Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to current, permanent employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

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The Cincinnati VA Medical Center (CVAMC) is a two-division campus located in Cincinnati, OH and Fort Thomas, KY serving 15 counties in Southwest OH, Northern Kentucky, and Southeast Indiana with 6 Community Based Outpatient Clinics located in Bellevue, KY; Florence, KY; Lawrenceburg, IN; Hamilton, OH; Clermont County, OH, and Georgetown, OH. The CVAMC also supports two off main campus locations in the Cincinnati area via an Eye Center and Mental Health Outreach Community Division.

Major Duties:

The Assistant Director is responsible for the development of plans, programs, direction, and monitoring of clinic and health plan
management. This encompasses activities to (1) maintain or improve the quality of service and health care delivered by the health care system, (2) develop and execute budget projections, (3) achieve veteran satisfaction, and (4) respond to accreditation and regulatory requirements. The Assistant Director applies specialized principles and practices of health care management to coordinate, direct, and control programs and resources for both clinics and health plan administration.

• Budget and Fiscal Management: Budget and Fiscal Management for the facility services assigned such as resource management and FTEE control within the assigned services. The Assistant Director oversees the management of administrative services supporting assigned operations. Assistant Director performs financial management and resource decision making analysis, ensuring operational spending and resources stay in balance. Voting member of the Executive Leadership Committee and other committees as assigned. Provides sound fiscal management practices. The Assistant Director demonstrates a clear understanding of government and agency systems and an acute awareness of all elements of resources as they related to the cost of healthcare operations.
• Human Capital Management: Exercises full line authority for multiple administrative functions (services and sections) and indirectly for all clinical matters affecting patient care. Delegates authority and holds managers under his/her oversight responsible and accountable for the performance of their service lines, programs and human capital requirements. Functions as a first-line supervisor. In this capacity the Assistant Director exercises a full range of managerial and supervisory authorities and responsibilities which include: (a) prioritizing major work efforts;(b) evaluating the performance of the service level management teams; (c) giving advice, counsel, or instruction; (d) interviewing and tentatively selecting candidates for key centralized positions, and recommending appointment, promotion or reassignment involving such positions; (e) hearing and resolving appropriate complaints and grievances; (f) effecting disciplinary measures, recommending action to higher level officials; and (g) identifying and providing management development and training needs of key staff members.
• Stakeholder Relations: Represents the healthcare system by establishing and maintaining community partnerships, and relationships with internal and external stakeholders. The Assistant Director is responsible for promoting the understanding of the health care delivery system's mission within the local community and proactively advising both of benefit and/or hospital changes and information. Internally, the Assistant Director serves as a facilitator between clinical providers and administrators to meet the medical center's goals and objectives; responsible for developing and maintaining good working relations with other medical centers in the local area and throughout the region, medical schools, accrediting agencies, volunteer worker groups, and the community at large.
• Systematic Internal Review: Provides an extremely high level of analytical and cognitive ability. Lead facility implementation and oversight of Presidents/VA/VHA/VISN initiatives includes but not limited to Strategic Planning, High Reliability Organization, ICARE, Modernization, Veteran Experience, Whole Health and / or Community Care. The Assistant Director conducts internal systematic reviews; and serves as an essential capacity for developing and coordinating internal measures to assure that both clinical and administrative operations are in within governing standards. Directs analysis and evaluation of health care delivery quality and effectiveness and ensures provision of health care services that complies with all accrediting agencies. Assures the beneficial and cost-effectiveness for both the patient and the Government. reports in response to requests from internal and external stakeholders.

Performs other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Health Systems Administrator/PD99901S
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure: Required

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)
• Drivers License Requirement

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, 10/08/2026.

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-14 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-13. 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.

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-13 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: In-depth knowledge as well as special skills in administration and health care systems management which have enabled him/her to effectively carry out various management aspects; Developing and presenting recommendations and actions that contribute to the development of the functional efficiency of a healthcare system; Analyzing and competing executive demands on resources; Maintaining abreast of new and existing health care technology and administrative concepts and analyze them with the overall needs of the healthcare system in mind; Expert knowledge of computer operations and specific knowledge of computer applications used within the VA; and Analyze complex problems and present both written and oral recommendations and reports.

• Individual Occupational Requirement: The 0670 series requires specific education or experience to be met in order to be appointed into a position of this series. You must meet the pre-determined Education or Experience Individual Occupational Requirement below as set by Office of Personnel Management (OPM).
  1. Undergraduate and Graduate Education in a Major study of: hospital administration, public health administration, or related fields such as business or public administration with course work in health care administration. (Transcripts required)
  2. 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.

Applicants must also possess:

• Management ability to delegate authority, evaluate and oversee people and programs, recognize and adapt to changing priorities; and
• Knowledge of the interrelationships and interdependencies among various medical and administrative services and programs.

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:
Administration and Management
Business Process Reengineering
Creative Thinking
Decisiveness
Clinical Informatics

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

• Administration and Management
• Financial Management
• Human Capital Management
• Organizational Performance Analysis
• Partnering

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/.

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.