Clarification from the agency

ALL US CITIZENS DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: This position is being filled using Direct-Hire Authority (5 CFR 337.201) for this occupation.

The major duties of this position include but are not limited to the following:

• Provides full staff assistance on administrative matters for the Executive Leader.
• Directs and coordinates all administrative matters relative to services under the oversight of the Executive Leader.
• Represents executive team members and the facility in various committee meetings and public forums including interacting with all levels of the public, local, state, national officials and all levels of VA leadership.
• Conducts qualitative and quantitative analysis and summarizes significant results and recommendations to improve services and to promote quality care.
• Prepares correspondence to local and national inquiries by collecting and analyzing information and preparing responses for final signature.
• Advises and assists management responsible for planning, organization, development, direction and evaluation of administrative programs.
• Maintains full awareness of the objectives of the VA, VHA VISN and Facility objectives in a manner to ensure successful implementation of the goals and to keep management aware of potential problem areas before they escalate into major issues.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday | 7:30 AM - 4:00 PM CST
Position Description Title/PD#: Health System Specialist (Associate Director)/PD70516A
Telework: Ad Hoc Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Physical Requirements: The incumbent must be able to work under pressure, tight time deadlines, and rapidly changing priorities that may require the incumbent to work irregular hours. The work requires making regular walking rounds throughout TVHS sites of care. The incumbent will primarily work at the Murfreesboro campus, but routine travel to the all other campus may be required. Travel to all TVHS sites of care may occasionally be required. Travel to locations external to TVHS may occasionally be required.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job
• Subject to a background/suitability investigation
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• A complete application package; Resume, Transcripts, etc. is required
• 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 identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.

Upon completion of your probationary period (OR INSERT "trial period"), your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary 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

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Applicants must also possess the Individual Occupational Requirement as described below.

INDIVIDUAL OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENT:

1. 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
• Government-wide, agency, and facility systems and requirements in various administrative areas such as budget, personnel, and procurement.

OR

2. Education: Undergraduate or graduate education with a major study in hospital administration, public health administration, or related fields such as business or public administration with course work in health care administration. (TRANSCRIPT MUST BE PROVIDED.)

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.

NOTE: CANDIDATES USING EDUCATION TO MEET THE INDIVIDUAL OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENT MUST SUBMIT AN UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT OF CONFERRED DEGREE BY THE ANNOUNCEMENT CLOSING. LATE SUBMISSIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

In addition to Individual Occupational Requirement, applicants must also possess the Specialized Experience, Education, and/or Combination as described below.

To qualify for this position at the GS-11 level, you must meet one of the following:

• SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: You must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-9) in the Federal Service, that is directly related to the work of the position and has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties as a Health System Specialist. Qualifying specialized experience is defined as:
  • Planning, organizing and implementing long-term strategic criteria, goals and initiatives for a healthcare system.
  • Support the overall operation and management of the assigned clinical operational issues by developing methodologies to assess the functions of assigned areas and assist management in problem identification of various services and components.
  • Provide primary staff support to upper management in a hospital or medical office setting by formulating and participating in the development of management policies, programs, and operations.
  • Performing staff support work to develop comprehensive short-range and long-range medical center plans, goals, and objectives
  • Preparing correspondence to local and national inquiries by collecting and analyzing information and preparing responses for final signature.
  • Developing methodology to assess the function of assigned areas and assists management in problem identification of services and components.

NOTE: 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

OR

• EDUCATION: : Successfully completed a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., if related. 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: Combinations of successfully completed graduate level education (beyond the first 2 years) and specialized experience as described above to meet total experience requirements. The education portion must include graduate courses that demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do to the work of this position.

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.

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

• Administration and Management
• Analysis and Problem Solving
• Analytical Thinking

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.

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. Applicants will be referred in the order in which they were received.