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Secretary (OA)

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration
VA North Texas Health Care System (VANTHCS)

Summary

The Primary Purpose of the Position is to serve as administrative/clerical support to the Chief/Assistant Chief, MAS and perform other duties pertinent to the efficient management of the MAS office and four distinct MAS Sections. Incumbent coordinates prioritization of work with the Chief/Assistant Chief, and Section Chiefs.

The Organizational Location of the Position is Office of the Chief, Medical Administration Service (MAS), VA North Texas Health Care System, Dallas, TX.

Overview

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This job will close when we have received 50 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
No
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$49,365 - $64,175 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
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-13045984-26-ARR
Control number
882046400

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Duties

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Duties but not limited to:

  • Serves as Secretary to the Chief, Medical Administration Service (MAS) and other staff as assigned. Incumbent also serves as receptionist for visitors and employees who enter the MAS suite. In addition, performs other duties pertinent to the efficient management of the Office of the Chief, MAS.
  • Investigates and processes tort claims in the amount of $2500 or less for all of VA North Texas Health Care system. Serves as the primary person to enter 2247's for all of VA North Texas Health Care System.
  • Receives and screens telephone calls to the Chief/Assistant Chief, MAS from the general public, local, civic, state and federal officials; other hospital officials, service organizations, congressional staff officials; Central Office personnel, regional offices and etc.
  • Handles many requests for information and resolves or assists in resolving a variety of complaints or requests made by patients and/or their family members.
  • Arranges conferences, meetings and/or appointments with individuals and/or groups (within and outside the Medical Center) at the request of the Chief, coordinating time and place.
  • Secures necessary material and equipment as appropriate to be used at meetings or conferences and sometimes attends such conferences to compose detailed or summary of accounts. Also maintains calendars, recording such activities, keeping the Chief/Assistant Chief informed, and scheduling events to avoid conflicts.
  • Receives and reads incoming mail, determining proper action, routing mail to appropriate sections for action as indicated and follows up to see that deadlines are met, and prepares replies on matters that do not require the personal attention of the Chief/Assistant Chief.
  • Reviews all outgoing correspondence, reports, minutes, etc. for proper format, corrects grammatical content, spelling, proper enclosures and complete coordination, and ensures content is in accordance with established policies. Rewrites letters that are poorly composed before referring to appropriate staff member.
  • Serves as liaison between the Assistant Chief, MAS, his subordinate staff and services in terms of receiving, relaying and passingĀ· information on non-technical issue and/or policy.
  • Instructs and assists secretaries/program clerks under auspices of the Chief, MAS, on preparation of correspondence, minutes, reports and other procedural matters.
  • Makes hotel reservations, prepares appropriate training and/or travel forms, and coordinates with travel clerk in completing airline arrangements.
  • Serves as the primary timekeeper for employees supervised by the Chief/Assistant Chief, MAS. Serves as the backup timekeeper to all MAS T&L's.
  • The position involves diverse activities, strict deadlines, dealing with highly confidential materials and interfacing with the Executive Leadership of the Medical Center, Veterans Service Organizations, Service Chiefs, vendors, bereaved family members, local city/state officials, patients and their families, and members of the community at large.
  • Knowledge of DHCPNISTA, CPRS and a variety of software programs (e.g. word, power point, excel, access, etc). Skill in creating statistical charts and graphs for reports.
  • Maintains the VA North Texas Health Care System Medical Administration Service staffing statistical database (Le. turn-over, vacancy rates, etc).
  • Prepares data for Human Resources for job announcements and recruitment to fill vacancies with in the service.
  • Knowledge of VHA organizational structure, mission, policy, and services offered, and/of all the functions of Medical Administration Service to enable the incumbent to screen requests for information.
  • Provide authorized information from files and records or advise on established procedures, and refer non-routine requests to appropriate staff members.
  • The incumbent works under the technical/management supervision of the Chief, MAS.
  • Works independently following established policies/guidelines and additional duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 7:30am to 4:00pm.
Telework: Not authorized
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Secretary (OA)/PD084630
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, 09/02/2026.

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.

GS-06 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: management and coordination of office operations and organization; exercises sound judgement and decisions in carrying out the expectations, duties, and responsibilities of the position; skill in interpersonal relations, diplomacy, tact with patients, visitors, staff, and other individuals from the community; use of Microsoft Office as well as microcomputer and data management software; Design and manage projects using standard applications software; skilled in word processing to compose written material and routine correspondence; skilled in the use of English language, grammatical organization, sentence structure, punctuation, spelling, word usage, and medical terminology.

TYPING PROFICIENCY REQUIREMENT: This position requires the skills of a qualified typist. In addition to meeting the experience and/or education requirements, you must be able to type at least 40 words per minute.

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

  • Clerical
  • Customer Service
  • Computer Skills
  • Organizational Awareness
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. Some work may require movement between offices, hospitals, warehouses, and similar areas for meetings and to conduct work. Work may also require walking/standing, in conjunctions with travel to and attendance at meetings and/or conferences away from the work site. Incumbent may carry and lift light items weighing less than 15 pounds.

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.

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


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?

VA North Texas Health Care System (VANTHCS) is the second busiest VA system in the nation and we are growing! Comprised of the Dallas VA Medical Center, Sam Rayburn Memorial Veterans Center in Bonham, Fort Worth Outpatient Clinic and Tyler VA Primary Care Clinic, VANTHCS is an integrated health care system with approximately 4,000 employees and over 1,600 volunteers and clinical trainees. VANTHCS also coordinates a Community Based Outpatient Clinic program throughout its 40-county primary service area to improve access to care for veterans throughout 38 North Texas and 2 in southern Oklahoma. Through these four distinctive facilities and relationships with other agencies, VANTHCS offers a continuum of health care services to a veteran population of approximately 500,000.

Housed on an 84-acre campus, Dallas VA Medical Center is the corporate headquarters for VANTHCS and serves as the tertiary referral center. Through its partnership with The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas (UT Southwestern), it also has emerged as a major teaching and medical research center.

Agency contact information

Arnessa Rickett Jones
Email
Arnessa.RickettJones@va.gov
Address
Dallas VA Medical Center
4500 South Lancaster Road
Dallas, TX 75216
US

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