Lead Health System Specialist

Summary

The primary purpose of this position is to serve as the sole Facility Capital Asset Planning Officer for the Washington DC Veteran Affairs Medical Center (DC VAMC), a Joint Commission-accredited, complexity level 1A facility serving Veterans in the District of Columbia, Southern Maryland, and Northern Virginia. This position is also responsible for leading a team comprised of the Facility Planner (Space Planner), the Activations Coordinator, and the Interior Designers.

Duties

This is a Lead Health System Specialist position, responsible for enterprise capital asset planning and health system strategic development for DC VAMC and VISN 5. The Specialist serves as the primary liaison between the DC VAMC with VISN and VACO on capital asset strategy. Providing expert analytical, advisory, and coordination support to executive leadership on capital asset planning, market assessment growth planning, infrastructure activation, and strategic planning for all DC VAMC sites of care, including the medical center, CBOCs, CRRC, and leased business center locations. This position serves as the lead and technical authority for strategic capital planning, market assessment, and infrastructure investment for DC VAMC and all associated locations. The Specialist leads development and execution of enterprise-wide capital asset strategies that directly influence healthcare delivery, access, and financial performance across DC VAMC and VISN 5. Major duties include, but not limited to: Leads development and direction of the DC VAMC market assessment growth plan, organizational strategic planning, and process improvement activities related to strategic capital planning. Serves as chairperson of the Strategic Planning Council, providing leadership and managerial expertise to optimize resources, establish long-range objectives, and respond to changes in health care delivery. Guides service line leaders, managers, and field staff through systematic planning processes that identify health system needs, prioritize actions and strategies, and monitor progress toward VHA, VISN, and facility goals. Develops and maintains a comprehensive health care system-wide capital master plan that integrates healthcare delivery, performance improvement, purchased care, utilization management, and financial stewardship objectives into actionable strategies and policies. Designs and implements data-driven tools, models, and dashboards to evaluate space utilization, access, demand, performance, and return on investment for capital projects and leases across all DC V AMC sites of care. Conducts complex quantitative and qualitative analyses to identify capital gaps, prioritize investments, and recommend project portfolios that support DC VAMC, VISN 5, and VHA strategic goals. Develops and maintains a comprehensive health care system-wide capital master plan that integrates healthcare delivery, performance improvement, purchased care, utilization management, and financial stewardship objectives into actionable strategies and policies. Leads development of facility-level capital master plans and major lease strategies, ensuring alignment with V ACO and VISN 5 capital planning policies, directives, and prioritization frameworks. Leads analytics, planning, coordination, financing, and execution of the complete lifecycle of the DC V AMC strategic capital plan, applying advanced health system analysis techniques. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; 7:30 am EST - 4:00 pm EST. Telework: Authorized, as determined by the agency policy. Virtual: This is a virtual position. This position may be filled as virtual (i.e., the employee may work at a VA facility or VA-leased space other than the facility that is hiring the employee; telework has not been authorized). VA supports the use of filling virtually to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. Potential duty location may be discussed during the interview process. Position Description/PD#: Lead Health System Specialist/PD2604160 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Requirements

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. 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, 09/01/2026. 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-13 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-12. 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. This occupational series has an Individual Occupational Requirement - for this series, the following Basic Requirement must be met in addition to the Specialized Experience. 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 (for positions above GS-5): 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. 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. 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 IOR above, you must meet the experience as described below: GS-13: GS-13 - Specialized Experience: Specialized Experience: one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-12) in the Federal Service that is directly related to the work of the position and has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties as a Health Systems Specialist. Qualifying specialized experience is defined as, but not limited to: Leading market assessment growth plan and organizational strategic capital planning; developing and maintaining facility-level capital master plans and major lease strategies; conducting complex analyses to identify capital gaps; designing and implementing data-driven tools, models, and dashboards; leading analytics, planning, coordination, financing, and execution of the complete lifecycle of the strategic capital plan; and overseeing activation planning for new or expanded shared facilities, clinics, and specialized programs. Best Qualified Criteria: 2 years of experience in health system capital planning. 4 years of experience in strategic and analytical ability. 2 years of experience of experience in project management. 2 years of experience in leadership or team supervision. Stakeholder coordination and influence. Strategic communication skills. Judgement and problem-solving. 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. How You Will Be Evaluated

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: Attention to Detail Customer Service Decision Making Flexibility Influencing/Negotiating Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Learning 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; 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. Other 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/. Whole Health is an approach to health care that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their life to the fullest. The VA is committed to Whole Health and values Veteran and Employee health and well-being. As a VA employee, you will practice Whole Health in an environment that supports personalized and proactive care.