Clarification from the agency

This vacancy announcement is open to current permanent employees of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) only.

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Duties include but are not limited to the following:

• Works in a highly independent capacity to perform administrative work, which includes management of the Director's schedule or day-to-day plans.
• Develops plans or schedules using standard references and existing information.
• Assists with and updates office documents, standard operating procedures, and related materials.
• Schedules appointments, coordinates meetings, and/or schedules conferences for Director and other members of the executive team.
• Receives, schedules, refers, and contacts members of the staff, agency, and persons outside the agency.
• Attends meetings, prepares meeting minutes, and independently follows up on action items with appropriate staff members on behalf of the AVAHCS Director.
• Researches and provides background on subject matter of meetings without direction.
• Ensures that all suspense items are logged and sent to the proper point-of-contact (POC).
• Searches and provides all appropriate reference material.
• Performs travel arrangements and modifications for the Director and other members of the Executives as needed.
• Collects, compiles and tracks data on staff performance measures such as meeting attendance, training, and timekeeping, and generates reports.
• Distributes forms and instructions for annual performance ratings and ensures timely, proper completion.
• Maintains automated system of program-specific data to track Facility, VISN, or VACO suspense items and due outs with critical timelines.
• Serves as the primary timekeeper for the Director's office and other services, as needed.
• Enters work orders and serves as the Director's Office primary ADPAC.
• Serves as a Service Level Advocate for the Director's Office.
• Acts as a liaison and maintains communications with persons and/or groups within and out of the Executive Office, speaking for the Director on administrative issues.
• Serves as a conduit for items that must be discussed with the Director when they are off station for extended periods.
• Processes incoming and outgoing correspondence, reports, memoranda, and other forms of written communication.
• Edits correspondence and reviews for accuracy prior to submitting to executive leaders and VISN.
• Prepares public presentation outlines, develops letters, and replies to inquiries.
• Serves as a supervisor, ensuring work assignments of staff are completed.
• Assigns functions to team members to meet routine and mandated deadlines and priorities.
• Provides guidance and technical direction for the team to ensure work is accomplished.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 7:30am- 4:00pm
Telework: This position MAY be eligible to telework on an as needed (ad hoc only) basis, determined and approved by the needs of the service. Telework will not be approved on a regular & recuring basis. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.
Virtual: This is not a virtual or remote position.
Position Description/PD#: Supervisory Secretary (OA)/PD503950
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized.
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not authorized.
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

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement, 05/20/2026.

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 within 30 days the closing date of this announcement. For this GS-9 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-8.
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-8 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Administrative planning and coordination; Detailed knowledge of correspondence guidelines, travel regulations and procedures, timekeeping regulations, and other office procedures in the Health Care System; Scheduling appointments, coordinating meetings and/or conferences; Maintaining files and tracking reports; Preparation of reports, presentations, letters and replies to inquiries; Knowledge of Human resource functions such as recruitment, discipline, performance and leave management; Obtains and monitors the use of services, supplies, or equipment for the office; Expertise in the operation of computers, data management software, and other standard office equipment. OR,
• Education: Generally, education is not creditable at this level unless directly related. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed a master's or equivalent degree OR 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree OR LL.B. or J.D. Education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. Education cannot be credited without documentation. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED)

Typing Requirement: In addition to meeting experience requirements, applicants for these positions (Office Automation - any grade) must demonstrate a typing speed of at least 40 words per minute. At this time applicants are being asked to self-certify. Please Note: Self-certification may be verified via administration of the appropriate performance test.

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:
Clerical
Manages and organizes information
Communications
Computer Skills
Manages Human Resources

Preferred Experiences include:
Experience managing calendars, scheduling meetings and coordinating logistical arrangement for senior leaders.
Experience with office productivity tools such as Microsoft 365, SharePoint and other task management tools.
Coordination of travel and processing of travel authorizations/vouchers.
Maintaining accurate administrative records.
Handling of confidential and sensitive information in accordance with policy and privacy standards.
Tracking of action items, ensuring follow-through on assignments and executive correspondence.

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. Typically, the employee may sit comfortably to do the work. However, there may be some walking, standing, bending, and carrying of light items like papers or books. No special physical demands are required to perform the 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/.

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.

Resume Reminder - Your resume must include the following information for each job listed:

• Job title
• Duties (be as detailed as possible)
• Month & year start/end dates (e.g. June 2007 to April 2008)
• Full-time or part-time status (include hours worked per week)
• Series and Grade, if applicable, for all Federal positions you have held

Recommended: Even though we do not require a specific resume format, your resume must be clear so that we are able to fully evaluate your qualifications. To ensure you receive appropriate consideration, please list the duties you performed under each individual job title. If we are unable to match your experiences with the positions held, you may lose consideration for this vacancy. We cannot make assumptions regarding your qualifications.

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.