Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. This posting is limited to: Current permanent Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center and associated clinics employees only.

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Duties include, but are not limited to:

• Represents Mann-Grandstaff VAMC Pharmacy Service in the community and in the Medical Center through membership of various standing and ADHOC committees.
• Responsible for all aspects of pharmacy services at the medical facility by maintaining effective interdepartmental relationships demonstrating active problem resolution skills and close cooperation with other programs and services in accomplishing the medical facility mission and goals.
• Responsible for budget management, determining resource needs, allocating resources, ensuring proper utilization in productivity, efficiency, and cost effectiveness of the operation.
• Formulates objectives, priorities and implements plans consistent with the long-term interest of the organization, capitalizing on opportunities and managing risks.
• Ensures compliance with all safety, regulatory and accrediting body requirements.
• Delegates authority to several supervisory and program levels to meet the goals of the service and staff.
• Ensures orientation and training programs are established to ensure staff development, oversees academic affiliations, sharing agreements with community hospitals, community first fill contracts and participates in medical facility, VISN, National, other external governmental agencies, and professional associations.
• Interviews non-professional employee candidates and makes selections for vacancies. Interviews professional employee candidates, recommends appointments, advancements, promotions, or disciplinary actions as appropriate.
• Manages the day-to-day operation of the Pharmacy Service by directing the supervisors of the inpatient, outpatient, clinical and support sections.
• Review and approve section supervisor evaluations of subordinate staff members.
• Responsible for assuring compliance with the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations standards, federal laws, OIG, FDA, DEA, VHA and ancillary requirements governing control, security, and distribution of all drugs prescribed for patient use.
• Prepares, projects, and justifies the budgetary, personnel, equipment, and space requirements of the Pharmacy Service.
• Maintains effective and efficient mechanisms for the timely procurement and maintenance of pharmaceutical and supplies consistent with good patient care.
• Responsible for the fiscal allocation of the cost centers for Pharmacy service and must maintain accurate accountability for the medical subaccounts for drugs, medical supplies, and other supplies within the cost centers.
• Initiate in-depth budget plans and projections with justifications.
• Maintains liaison with Fiscal Service to assure that adequate funds are available for essential drug needs.
• Responsible for the overall planning, operation and evaluation of the pharmaceutical services delivered to the Veteran population served by the Medical Center.
• Establishes program goals and develops the operational plans and policies to achieve them.
• Responsible for the establishment, revision of, and adherence to the policies and procedures necessary to provide and maintain a system of quality review for each section and area of Pharmacy Service activities and coordinate this with the Medical Center's overall Quality Management Services.
• Supports the Medical Center EEO Program by initiating affirmative EEO action in selection, detail, reassignment, training, award, career ladder hiring, creating new jobs and developing models in EEO matters for the benefit of subordinates.
• Resolves complaints, hears group grievances, serious employee complaints and ones not resolved by the section supervisors; recommends required punitive disciplinary measures/actions.

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

Work Schedule: 8AM - 4:30PM, Monday - Friday
Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Not Available
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Available
Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases
Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year)
Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.
Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66.
Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA
Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)
Telework: Ad-hoc
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 00000
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• 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.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 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 trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

Basic Requirements:

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• English Language Proficiency: Pharmacists must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d).
• Education:
  • Graduate of an Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) accredited College or School of Pharmacy with a baccalaureate degree in pharmacy (BS Pharmacy) and/or a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree. Verification of approved degree programs may be obtained from the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education, 20 North Clark Street, Suite 2500, Chicago, Illinois 60602-5109; phone: (312) 664-3575, or through their Web site at: http://www.acpe-accredit.org/. (NOTE: Prior to 2005 ACPE accredited both baccalaureate and Doctor of Pharmacy terminal degree program. Today the sole degree is Doctor of Pharmacy.)
  • Graduates of foreign pharmacy degree programs meet the educational requirement if the graduate is able to provide proof of achieving the Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Examination Commission (FPGEC) Certification, which includes passing the Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Equivalency Examination (FPGEE) and the Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet- Based Test (TOEFL iBT).
• Licensure: Full, current and unrestricted license to practice pharmacy in a State, Territory, Commonwealth of the United States (i.e., Puerto Rico), or the District of Columbia. The pharmacist must maintain current registration if this is a requirement for maintaining full, current, and unrestricted licensure. A pharmacist who has, or has ever had, any license(s) revoked, suspended, denied, restricted, limited, or issued/placed in a probationary status may be appointed only in accordance with the provisions in VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, section B, paragraph 16.
• NOTE: Individuals who have or have had multiple licenses and had any such license revoked for professional misconduct, professional incompetence or substandard care, or who surrendered such license after receiving written notice of potential termination of such license by the State for professional misconduct, professional incompetence, or substandard care, are not eligible for appointment to the position unless such revoked or surrendered license is fully restored (38 U.S.C. § 7402(f)). Effective November 30, 1999, this is a requirement for employment. This requirement does not apply to licensed pharmacists on VA rolls as of that date, provided they maintain continuous appointment and are not disqualified for employment by any subsequent revocations or voluntary surrenders of State license, registration or certification.

Grade Determinations:
GS-15, Pharmacist (Service Chief)

Experience. In addition to the GS-14 requirements, must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level.

Demonstrated knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs). The KSAs shown below apply to all assignments at this grade level, and the specific KSAs designated by an asterisk (*).
1. Skill in persuading others and gaining cooperation to accomplish goals.
2. Ability to effectively communicate orally and in writing regarding complex clinical and technical issues.
3. Skill in utilizing regulatory and quality standards to develop and implement operational programs.
4. Skill in managing multiple people or programs.
*5. Skill in utilizing available resources to support the missions and goals of the organization.
*6. Ability to plan, organize and direct the functions of the pharmacy staff.

Assignment: Service Chief. Responsible for all aspects of pharmacy services at a medical facility by maintaining effective interdepartmental relationships demonstrating active problem resolution skills and close cooperation with other programs and services in accomplishing the medical facility mission and goals. Responsible for budget management, determining resource needs, allocating resources, ensuring proper utilization in productivity, efficiency, and cost effectiveness of the operation. Formulates objectives and priorities and implements plans consistent with the long term interest of the organization, capitalizing on opportunities and managing risks. Responsible for compliance with all safety, regulatory, and accrediting body requirements. Delegates authority to several supervisory and program levels to meet the goals of the service and staff. Ensures orientation and training programs are established to ensure staff development, oversees academic affiliations, and participates in medical facility, VISN, National, other external governmental agencies, and professional associations.

Preferred Experience: The ideal candidate for Chief of Pharmacy Service is an accomplished pharmacy leader with demonstrated success in directing comprehensive pharmacy operations, managing fiscal and personnel resources, and advancing safe, effective, Veteran-centered pharmaceutical care. The candidate combines clinical credibility with strong executive judgment, develops accountable supervisory teams, builds productive interdisciplinary relationships, and uses performance data to drive continuous improvement. The successful candidate will foster a respectful, high reliability culture; support clinical pharmacy practice, education, and research; and ensure regulatory compliance, medication security, and operational readiness across all assigned care settings.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-15.

Physical Requirements: Light lifting and carrying (under 15 lbs.), moderate lifting and carrying (15-44 lbs.), reaching above shoulder, walking, and repeated bending.

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 MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

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.

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.

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.