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Secretary (OA)

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration
Veterans Health Administration

Summary

This position is located in the Veterans Administration (VA), Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Mid Atlantic Health Care Network (VISN 6), Assistant Director, Office of the Director, Asheville, North Carolina. The incumbent works directly for the Assistant Director, who reports to the Executive Director, Western North Carolina VA Healthcare System (WNCVAHCS).

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
04/28/2026 to 05/05/2026
Salary
$55,882 - $72,644 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 8
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Asheville, NC
1 vacancy
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
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
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
CBTA-12947760-26-JAW
Control number
866904300

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Duties

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Duties for the Secretary (OA) to the Assistant Director includes, but is not limited to, the following:

  • The employee provides clerical assistance to the Assistant Director, ICO and the Privacy/FOIA Office, to include processing incoming and outgoing materials such as correspondence, reports, memoranda, and other forms of written communication.
  • The incumbent will maintain mandated Privacy/FOIA office files; prepare required and requested reports and information for submission, through the Privacy/FOIA Officer, to facility Executive leadership, VISN offices, VHA and VA Privacy Offices, Congressional offices and other Federal agencies.
  • Coordinates scheduling for the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) including set up of meetings, event coordination, calendar management, and collection of needed documents for meetings including those with VACO, VISN, Congressional offices, and other key stakeholders.
  • Coordinates scheduling for the ELT including set up of meetings, event coordination, calendar management, and collection of needed documents for meetings including those with VACO, VISN, Congressional offices, and other key stakeholders.
  • Manage equipment and supplies for the Executive Leadership Team(ELT), which includes ordering, procuring, inventory management, and maintenance. Coordinates the supply inventory in support of reordering/stocking needed items.
  • Serve as the public face for the ELT greeting Veterans, Congressional representatives, staff, vendors, community partners, and other visitors.
  • Provide service recovery for Veterans and their families to include addressing immediate issues within their scope of influence, connecting with appropriate department to address their specific issue/concern, and logging/tracking issues/concerns to include in the Patient Advocate Tracking System- Replacement (PATS-R).
  • Manage the ELT telephones; answer calls, routing to correct person/department, checking voicemail, and responding to telephone calls/inquiries.
  • Serve as administrator for all SharePoint and Shared Drives for the ELT
  • Coordinate the ELT files both hardcopy and electronic to include organization, record keeping, archiving, and pulling documents as needed.
  • Support the Administrative Chief and Enterprise Daily Management System (DMS) huddles by setting up teleconference line, running audiovisual components, updating board (when needed), coordinating schedule, and provide real-time support to manage huddle logistics.
  • Manage Action Items for the ELT including conducting initial review for accuracy/ completion, assignment to services, tracking/collecting responses, routing for second-level and final level review, and routing for final submission.
  • Manage the routing of documents incoming/outgoing for the ELT. This may include inquiries, Memorandums, board actions, agreements, and other documents. The incumbent will log, track, review, and rout the document through each step of the process.
  • Manages reoccurring obligations such as due council/committee reports, minutes, and engagements for the ELT.
  • Prepare documents/correspondence for the ELT including Memorandums, Letters, Reports, Policies, Standard Work, and other documents/correspondence.
  • Works with Service Chief to ensure documents are accurate, complete, and grammatically correct.
  • The employee performs work involving the collection, compilation, and/or tracking of data and statistical information in support of the OIC Program. This includes all audits and monitors identified in the annual program plan. Additionally, the incumbent will have oversight of Compliance Awareness Training, analyze the data weekly and sends notifications of delinquency, tracking to completion.
  • The incumbent will assist in the implementation, management, and maintenance of the Privacy/FOIA program for all WNCV ARCS facilities by reviewing facility processes and products for compliance with program requirements and assessing the facility privacy posture through periodic evaluation of the facility's collection, use, storage and maintenance of sensitive personal information.

Work Schedule: M-F 0800 - 4:30pm
Telework: Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Secretary (OA)/PD044270

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
  • Subject to background/security investigation
  • Must be able to type 45 words per minute
  • 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, 05/05/2026.

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-8 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-7. 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.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must have one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-07) in the Federal Service to qualify for the GS-8 position. Specialized experience is defined as clerical and administrative experience related to secretarial support for a large organization and/or in a large medical center setting. Examples may include but are not limited to: organize the work of an Executive Office Setting and perform clerical and administrative duties; receive all correspondence; prepare travel arrangements; maintain executive schedule/calendar; meeting minutes; perform full range of secretarial and administrative duties. Please note: Your resume must support your response.

You may qualify based on your experience, as described below: You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:

  • Accountability
  • Analysis and Problem Solving
  • Attention to Detail
  • Customer Service
  • Customer Service (Clerical/Technical)
  • Decision Making
  • Flexibility
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Learning
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Reasoning
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork


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 requires sitting, walking, standing bending and carrying of light items such as papers, binders and books. The environment can be noisy and stressful at times. The work area is adequately lighted, heated and ventilated.

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

There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

Additional information

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 Health Administration

OUR MISSION: To fulfill President Lincoln's promise "To care for those who have served in our nation's military and for their families, caregivers, and survivors" - by serving and honoring the men and women who are America's Veterans. How would you like to become a part of a team providing compassionate whole health care to Veterans?

Agency contact information

John Westling
Phone
828-333-3451
Email
John.Westling@va.gov
Address
Charles George VA Medical Center
1100 Tunnel Road
Asheville, NC 28805
US

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http://www.va.gov/jobs

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