Clarification from the agency

Open to current, permanent employees of the VA Central California Health Care System only.

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Major duties include:

• Responsible for and supervises all administrative functions of the Office of the Chief of Staff. All paperwork that reaches the desk of the Chief of Staff is reviewed by the incumbent.
• Interprets data in the realm of clinical management and operations for the COS, prepares data validation, develops strategies for the improvement of clinical care based on the data, formulates and assists in the implementation of these improvement plans.
• Leads special projects and/or improvement teams.
• Coordinates and develops recommendations and action plans for the COS on policies, programs and practices concerned with the operation of various health care programs and services.
• Ensures that appropriate completion of special studies required by the COS, collaborating with and providing guidance to other staff in the office and other VACCHCS personnel as required and consolidating findings and recommendations as necessary for presentation to the COS. These studies may require the integration of information drawn from VISN21 and Central Office levels of VA, from educational affiliates, external partners, and from state and federal offices. Results of these studies have major impact on future directions of the VACCHCS programs, resource utilization, and relationships.
• Advises top management, service chiefs, committee chairs and program managers on a wide variety of issues affecting the delivery of health care and providing leadership and coordination for the development and modification of effective clinical management systems.
• Participates in both long- and short-range planning by reviewing the clinical needs of various health care groups.
• Develops recommendations and plans of action by adapting principles, practices and procedures to meet the specialized needs of the assigned program and/or health care group.
• Provides administrative consultant services to the professional service chiefs and their staff. Keeps the COS informed in areas that could have a significant impact on the successful operation of the office.
• Provides advice and guidance to professional service chiefs in the areas of budget, equipment, space, position management, program planning, etc.
• Represents the COS at administrative and clinical committee meetings.
• Actively participates in key facility resource management committees. Committee membership includes, but is not limited to: space, cost containment, position management, equipment, executive, clinical and administrative boards, specific clinical programs, safety and education.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm
Telework: Not Eligible
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Supervisory Health System Specialist (Executive Assistant to the Chief of Staff)/PD002365
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 identification 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, 05/26/2026.

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-13 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-12. 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.

Health System Specialist Individual Occupation 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

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.

Special Provision for In-service 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 meeting the Individual Occupation Requirements; you must meet the GS-13 minimum grade level requirements.

GS-13 Grade Level Requirements:

You may qualify based on your experience as described below:

• Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-12 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Resolves many complex, multi-institutional administrative issues; Develops, analyzes, evaluates, advises on, or improves the effectiveness of work methods and procedures, organizations, budget, manpower utilization, distribution of work assignments, delegations of authority, management controls, information and documentation systems, and similar functions of management; Coordinates responses to emergent or urgent matters involving the executive leadership; Creates comprehensive reports to contribute to the improvement of productivity, effectiveness and efficiency in program operations and/or administrative support activities at different echelons and/or geographical locations within the organization. Experience must be working in a health care facility.

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

• Analysis and Problem Solving
• Communications
• Influencing/Negotiating
• Organizational Awareness
• Planning and Evaluating

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 required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not 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.