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Health System Specialist

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration
VISN 5 Pacific West Health Network

Summary

There are four VISN 5 Health System Specialist vacancies: 1) Executive Assistant to the Chief Medical Officer; 2) Executive Assistant to the Deputy Network Director; 3) Executive Assistant to the Chief Nursing Officer; and 4) Executive Assistant to the Quality Management Officer, providing expert-level analysis and program management across the full scope of the assigned portfolio.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Location
4 vacancies in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
No
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$125,776 - $163,541 per year

Salary range listed is GS-14 step 1 to GS-14 step 10 on the RUS pay scale. Actual salary will be adjusted based on location of selected applicant.

Pay scale & grade
GS 14
Promotion potential
None
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
50% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
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
CBSV-13076769-26-DM
Control number
886798100

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to a specific area of consideration: Current, permanent VISN 5 employees assigned to the following station numbers are eligible to apply: VISN 20, Station 496; VISN 21, Station 497; and VISN 22, Station 498. Location negotiable after selection, must be physically located within the VISN 5 catchment area (states of WA, OR, ID, CA, MT, NM, NV, AZ, AK, Hawaii/Pacific Islands).

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Duties

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As a Health System Specialist (Executive Assistant), you will:

  • Provide direction, advice and support to staff members of varied professions.
  • Facilitate collaboration between offices, and with relevant HSA and facility points of contact.
  • Formulate and participate in the development of health care management polices, programs and operations.
  • Serve as primary liaison for information flow and manager of assignments between major programs.
  • Serve as a leadership representative, frequently attend various meetings on behalf of a leadership official.
  • Exercise delegated authority to sign documents and commit resources to program initiatives that are considered under the scope, purview and known viewpoints.
  • Lead, coordinate, plan, organize, and carry through to completion program plans, program/policy analysis, data collection, legislative interpretation, and analytical studies involving Federal and VA programs and policies.
  • Lead or independently conduct special and/or confidential assignments to support Leadership/Management in executing office missions.
  • Review all written materials prepared by staff for higher-level signature.
  • Establish, monitor, review and improve systems and procedures for tracking and maintaining desired quality and timeliness of correspondence produced.
  • Develop internal administrative policies, guidelines and procedures. Establish, monitor, review and improve systems and procedures for tracking and maintaining desired quality and timeliness of correspondence produced.
  • Develop internal administrative policies, guidelines and procedures.
  • Brief management on all implications of actions proposed.
  • Recommend to approve, disapprove, or modify specific proposals.
  • Assist in building performance plans with the inclusion of required elements, manage performance timelines, support the Executive in timely review and appraisal completion
Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm. Other work schedules within the core business hours can be discussed during the interview process.
Telework: This position may be authorized for adhoc telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Health System Specialist/PD00006VS, PD00008VS, PD00010VS, and PD00011VS
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: May Be 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
  • 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)
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, 10/06/2026.

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.

Individual Occupational Requirement: All applicants, regardless of grade level must one of the following individual occupational requirements -and- the grade determination listed below.

  • Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study -- hospital administration, public health administration, or related fields such as business or public administration with course work in health care administration. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED) -OR-
  • Specialized Experience: 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. -OR-
  • Special Provision for Inservice Placement: Successful completion of an agency-sponsored on-the-job training program may be substituted for qualifying experience, provided it included a formal individualized training plan (TRAINING DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED). Such a training program must have been conducted in an operating health care system and included:
    • Assignments providing a knowledge of basic health system administration philosophies, practices, and procedures, and basic government administrative policies and requirements;
    • Practical assignments providing an opportunity to apply health system administration skills and principles (as the individual progresses, work assignments must be characteristic of the grade level to which he or she is assigned); and
    • Oversight by an experienced health system administrator with periodic evaluation of the individual's progress and appropriate adjustment of the training program.
In addition to meeting the Individual Occupational Requirement, 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-13 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience is evaluating, planning, while improving operations, efficiency, and policy compliance. Specialized experience includes: 1) Program Management: Lead administrative or clinical projects, track milestones, manage resources, and present analytical findings to executive leadership; 2) Data & Performance Analysis: Extract clinic or hospital adherence to federal, state, and accrediting standards; 3) Stakeholder Collaboration: Act as a liaison between administrators, clinical department heads, and external partners to implement best practices; & 4) Resources & Budget Administration: Assist with operational budgeting, staffing allocations, workflow reviews, & strategic planning.
You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:
  • Attention to Detail
  • Customer Service
  • Decision Making
  • Flexibility
  • Influencing/Negotiating
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Learning
  • 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.

Physical Requirements: The work is sedentary & typically performed in an office setting. Some travel is required - up to 25%. No special physical demands apply.

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

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

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

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.

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.

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.

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?

Agency contact information

Cathleen Tittnich
Phone
9098257084 X1973
Email
Cathleen.Tittnich@va.gov
Address
VISN 20 Northwest Network
1601 East 4th Plain Boulevard
Vancouver, WA 98661
US

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