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Health System Specialist

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration
Veterans Health Administration

Summary

The Health System Specialist - is assigned to the Executive Director's Office, at VA Connecticut HCS West Haven, functioning as a liaison to multiple staff offices and serves as the conduit for information flow and management of assignments between such offices. Monitors and manages incoming actions and requests from initial receipt to completion and closeout. Analyzes the subject matter of incoming information that is generally procedural and factual in nature for appropriate distribution

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
03/02/2026 to 03/13/2026
Salary
$59,465 to - $94,563 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 7 - 9
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
West Haven, CT
1 vacancy
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
9
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
CBTD-12898252-26-EF
Control number
859515000

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Current Permanent Veterans Administration Employees and Current Permanent Other Federal Agencies Employees.

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Duties

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Major duties include, but are not limited to:

  • Conducts routine studies on particular operational processes, issue topics, or related special projects
    where successive steps in fact-finding are utilized.
  • Serves as the responsible contact for leading these projects from initiation to completion. Uses standard reference materials to develop straightforward position papers that touch on sensitive issues such as the quality or timeliness of veteran care issues.
  • Works in coordination with other internal reviewing services regarding routine audits and internal/external
    reviews of a national concern; i. e, fiscal efficiencies and organizational structure that are reviewed by
    prominent parties such as the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) or the Government Accountability
    Office (GAO).
  • Communicates with responsible staff agency members to ensure completion of all requested actions and appropriately closes out all requests.
  • Works closely with senior management and others in implementing and evaluating policies, plans, and
    internal operational systems such as correspondence management, information tracking among
    pertinent offices and stakeholders, and internal/external communication flows.
  • Functions in myriad roles by contacting and engaging with various administrative program officials within Headquarters and in the field to manage, coordinate, and complete various routine assignments or projects that involve or are initiated by these officials.
  • Manages and coordinates all online communication tools such as assigned intranet websites, internal
    SharePoint website collection, and other related informational tools in consultation with communication
    specialists.
  • Assures compliance with all applicable policies, and development and maintenance of
    internal management processes related to these online tools.
  • Coordinates routine events hosted by officials, including town hall meetings with internal staff, with
    assistance from continuing educational staff and initiatives when warranted.
  • Completes all steps required within an event management process, including facilitating selection of the event time, developing a formal agenda, managing any required contracts and all logistical items, disseminating information to attendees, and ensuring smooth execution of the event.
  • Works with various boards to coordinate regular committee meetings, ensuring all event management steps are completed.
  • Coordinates with the appropriate individuals or offices to develop proposals and supporting materials for
    presentation at conferences, meetings, hearings and other external activities and meetings.
  • Briefs and advises senior management on agenda issues in preparation for activities and
    meetings and may represent the office on very routine issues at internal or external activities or meetings.

Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level.

Work Schedule: Monday to Friday 8:00am to 4:30pm
Compressed/Flexible: Not Available
Telework: Ad-Hoc Telework is Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Health System Specialist/PD03608-A and PD03607-A
  • This position is not a Bargaining Unit position.
  • May be required to attend conference at other facilities or other VA sites on occasion.
  • Current Federal employees must submit copies of their most recent SF-50, (Notice of Personnel Action). The SF-50 must identify the position title, series, grade, step, tenure and type of service (Competitive or Excepted). In some cases, more than one SF-50 may be required to show a higher grade previously held.
  • This position is in the Competitive Service.
  • Time-in-Grade Restriction: 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. The grade may have been in any occupation but must have been held in the Federal service.
  • Interchange Agreements with Other Merit System: Employees who occupy medical or medical-related positions and were appointed under 38 U.S.C. 4701(1) or (3) [formerly 38 U.S.C. 4104 (1) and (3)] must be serving in a full-time position without time limit and have served continuously for at least one year in this other merit system to be eligible to convert to the Title 5 System. Some exceptions to this rule may apply if you have previously acquired tenure under a Title 5 appointment.
  • Veterans' preference does not apply for other current permanent Federal agency employees

Requirements

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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
  • You may be required to serve a probationary period
  • Subject to background/security investigation
  • Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process
  • Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)
  • Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 03/13/2026

Individual Occupational Requirements: Undergraduate and Graduate 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

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.
AND

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-7 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-5 grade level and For a GS-9 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-7 grade level. 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 must qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:

GS-7 Level
Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-05 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Qualifying specialized experience is defined as 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: (1) Missions, organizations, programs, and requirements of health care delivery systems; (2) Regulations and standards of various regulatory and credentialing groups; and (3) Government-wide, agency, and facility systems and requirements in various administrative areas such as budget, personnel, and procurement.

OR

Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must one (1) full year of graduate education. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position (i.e., hospital administration, public health administration, or related fields such as business or public administration with course work in health care administration). Education at the graduate level must have been obtained in an accredited college or university and must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position;

OR,

Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. The education portion must include graduate courses that demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do to the work of this position (i.e. hospital administration, public health administration, or related fields such as course work in health care administration). Only education beyond a bachelors degree may be used to qualify applicants for the GS-07 level.

GS-9 Level
Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-07 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Qualifying specialized experience would be defined as coordinating routine events hosted by officials, including town hall meetings with internal staff, with
assistance from continuing educational staff and initiatives when warranted. Completing all steps required within an event management process, including facilitating selection of the event time, developing a formal agenda, managing any required contracts and all logistical items, disseminating information to attendees, and ensuring smooth execution of the event. Working with various boards to coordinate regular committee meetings, ensuring all event management steps are completed. Coordinating with the appropriate individuals or offices to develop proposals and supporting materials for
presentation at conferences, meetings, hearings and other external activities and meetings. Briefing and advising senior management on agenda issues in preparation for activities and meetings and may represent the office on very routine issues at internal or external activities or meetings.

OR,

Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a masters or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree OR a related LL.M or J.D to the work of the position;

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 one (1) year of graduate education. To calculate, first identify the percentage of required education you have earned (when substituting, you cannot use the first year of graduate education).

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

  • Information Management
  • Interpersonal Skills


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 sedentary. Some travel is required. No other special physical demands are required of this work.

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: 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

Receiving Service Credit or 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. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. 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.

VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

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.

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.

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.

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