Clarification from the agency

Current and permanent employees of the VISN 21 Office (Station 497).

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***THIS IS A DETAIL/TEMPORARY PROMOTION (NTE 6 MONTHS). MAY BE EXTENDED BASED ON VISN NEED. MAY BE USED TO FILL PERMANENT POSITION. THIS IS A VIRTUAL POSITION. PLEASE ENSURE YOU HAVE YOUR SUPERVISOR'S APPROVAL TO APPLY FOR THIS POSITION.***

Major duties and responsibilities for the position include but are not limited to:

• Applies specialized knowledge, skills, and abilities particular to a healthcare system environment including methods to support emergency planning and operations.
• Provides operational support and expertise to management through evaluative, analytical, coordination, planning, administrative, developmental, interpretive, and judgmental methodologies.
• Coordinates Network emergency management activities that require a high level of judgment and ability including assuming responsibility for planning, implementing and coordinating emergency response and recovery actions for VA Medical Centers (VAMCs), Community Living Centers (CLCs), Domiciliary Units, Outpatient Clinics (OPCs), Healthcare Centers (HCC), and Community Based Outpatient Clinics(CBOCs).
• Produces pertinent and informative management reports, demonstrating effective practices in problem resolution.
• Ensures emergency operations and support activities are monitored to expedite return to readiness whenever there is a loss of operational capabilities from any of the Network facilities or catchment areas.
• Provides technical assistance, guidance, and coordination on emergency medical preparedness programs for all VISN medical facilities and catchment areas.
• Employs considerable knowledge of healthcare facility operations and emergency operations supporting federal, state, and local entities within the geographical boundaries of the Network.
• Fulfills program responsibilities and coordinates network programs with senior management officials at VA Headquarters, VISN medical facilities, other federal departments/agencies, state government, and local communities where VA facilities are located.
• Manages and coordinates all aspects of the Network Emergency Management Coordination Center (NEMCC) and organizes network emergency management support activities as necessary including developing a Network Emergency Operation Plan (EOP) which meets contingency requirements.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.; Subject to change to meets the needs of the Agency.
Telework: This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.
Virtual: This is a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Emergency Management Specialist (VISN Network Emergency Manager) Detail/Temporary Promotion/PD99786S
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Authorized
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, 02/10/2026.

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-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.

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-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: Working in a healthcare/medical environment preparing for, carrying out, and coordinating emergency management functions; Collaborating with various agencies (government and non-government) to aid victims suffering from injury or damage resulting from disaster caused by natural or man-made hazards; Utilizing and following emergency management related regulations, directives, and requirements to facilitate appropriate response to and recovery from emergencies and disasters; Determining medical facility capabilities to meet patient demands and site-specific needs during emergency situations; Providing and applying recommendations to assist staff in developing plans and programs to manage emergency situations; and Determining alternative care sites for patients at medical facilities with unique medical problems or those impacted by emergency/disaster incidents. NOTE: Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must clearly indicate the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

Driver's License Requirement: A current valid state-issued driver's license is required. Note: We cannot accept photographs. Therefore, please do not submit a copy of your license with your application package. If an interview is requested, you will be required to provide your driver's license for verification purposes.

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

• Administration and Management
• Emergency Management
• Financial Management

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 mostly sedentary although some physical effort may be required to meet fieldwork requirements, such as lifting 50 pounds, moving, pushing, etc. During emergency events, the employee would be expected to work significant extended hours under very austere conditions. The work is generally performed in an office setting but emergency incidents, training, and exercise events may require prolonged duty days and/or work to be conducted under austere field conditions. The position may require frequent travel. All positions subject to recall around the clock for emergency management operations may require irregular work hours, work locations other than the official duty station, and may include duties other than those specified in the employee's official position description. Travel requirements may occur with little advanced notice and may require employees to relocate to emergency sites with physically austere and operationally challenging conditions.

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.