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Secretary (OA)

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration
Lexington VA Health Care System- Fiscal Service

Summary

The incumbent serves as the Secretary for the Fiscal Service. S/he works at a two-divisional teaching hospital affiliated with the University of Kentucky (UK) Medical Center at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center, Lexington, KY. The affiliation with UK is extremely active and has representation of all major clinical specialties/subspecialties.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
No
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$45,409 - $59,031 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 6
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
No
Drug test
No
Security clearance
Not Required
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
CBTG-13044304-26-MH
Control number
881850200

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to current, permanent Veteran Health Administration (VHA) Employees Only! VCS employees may apply for consideration. VHA Employee Status-If you are unsure of if your current duty assignment falls under the Veterans Health Administration to be considered for this position, you can verify by referring to Block 22 on your most recent SF-50.

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Duties

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The incumbent of this position provides secretarial and administrative support to the Chief of Fiscal Service and service staff. The incumbent actively participates in the management of the Fiscal Service by performing various technical and administrative duties for the Chief. Based on a good working knowledge of the medical center, the incumbent is responsible for the administrative work of the office.
Duties include, but not limited to:

  • Provides full administrative support for day-to-day office operations, ensuring efficient workflow and coordination of tasks.
  • Arranges meetings, reserves spaces, notifies participants, and adjusts schedules as necessary.
  • Prepares materials and background information for meetings, ensuring leadership is briefed on key issues.
  • Maintains a correspondence log and suspense files to ensure timely routing and completion of all required actions.
  • Organizes and maintains financial review files in accordance with Records Control Schedule and related policies.
  • Takes and transcribes meeting minutes, applying judgment to capture essential decisions and discussions.
  • Screens telephone calls and visitors, independently resolving procedural or general issues using knowledge of medical center operations.
  • Offers guidance, direction, and administrative expertise to service personnel as requested.
  • Serves as the main point of contact for electronic work order submissions.
  • Tracks reports and information requests, ensuring accuracy and timely submission; returns incomplete submissions for correction.
  • Monitors developments that may impact schedules, appointments, or travel; ensures leadership is informed.
  • Independently prioritizes matters requiring leadership attention, using comprehensive knowledge of medical center functions and Fiscal Service operations.
  • Reviews, prepares, and processes outgoing correspondence, ensuring accuracy, proper formatting, and policy compliance.
  • Serves as the primary timekeeper for Fiscal Service, ensuring accurate and timely entry of time and attendance data.
  • Prepares personnel actions and monitors deadlines for performance appraisals and position description updates.
  • Performs other duties as assigned.
Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Secretary (OA)/PD301030
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 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, 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, 08/31/2026.

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-06 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05.

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.

Applicants must submit documentation verifying that they meet time-in-grade requirements in accordance with federal regulations. Human Resources will not review or access official personnel records to determine eligibility if supporting documentation is not provided. Failure to submit required documentation will result in an ineligible rating.

Permanent Employee Status: If you are unsure if you have permanent employee status to be considered for this position, you can verify your status by referring to Box 24 on your most recent SF-50. The box must have a 1 or 2 in order to be considered for this position.

Typing Proficiency Requirement (all grades):This position requires the skills of a qualified typist. In addition to meeting the experience listed below, you must be able to type at least 40 words per minute.

All candidates MUST provide a certificate of proficiency from a school or other organization authorized to issue such certificates by the Office of Personnel Management local office, or by self-certifying their proficiency. Performance test results and certificates of proficiency are acceptable for 3 years. Agencies may verify proficiency skills of self-certified applicants by administering the appropriate performance test. All candidates must submit documentation of his/her typing proficiency with their application package to clearly indicate the number of words typed per minute.

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-5 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.

Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to:

  • Obtain and monitor a full range of office support services such as printing, maintenance, and supply services. This requires knowledge of the procedures applicable to the control, authorization, securing, and justification of such services;
  • Request various types of personnel training actions; and
  • Prepare a wide variety of recurring internal reports and documents from information obtained from the staff, files and other sources.
  • Skill in use of computer software with the ability to load and operate various software applications, i.e., Microsoft Word Processing, Excel, Outlook, etc., as well as the medical center computer systems.
  • Thorough working knowledge of Microsoft Office software word processing, scheduling, and spreadsheet programs such as Word Outlook, and Excel.
  • Knowledge of grammar, spelling, punctuation, proofreading techniques, symbols and required formats for correspondence and/or reports.
  • Ability to organize the flow of clerical processes in an office to accomplish the administrative support functions (e.g. processing mail, maintaining calendars, making travel and conference arrangements, etc.)
  • Skills required to record and transcribe notes of correspondence, reports, and similar material, telephone conversations, and office meetings and conferences in a typical administrative or technical office.
You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:
  • Accountability
  • Administration and Management
  • Attention to Detail
  • Clerical
  • Computer Skills
  • Customer Service
  • Customer Service (Clerical/Technical)
  • Decision Making
  • Flexibility
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Learning
  • Manages and Organizes Information
  • 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.

Basis for Selection: Selections for positions will be based on the objective evaluation of the candidates' total qualifications for the position. "Qualifications" means the combination of experience, training, education, skills, knowledge, abilities, personal characteristics, and merit factors deemed to be pertinent to successful performance.

Physical Requirements: Work is primarily sedentary. The work places no special physical demands on the incumbent other than some walking, standing, bending and carrying of light items such as folders, reports, books, files, etc.

Work Environment: Work is performed in an office setting where the work area is typically 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.

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/.

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.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

TheCareer 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
  • Administration and Management
  • Attention to Detail
  • Clerical
  • Computer Skills
  • Customer Service
  • Customer Service (Clerical/Technical)
  • Decision Making
  • Flexibility
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Learning
  • Manages and Organizes Information
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Reasoning
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork


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.

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?

The Lexington VA Health Care System provides care for Veterans throughout central, eastern, and southern Kentucky. The Troy Bowling Campus near Cooper Drive in Lexington is a fully accredited, two-division, tertiary care medical center with an operating capacity of 199 hospital beds. Established in 1973 and built adjacent to the University of Kentucky, this campus offers specialty outpatient care, inpatient acute medical, neurological, surgical, and psychiatric care.

The Franklin R. Sousley Campus on Leestown Road, established in 1931, is home to the main Primary Care clinics, including Women's Health and Geriatric specialty clinics. It also houses other specialty clinics, such as prosthetics, optometry, massage therapy and chiropractic, mental health, substance abuse treatment, acute rehabilitation, and PTSD rehabilitation treatment. LVAHCS also maintains community-based outpatient clinics in Berea, Hazard, Morehead, and Somerset, KY.

The Lexington VAHCS is ranked 6th nationally for quality, ranked in the top 10 by Forbes as a "Best Place to Work" in Kentucky and commended by a Joint Commission Survey team for "restoring their faith in VA."

Agency contact information

Michael Helton
Phone
615-582-2884
Email
Michael.Helton@va.gov
Address
Lexington VA Health Care System
2250 Leestown Road
Lexington, KY 40511
US

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