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Administrative Support Assistant

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration
West Texas VA Health Care System

Summary

This position specializes in clinical operations, business analysis, and development across a wide range of complex activities in the VA and provides administrative support and staff assistance to the QPS programs, including Infection Prevention, External Peer Review Program, Risk Management, Patient Safety, Continuous Readiness, High Reliability Organization (HRO), and Strategic Analytics for Improvement and Learning (SAIL), relieving the QPS programs of administrative responsibilities.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Posted this week · Apply by 07/07/26
Due by 11:59 p.m. ET on July 7, 2026
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$50,460 - $65,599 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 7
Promotion potential
None
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
Not required
Appointment type
Permanent
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Represented by a union
Yes
Drug test
No
Security clearance
Other
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
Financial disclosure required
No
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
CAZM-12998789-26-AM
Control number
875150400

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

ALL US CITIZENS DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: This position is being filled using Direct-Hire Authority (5 CFR 337.205) for this occupation.

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Duties

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Policy Coordination

Assists with drafting, revising, and interpreting complex policies to ensure full alignment with current VA directives, federal regulations, and accreditation standards. The incumbent systematically organizes and manages policy review processes by collecting input from subject matter experts, tracking timelines, and facilitating efficient progression from draft to final approval. Conducts thorough research and analysis of existing and proposed policies, synthesizing findings into clear and concise reports or executive summaries for leadership consideration. Actively monitors policy implementation and compliance, utilizing available databases and tracking mechanisms to identify gaps and areas for improvement. When deficiencies are noted, the incumbent provides actionable recommendations for corrective measures and supports the efforts to achieve sustained compliance. Responsible for developing user-friendly training materials and educating staff regarding new or revised policies, ensuring clear understanding across all levels of the organization. Maintains thorough documentation of all policy-related activities, including drafts, approvals, and final published versions, and is responsible for preparing regular updates and reports regarding the status of policy projects, compliance metrics, and any emerging issues.

Organization and Administrative Support

Advises the QPS service lines on quality business practices, healthcare delivery services, and support services, including presentation and analysis of data. Provides significant support and input for facility goals, including the collection of required data, and the establishment of details strategies. Incumbent coordinates with the QPS service lines to deliver requirements and information needs. Responsibilities include coordination of reports and projects, facilitation of associated task group meetings and preparation of correspondence and reports. Analyzes diverse aspects of the overall health system operations to identify means of improvement, efficiency and effectiveness as well as the use of resources. Within capacity of the Quality and Patient Safety service lines, develops written communication for the QPS Staff, to include but not limited to, correspondence, actions, and program evaluations such as access and efficiency assessments, position/option papers, policy statements and reports that are provided to multiple stakeholders to include internal and external customers such as employees, VISN and VACO representatives, Congressional delegates, and Veteran Service Organizations (VSO's). Coordinates onsite visits and audits from internal and external accrediting agencies. Plays a central role in developing and coordinating internal review systems and facility self-analysis to ensure that both clinical and administrative activities are compliant with agency and accrediting and regulatory requirements. Serves as the Quality and Patient Safety Records Liaison. Works with compliance to ensure sensitive quality and risk management records are handled according to policy. Develops the need for and maintains an awareness of available resources and makes recommendations to Quality and Patient Safety service lines. Responsible for formulation and execution of annual budget including salaries, travel, supplies, equipment and all other general operating expenses. Gathers and analyzes budget needs of QPS service lines and supervises all phases of budgeting within administrative requirements. Practices comprehensive budget oversight, monitoring supply expenditures and providing controls, monitoring commitments, and obtaining additional funding when necessary. Serves as a Human Resources advisor for the service, advising and making recommendations on matters of personnel utilization, and serving as the recruitment subject matter expert. Ensures HR Smart and other HR systems accurately reflect current Service FTEE, etc. Reviews the organization chart and all position descriptions for the QPS and makes recommendations for changes to improve effectiveness and efficiency. Maintains a tracking mechanism and ensures all position descriptions are current.

Performs other related duties as assigned.



Work Schedule: Monday-Friday; 8:00am-4:30pm
Telework: Ad-hoc This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Administrative Support Assistant/PD013250
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
  • To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.
  • Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
  • 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.
  • 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 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 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, 07/07/2026.

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-05 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: strong written and verbal communication skills are essential for drafting clear policy documents, preparing educational materials, and providing training. The role requires effective collaboration with interdisciplinary teams, sound judgment, analytical thinking, and discretion when handling sensitive information, skill in continuous quality improvement, team leadership, planning and coordinating cross-departmental efforts, and developing new approaches to assess workload and performance measures, analyze complex problems, provide well-reasoned recommendations, and communicate clearly with stakeholders at all levels, proficiency with office automation tools, spreadsheets, and electronic databases is required for tracking policy status, accessing information, and preparing reports, and knowledge of healthcare delivery systems, professional services, financial and resource management principles. OR,
  • Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have (1) full year of graduate level education OR superior academic achievement. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED) OR,
  • Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. Possess a combination of education and experience as described above. (TRANSCRIPT 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/.

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/.

Note: If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application.

Additional information

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.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.

Receiving Service Credit for 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. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. 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.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.

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.

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following Competencies for this position:

  • Accountability
  • Attention to Detail
  • Customer Service
  • Decision Making
  • Flexibility
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Learning
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Reasoning
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork


USA Hire Assessments include a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment.

Your 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. 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. IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

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.

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities [i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities], and/or Disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. Contact the Agency Contact for information on how to apply under this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator.

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?

DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: This position is being filled using Direct-Hire Authority (5 CFR 337.205) for this occupation.

The West Texas VA Health Care System(WTVAHCS) located in Big Spring Texas provides a variety of inpatient and outpatient care services, with state-of-the-art technology as well as offering numerous educational programs. The facility serves counties in West Texas and the New Mexico area, with a Veteran population of approximately 57,000.

Big Spring, "The Crossroads of West Texas" has a growing economy with new businesses locating in the area offering more shopping, family orientated attractions, and a bustling revitalized downtown area. Big Spring is centrally located within driving range of the following communities Midland, Odessa, San Angelo, Abilene, and Lubbock, Texas.
www.visitbigspring.com

Agency contact information

Adriann Montelongo
Email
adriann.montelongo@va.gov
Address
George H O'Brien Jr VA Medical Center
300 Veterans Boulevard
Big Spring, TX 79720
US

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