience requirements, applicants for this position must show possession of the following proficiency: Ability to type 40 words per minute. Applicants may meet this requirement by passing the appropriate performance test, presenting a certificate of proficiency from a school or other organization authorized to issue such certificates by the Office of Personnel Management local office, or by self-certifying their proficiency. Performance test results and certificates of proficiency are acceptable for 3 years.

You may qualify based on your experience as described below:

GS-08:

  • Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-07 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience include arranging meetings and conference calls, scheduling and booking resources, reviewing written materials for compliance and clarity, maintaining personnel and performance records, managing timekeeping, tracking deadlines, organizing work to meet established processes and regulations, operating office equipment to support complex programs, using software such as Outlook and Microsoft Office, reviewing directives and publications, and recording and transcribing meeting minutes.

GS-09:
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 include independently planning and setting priorities, coordinating activities, and applying strong knowledge of organizational theory and practice. It also involves communicating effectively across all organizational levels, arranging meetings and conference calls, scheduling resources, reviewing written materials for clarity and compliance, maintaining personnel and performance records, managing timekeeping, tracking deadlines, and organizing work to meet established processes. Additional responsibilities include operating office equipment to support complex programs, using software such as Outlook and Microsoft Office, reviewing directives and publications, recording and transcribing meeting minutes, and providing essential support during the absence of other Tetrad secretaries.

Physical Requirements: The work is sedentary. It occasionally requires lifting and carrying light objects such as files, books, and papers. No special physical qualifications are required.

Work Environment: The work is performed in a large, open office setting.

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/.

Education

There is no education substitution for this series and grades.

Additional information

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.


This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

How you will be evaluated

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

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following Competencies for this position:

  • Accountability
  • Attention to Detail
  • Customer Service
  • Decision Making
  • Flexibility
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Learning
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Reasoning
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork

Resume Reminder - Your resume must include the following information for each job listed:

  • Job title
  • Duties (be as detailed as possible)
  • Month & year start/end dates (e.g. June 2007 to April 2008)
  • Full-time or part-time status (include hours worked per week)
  • Salary/Rank etc.
  • Series and Grade, if applicable, for all Federal positions you have held
  • References, current or recent supervisor
Please be aware that your answers will be verified against information provided on your resume. Be sure that your resume clearly supports your responses to all of the questions by addressing your work experience in detail. The experience stated in your resume must support your assessment responses.

Recommended: Even though we do not require a specific resume format, your resume must be clear so that we are able to fully evaluate your qualifications. To ensure you receive appropriate consideration, please list the duties you performed under each individual job title. If we are unable to match your experiences with the positions held, you may lose consideration for this vacancy. We cannot make assumptions regarding your qualifications.

Your experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. 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. IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

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.

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

Your session is about to expire!

Your USAJOBS session will expire due to inactivity in 8 minutes. Any unsaved data will be lost if you allow the session to expire. Click the button below to continue your session.