Clarification from the agency

This position is open to current, permanent employees of the Hershel "Woody" Williams VA Medical Center and CTAP eligible applicants only.

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The incumbent performs key duties in the areas of program management analysis, administration, supervision and coordination in support of the various units under the Patient Administration Section (PAS), including Eligibility, Enrollment, Compensation & Pension, Emergency Room Administration, decedent affairs, fugitive - felon, as well as after-hours administrative operations performed by the Administrative Officer of the Day (AOD) as well as to the lower lead positions. One purpose of this position is to provide accurate and appropriate guidance and instruction in all aspects of eligibility and enrollment and supporting activities to insure maximum support to the VAMC and appropriate access to benefits and treatment for VA patients. The other is to analyze trends and processes, coordinate with process improvement specialist(s) and/or teams to improve processes, and ultimately improve patient care programs in the organization.

Duties include, but may not be limited to the following:

• The primary supervisory function of this position is to provide leadership in a wide variety of activities relating to enrollment, eligibility, compensation and pension, as well as emergent and after hours administrative operations and to provide support to the section's lead positions.
• The incumbent has full responsibility for organizing, planning, directing and controlling all the programs aligned under PSS, and directly supervises several Program Medical Assistants and AODs.
• S/he is delegated the responsibility for formulating plans, evaluating and coordinating the day to day administrative management of the entire PSS program.
• Performs the full gamut of supervisory duties including leave approval, writing performance standards, creating position descriptions / functional statements, completing annual performance appraisals, disciplining/rewarding employees, etc.
• Develops written operating procedures and schedules to guide employees in their work, provides training, assigns and coordinates the work.
• Defines performance standards for subordinate staff.
• Establishes priorities, schedules and deadlines for routine and special work assignments and monitors the quality and quantity of work performed.
• Resolves employee complaints/grievances.
• Determines employee's training needs and recommends approval for extended costly training for staff that may enhance their skills.
• Interviews and hires new employees.
• Plans, assigns, instructs and evaluates employee's work and implements ideas for improved processes and quality of work.

Work Schedule: Monday- Friday 8:00am to 4:30pm, some off-tour coverage
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Supervisory Medical Administration Specialist/PD180320
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
• 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
• 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, 02/17/2026.

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-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-9. 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-09 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Technical and administrative experience working with health care eligibility and data entry requirements for administrative data. Experience in computer applications such as VistA, CPRS, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and MSS. Conduct briefings to senior leaders, including the Medical Center Director. Mentors, coaches, and resolves complaints/grievances. Communicate effectively both orally and in writing, with people from various educational and socioeconomic backgrounds. Evaluate work duties and assignments and manage day-to-day workload and operations. Utilizes VA Information systems such as VSSC and web-based applications to conduct statistical analysis. Provide advice and support efforts to improve the efficiency of operations, and negotiating effectively with management and other stakeholders on the implementation of required and recommended changes.

OR

• Education: Successfully completed three (3) years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree, or Ph.D., or equivalent doctoral degree in the related field of the position to be filled. The education portion must include courses that demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. Education must have been obtained in an accredited college, or university. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation.

OR

• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience as described above and graduate education as described above beyond the first two graduate years or 36 semester hours. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. Experience must be clearly indicated in your resume.

Preferred Experience: Supervision, Enrollment Systems, Eligibility, Veterans Benefits, Attention to Detail.

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 majority of work is performed in an office setting which adequate light, heat and ventilation. Work is mostly sedentary, but requires some bending, walking, standing, lifting and carrying of light items such as reports to various areas of the Medical Center. Working at the computer for long periods of time and accessing information from the various computer systems is necessary. Typical office setting is subject to noise caused by multiple visits by staff, equipment and telephone interruptions when performing various functions on a daily basis. The work requires no special physical demands.

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.