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Administrative Officer

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration
El Paso VA Health Care System

Summary

Performs the functions of an Administrative Officer (AO) and will be assigned to the Social Work Services department that reports up to their assigned Executive Leadership Team (ELT) member, the Associate Director of Patient Care Services/Nurse Executive (ADPCS/NE). The AO is responsible for the overall administrative management and general business operations of the clinical service line.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
02/11/2026 to 02/17/2026
This job will close when we have received 50 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Salary
$61,722 to - $80,243 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 9
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
El Paso, TX
1 vacancy
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
25% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
CAZM-12883756-26-AM
Control number
857192800

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Duties

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Administrative Management
Plans, directs and controls the assigned clinical service lines administrative activities including establishing parameters for policies and procedures, personnel management, contract oversight, training coordination, procurement of furniture, supplies and equipment, preparation, and presentation of awards for employees, records management, responsible for protecting electronic files, budget programming and execution, communications control, physical space management and special projects or studies. The incumbent is responsible for developing and directing all administrative functions for the assigned clinical service line. In addition, the AO has the authority to act as proxy for the Social Work Executive in all administrative functions. Examples include updating and maintaining emergency response cascade rosters of 2 employees assigned to the Service, providing a daily account of open encounters, unsigned notes, consults, Joint Patient Safety Reports (JPSRs), Congressionals and other patient care issues for the purposes of service recovery, preparing meeting minutes, managing the Service SharePoint, maintaining 6-part folders and other collaborative functions to ensure continual readiness, and quality and compliance with professional practice, accreditation and other VA accreditation bodies and standards (e.g., OIG, JC, etc.), developing position descriptions for non-clinical staff, coordinating system redesign teams, gathering and analyzing data, preparing and reviewing the budget, assisting with oversight of plans to meet performance measures and monitors, including statistics and data monitoring systems related to all day-to-day functioning. Interact frequently with Veterans and Veteran Service Organizations (VSOs) in order to represent the Services positively and to resolve issues at the lowest level.

Personnel Administration and Management
Manages all administrative functions within the assigned clinical service line and regularly represents the service in project planning activities when so designated. Administrative responsibilities include fiscal, personnel, equipment, program, and supply management. Additionally, the incumbent serves as a liaison between all facility services and is responsible to executive management on administrative matters. Monitors FTEE assigned to Social Work Services, including manpower mapping. In addition, is responsible for monitoring completion of performance reports by supervisors, helping develop performance standards, writing position descriptions for non-clinical staff and assisting in recruiting and hiring of non-clinical employees. Coordinates with supervisors to ensure that updated and accurate functional statements and position descriptions are maintained. Provides input for performance awards. Identifies correct position descriptions and/or functional statements for recruitment and hiring.

Budget/Financial Management and Procurement/Contracting
Responsible for managing budget formulation and execution for a changing budget of administrative expenses, involving different funding sources, and participates with managers in reviewing needs, plans, and goals to develop budget data and justifications for review and approval. Advises the Social Work Executive on budgetary and finance issues. Serves as a purchase card holder and approving official for equipment and commodities procurements to ensure that cardholders adhere to the procurement requirements. Monitors to ensure that the cardholder conducts purchase card reconciliations within the required timeframe and that the reconciliations are correct. Prepares budget estimates based on historical information and identifies the need for changes. Interacts and negotiates on adjustments or reprogramming of funds in support of major program changes or requirements. Serves as the Fund Control Point Official for numerous fund control points and acts as the Approving Official and/or Alternate Official for purchase card holders in the sub-specialty sections of the assigned clinical service. manages procurement and contracting needs for Social Work Services. Manages contracting and procurement for small procurements that require varying approaches. Collaborates with Contracting/Acquisition staff in the preparation of contracts to secure adequate resources to facilitate operations to include determining appropriate costs, performing cost analysis, soliciting bids, writing sole source justifications, and communicating both orally and in writing with contractors. Prepares and reviews purchase orders for supplies and non-expendable property.

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Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; 8:00am - 4:30pm
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Administrative Officer/PD01186-0
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

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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 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-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07. 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-7) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: knowledge of a full range of functional areas such as human resources, purchasing, supply and property management, records management, financial and budget management and related administrative areas in order to ensure compliance with established policies, practices, procedures and controls. Ability to identify problems and potential problem areas based on daily observance or studies; analyze and measure the effectiveness, efficiency, and productivity of administrative programs and develop written and oral recommendations for improvement. Assignments typically involve using qualitative and quantitative analytical techniques such as work measurement, productivity charting, determining staff-to-workload ratios, space planning, development and administration of questionnaires (e.g., climate surveys), flowcharting, graphing, strategic planning and basic statistical analysis. ability to identify problems and potential problem areas based on daily observance or studies; analyze and measure the effectiveness, efficiency, and productivity of administrative programs and develop written and oral recommendations for improvement. Assignments require skill in conducting interviews with supervisors and employees to obtain information about the organization's missions, functions, and work processes. OR,
  • Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a master's or equivalent graduate degree or two full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. or J.D., if related. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED). OR,
  • Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED).

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

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Note: If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

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.

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

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

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and 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:

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


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.

Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities [i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities], and/or Disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. Contact the Agency Contact for information on how to apply under this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator.

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