Health System Specialist

Summary

The Health Systems Specialist (Administrative Assistant to the Chief of Staff), provides programmatic leadership and administrative support to the Office of the Chief of Staff and coordination of clinical systems and medical staff functions at the WJB Dom V AMC in Columbia, South Carolina. This includes, but is not limited to daily operations of medical care delivery, clinical program planning, research, medical education, and Network operations.

Duties

Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level. Duties of this position include but not limited to: Work directly with the Chief of Staff in the functioning in the key role of the formulation of professional service policies. Provides pertinent information and recommendations on administrative matters and system issues, taking actions to correct problem matters and facilitate continuous quality improvement in the facility. Serves as technical authority in the preparation of responses and endorses Congressional inquiry responses pertaining to professional service operations. Prepares, reviews, and recommends approval of recurring and one-time reports as required by VA Headquarters, VISN 7, State organizations, veteran groups, and other non-VA organizations and agencies. Manages and is accountable for all administrative functions inherent in the Office of the Chief of Staff. Primary Point of contact for responsible for tracking and trending data associated with national and local performance metrics, managing policy and publication updates within the Chief of Staffs office. Serve as timecard approving official for the Office of the Chief of Staff. Serve as a backup to the Operations Officer within the COS Office, managing facility medical staff operations and fostering a positive, holistic care enviromnent for quality patient-centered care. Creates and fosters the maintenance of a safe and pleasant working environment for the Office of the Chief of Staff. Coordinates with the Staff Assistants to the Director to ensure the medical staff views and input are considered in the overall medical center planning and decision making processes. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30am - 4:00pm Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Health System Specialist/PD115260 and PD00937 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized 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. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 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 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 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, 10/30/2026. Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR): An IOR is a basic requirement that must be met in order to qualify for the 0670 occupational series. Education must be accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained. Education: Undergraduate and Graduate Education with major study in hospital administration, public health administration, or related fields such as business or public administration with course work in health care administration. NOTE: You will be required to provide a copy of your transcript OR 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. 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 the above IOR Requirement, you must also meet the specialized experience described below. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: For GS-11, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-9 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Basic analytical skills to gather data, draft summaries, and support committee processes; methods are reviewed and validated by higher-level staff. Limited understanding of budget, HR, acquisition, and resource-management procedures sufficient to perform discrete tasks; more complex or interpretive work is referred upward. For GS-12, 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: Mastery of the knowledge of the role, policies, procedures, and operations of Human Resources Management, Acquisition and Facilities Planning, Fiscal, Environmental Management Service in order to fully utilize their programs and support in achieving medical center goals. Knowledge of the roles and interrelationships of other support services in order to properly refer and resolve matters dealing with them. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree OR, 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree OR, LL.M., if related. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond that required for GS-09. Combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements for the grade GS-11. Preferred Experience: Experience providing high level administrative support within a healthcare, government, or complex organizational environment. Demonstrated ability to manage executive calendars, coordinate high priority meetings, prepare briefing materials, and support senior leadership decision making. Proven skill in analyzing workflow, identifying process improvements, and implementing administrative systems that support operational efficiency. Experience overseeing or coordinating administrative functions such as budget tracking, procurement, human resources actions, timekeeping, and performance reporting. Strong understanding of VA, federal government, or large scale organizational policies, procedures, and compliance requirements. Ability to independently prepare correspondence, reports, presentations, and policy documents for executive level review. Experience handling sensitive information with discretion and maintaining strict confidentiality. Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively across departments and build effective relationships with clinical, administrative, and operational staff. Strong communication skills, including the ability to convey complex information clearly and professionally on behalf of senior leadership. Proven competence managing competing priorities in fast paced, high visibility environments with tight deadlines. Experience supporting committees, workgroups, and special projects on behalf of senior executives. Proficiency with MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), SharePoint, and enterprise systems commonly used in administrative operations. 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

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. 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 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; 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. 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/.