Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to CTAP eligible candidates and VHA Employees ONLY.

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Duties include, but are not limited to:

• Providing access related consultative services, working in collaboration with facility Service Lines, to review and develop guidance and policies that will facilitate standardized processes.
• Reviewing and providing input on regulations and policies for local interpretation.
• Collaborating with staff from other facilities to work on project groups to review and make recommendations for facility and/or VISN level policies, procedures, systems, requirements, documents, and business or access analysis initiatives.
• Reviewing and evaluating assigned processes and procedures to determine areas of effectiveness, efficiency, and improvement for proposal through local GPM group and supervisor.
• Incorporating best practices to help improve patient access to care and to ensure standards are met within assigned services.
• Proposing improvements to supervisors regarding national training curriculum for onboarding and sustainment activities.
• Maintaining knowledge of CPM training materials and supporting the fulfillment of action plans to meet CPM training requirements.
• Working with Veteran Experience Officers within the local facility to evaluate patient and family concerns regarding access to services needed.
• Assisting the supervisor in coordinating efforts to ensure patient concerns are received, evaluated, and addressed in a timely and effective manner, and providing accurate data to ensure that processes and procedures developed are appropriately supported.
• Utilizing an analytics system for the collection and analysis of outpatient care patient feedback for access and quality measures.
• Evaluating and recommending changes for continuous process improvement.
• Implementing process improvement and training opportunities that support frontline employees in providing predictable, consistent, and comfortable customer service to Veterans, their caregivers, and beneficiaries.
• Following benchmarks and established processes for taking corrective actions on decreasing/low scores in Veteran/Staff experience data.
• Utilizing advanced principles and strategies for access improvement to review and provide recommendations to Clinical Leads (CLs) including identifying strategies to reduce backlog.
• Monitoring existing or emerging workflow and consult management issues and provide guidance to CLs and Administrative Leads when required.
• Working with local personnel to integrate data analytics and measures with continuous process improvement utilizing LEAN, Six Sigma, and other improvement methodologies to meet and sustain ambulatory care goals and objectives.
• Making recommendations to assist in the allocation of resources, and providing recommendations on facility improvements including construction, renovation, space utilization, and purchase of equipment.
• Analyzing and interpreting complex data, and researching and preparing comprehensive reports.
• Ensuring record management guidelines are adhered to in the clinic setting.
• Assisting clinic managers in forecasting the impact of staff changes, and developing countermeasures to mitigate the effect of staff shortages on access to care.
• Working closely with clinic managers to formulate budget recommendations for all outpatient clinical services to allocate all available resources to achieve optimal outcomes in access to care and the Veteran Experience.
• Providing administrative program advice for ambulatory care clinical support services.
• Monitoring profile indicators to help eliminate issues with backlogs (including Recall Delinquency, Past Due Return to Clinic Orders, Open Consults, Missed Opportunity Rates, Wait Times, and Community Care Options).

Work Schedule: Variable
Telework: VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Health Systems Specialist (Associate Group Practice Manager)/PD99865S
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not 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)

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, 10/09/2026.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-12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-11. 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.

Health System Administration Series, 0671 Individual Occupational Requirements (IOR):

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. 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 In service 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. 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 TIG and IOR you must also meet:

GS-12

• Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-11 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Experience with data manipulation, analysis, interpretation, and presentation using systems such as Pyramid Analytics, BI Office, Excel, etc.; experience utilizing process improvement methodologies (e.g. Lean, Six Sigma) and change management techniques; experience developing clear action plans for multidisciplinary teams and leading them in data-driven projects; experience with interpreting national VHA policies concerning access, scheduling, and consult management; experience with clinic operational elements such as consult management, appointment request management, grid validation, referral coordination, and access improvement strategies; experience with leading or working in a team facilitate to promote effective organizational dynamics, and communicate effectively with staff, co-workers, managers, upper management, etc.; gather information and/or date, negotiate solutions to difficult issues, coordinate services/activities, provide guidance to others, and resolve problems.

Preferred Experience

- LEAN certification
- Demonstrated experience in Veterans Health Administration (VHA) outpatient operations, with emphasis on improving Veteran access, clinic utilization, productivity, and operational efficiency.
- Proven ability to analyze VHA operational data and performance metrics to identify trends, operational gaps, and opportunities for improvement, and to develop and implement data-driven corrective action plans.
- Experience in clinic optimization, including appointment grid utilization, clinic right-sizing, supply and demand analysis, labor mapping, provider productivity, workload and capacity management, and reduction of unused clinical capacity.
- Demonstrated success leading multidisciplinary teams, collaborating effectively with clinical and administrative leaders, service chiefs, supervisors, schedulers, providers, and other stakeholders to achieve organizational goals.
- Proficiency using VHA data systems, dashboards, productivity reports, and related operational tools to monitor performance, conduct in-depth operational reviews, and communicate findings and recommendations to leadership.
- Ability to translate data and operational requirements into actionable strategies, establish priorities, monitor outcomes, and sustain improvements over time.
- Experience providing leadership, mentoring, coaching, and professional development, fostering accountability, teamwork, and a culture of continuous improvement.
- Comprehensive knowledge of VHA policies, procedures, performance measures, scheduling practices, workload/productivity expectations, and the operational relationships among Clinical Services, Group Practice Management, Health Administrative Service, and facility leadership.

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

• Attention to Detail
• Customer Service
• Decision Making
• Flexibility
• 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 requires some physical exertion, such as periods of standing when teaching; some walking, bending, crouching, stooping, stretching, or similar activities when visiting work sites; and some moderate lifting and carrying. At other times the work is sedentary, requiring the use of a computer.

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.