Clarification from the agency

The IHS is required by law to give absolute preference to qualified applicants who meet the Secretary of the Interior's definition of Indian for appointment to vacancies within the IHS in accordance with established IHS policy as outlined in the Indian Health Manual Part 7, Chapter 3.

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• Provides trainings on innovative thinking and performance improvement techniques; ensures one or
  more of the following methodologies are utilized when doing innovation and improvement work: Care
  Model, Model for Improvement, Systems Thinking or Lean Six Sigma.
• Oversees training programs to increase quality improvement capacity and standardizes improvement methodology to test small-scale changes at the local level.
• Coordinates sharing of best practices between Area Quality Managers and Service Unit Quality
  Assurance and Performance Improvement officers.
• Assists collaborative sites with procedural and management challenges. Coordinates meetings and
  conference calls with collaborative sites, various teams, work groups, and staff members.
• Collaborates with other programs in IHS to determine high-risk areas in which improvement or
  innovation work is offered across the agency.
• Develops programs to promote the implementation of patient-centered care models.
• Monitors patient and staff satisfaction with health care service delivery.
• Provides expert analysis and evaluation of work processes and policies, management practices, and
  work operations considering complex legislative, programmatic, and management issues and problems.
• Analyzes and evaluates management practices, methods, administrative operations of substantive
  organizations, and complex functions.
• Reviews and evaluates managerial policies and procedures to determine gaps where additional guidance is needed and analyzes the impact of new or proposed legislation on agency operations.
• Serves as a contracting officer's technical representative on contracts of an administrative nature and/or contractor support for the conduct of large studies.

Conditions of employment

Selectee may be subject to a probationary period
ESEP appointees typically serve a two year trial period
U.S. Citizenship is required
Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959

Confidential Financial Disclosure Form required.

Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit www.dhs.gov/E-Verify/.

You will need to set up direct deposit so we can pay you.

Background Investigation Requirement:

This position requires the successful completion of a federal background investigation as a condition of employment.

A background investigation is a standard process used by the Federal Government to verify an individual's identity, employment history, education, and other relevant information to determine suitability for Federal service.

Upon receipt of instructions, applicants must complete all required background investigation forms within five (5) calendar days of issuance. Timely completion is critical to avoid delays in processing or a determination of unsuitability.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to prioritize this requirement and to maintain regular communication with their assigned Personnel Security Specialist throughout the process.

Financial Suitability Requirement:

This position requires a review of the applicant's financial history as part of the personnel security and suitability determination. Applicants must demonstrate financial responsibility, maintain good standing with creditors, and satisfy all legal financial obligations prior to applying.

Individuals with substantial delinquent or unresolved financial obligations-including, but not limited to, delinquent federal or state tax liabilities, defaulted federal student loans, court-ordered fines or fees, or child support arrears-may be deemed unsuitable for employment with the Indian Health Service (IHS).

Prior to the appointment, candidates must present two valid forms of identification. If one of the documents is a state-issued ID or driver's license, it must be REAL ID-compliant.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, your resume must state sufficient experience and/or education, to perform the duties of the specific position for which you are applying.

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; religious; spiritual; community; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer and part time experience. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
GS-13: Your resume must demonstrate at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector performing the following type of work and/or tasks: Experience developing and implementing programs to increase quality improvement capacity; establishing and monitoring metrics to evaluate improvement efforts and outcomes; optimizing use of health information technology and data to continuously improve performance, quality and services; applying qualitative and quantitative methods to the analysis and evaluation of administrative operations, organizations, and management practices to determine their efficiency and effectiveness and managing contracts to support clinical operations.

SELECTIVE PLACEMENT FACTOR:
Lean Six Sigma Black Belt Certification issued by a recognized certifying organization, such as:

• American Society for Quality (ASQ)
• International Association for Six Sigma Certification (IASSC)
• Council for Six Sigma Certification (CSSC)
• Villanova University
• Purdue University
• Other nationally recognized Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certifying organization

OR

Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) Improvement Advisor Certification issued by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI).

Time In Grade
Federal employees in the competitive service are also subject to the Time-In-Grade Requirements: Merit Promotion (status) candidates must have completed one year of service at the next lower grade level. Time-In-Grade provisions do not apply under the Excepted Service Examining Plan (ESEP).

You must meet all qualification requirements within 30 days of the closing date of the announcement.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

This job announcement uses the USA Hire Assessment to evaluate applicants. There is no "pass/fail" outcome; results are used as part of the overall evaluation process to determine applicant qualifications. However, if you do not take the assessment within the assessment window timeframe you will be found ineligible for this position. For more information, visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center.

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. 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 (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

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

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12972296

Once the application process is complete, the first two pages of your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications.

All documents above MUST be received by 11:59 pm (Eastern Standard Time) of the closing date of 07/30/2026, to be considered.