Clarification from the agency

Current, Permanent VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System Employees and CTAP Eligibles

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The Health System Specialist duties include, but are not limited to:

• Provide ongoing support in budgeting, contracting, and equipment decisions affecting medical center administrative and clinical operations.
• Conduct studies of health care system programs and operations, and make recommendations for improvements to reduce cost and increase efficiency and effectiveness without compromising customer service.
• Identify problems or potential problems within the facility that impact the ability to provide good customer service and/or quality care, and make recommendations for corrective actions.
• Handle operational matters within the Director's Office to include coordination and act as a liaison with the Quality, Safety and Value, Systems Redesign, Research Compliance, Patient Safety, Patient Experience, Patient Representatives, Patient Privacy, Public Affairs, Regional Counsel and the Equal Employee Opportunity Office, as well as resolving more difficult, non routine matters not requiring action by the Director.
• Lead and/or actively participate in projects requested by top management.
• Utilize advanced planning, organizational, and management principles and practices to plan, design, and conduct professional studies in such areas as the acquisition, development, analysis, and presentation of population based planning data, health and economic demographics, and patient care and work performance to enhance the efficiency of the operation of the health care system.
• Represent the interests of our Level 1A facility before VA Central Office (VACO) and Congress, interfacing, advising, and working directly with top VA Leadership and area congressional delegations to inform and educate VA and Congressional leaders on policy matters affecting the Cleveland VA Medical Center, its employees and patients.
• Coordinate and lead site visits by Congressional delegations.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday; 8:00am-4:30pm
Telework: Ad-hoc telework schedule may be available per agency directive.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Health System Specialist/PD701030
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

In order to qualify for this position, you must meet the following requirements within 30 calendar days of the closing date listed on the announcement:

• 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-12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-11. 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. 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.
• Applicants must be eligible under the VA Interchange Agreement, having served continuously for at least one year in the other merit system under this interchange agreement. For more information regarding the VA Interchange Agreement please visit: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-authorities/competitive-hiring/.
• All Title 38 Veterans Canteen Service (VCS) employees must have served in their Excepted Service position for at least 90 days in order to be eligible for a position within the Competitive Service.
• Applicants who were previously selected under a Competitive Delegating Examining Unit (DEU) announcement must have served in their position for at least 90 days prior to being eligible for other positions within the Competitive Service.

This position has an Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR). An IOR is part of the minimum qualifications for this occupational series. In order to meet the IOR you must have:

• Undergraduate and Graduate Level Education: Major study -- hospital administration, public health administration, or related fields such as business or public administration with course work in health care administration., OR

• Specialized Experience: Progressively responsible analytical or administrative, or clinical management or supervisory experience in the health care field. This work may have been performed in an operating health care facility or a higher organizational echelon with advisory or directional authority over such facilities. Work must have involved a close working relationship with facility managers and analysis and/or coordination of administrative, clinical, or other service activities, and provided knowledge of the following:
  • Missions, organizations, programs, and requirements of health care delivery systems;
  • Regulations and standards of various regulatory and credentialing groups; and
  • Government-wide, agency, and facility systems and requirements in various administrative areas such as budget, personnel, and procurement., OR

• Special Provision for Inservice Placement: Successful completion of an agency-sponsored on-the-job training program may be substituted for qualifying experience, provided it included a formal individualized training plan. Such a training program must have been conducted in an operating health care system and included:

  • Assignments providing a knowledge of basic health system administration philosophies, practices, and procedures, and basic government administrative policies and requirements;
  • Practical assignments providing an opportunity to apply health system administration skills and principles (as the individual progresses, work assignments must be characteristic of the grade level to which he or she is assigned); and
  • Oversight by an experienced health system administrator with periodic evaluation of the individual's progress and appropriate adjustment of the training program.

In addition to the qualification above you must also have:

GS-12 Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-11 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: applying analytical and evaluative methods and techniques to issues or studies concerning the efficiency and effectiveness of program operations carried out by administrative personnel; performing substantive administrative support functions such as internal activities or functions such as supply, budget, procurement or personnel; must have knowledge of pertinent laws, regulations, policies and precedents which affect the use of program; understanding major issues, program goals and objectives, work processes and administrative operations of the organization; planning, scheduling and conducting projects and studies to evaluate and recommend improvements in a program; developing new or modified work methods, organizational structures, records and files, management processes, staff patterns and automating work processes.

There is no educational substitution for the GS-12 grade level.

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

• Interpersonal Skills
• Analysis and Problem Solving
• Customer Service
• 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 work is primarily sedentary, although some slight physical effort may be 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/.

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.