Voluntary Services Officer

Summary

The VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System is seeking a Voluntary Services Officer to join our team at the Pittsburgh VA Medical Center-University Drive facility.

Duties

The Voluntary Services Officer serves as the Chief of CDCE/Voluntary Services reporting directly to a member of the executive leadership team. The incumbent has oversight for CDCE/Voluntary Services for the full scope of business for each of the interrelated lines of business, which include Voluntary Service, Philanthropic Engagement, and Partnership Solutions. Due to the cross-cutting nature of this office, the incumbent shows a comprehensive understanding of the federal government, VA and each of its Administrations, with a primary focus on VHA; to include the relevant laws, regulations, policies and procedures, accrediting organizations, as well as the organizations within the agency to facilitate a systems-oriented approach to the Center's success. This position requires occasional travel (local and national) between worksites, including outpatient clinics, VBA regional offices, and national cemeteries. Major duties include, but are not limited to: Providing technical and administrative supervision to subordinates which may include an Assistant Chief, Specialist, Program Support Assistant, Secretary, or other administrative staff. Planning and leading all philanthropic activities and programs within widely dispersed locations across the healthcare system, VA Administrations and State Veterans Homes. Conducting and analyzing comprehensive needs assessments for optimal alignment of the program in support of the organization's mission and goals. Exercising final authority for the full range of personnel actions and organization design proposals recommended for the integration of this category of without compensation (WOC) employees. Ensuring compliance with all applicable standards of The Joint Commission (TJC) for VHA volunteers, to include maintaining the official volunteer personnel files, mandated training records, assignment guides, competency and performance assessments, and other applicable role-specific documentation. Designing, developing, and implementing the recognition and incentive awards program for the organization's volunteer workforce. Providing oversight of the organization's General Post Funds and in-kind development activities. Managing the day-to-day operations of the philanthropic development activities. Monitoring all donated monetary funds at the healthcare system level within the station's General Post Fund (GPF) Accounts. Exercising discretionary authority to approve the allocation and distribution of such funds. Preparing business case justification for anticipated expenses, including alignment with VA and VHA goals and priorities, strategy identification, benchmarking, and evaluation in support of proposed budget. Planning, design and development of each volunteer role and the work to be accomplished. Serving as a strategic advisor to executive leadership for the utilization of community resources in support of operational goals, assesses risks, anticipates outcomes, and alternative strategies. Establishing local policies and procedures for the strategic utilization of volunteers and community partnerships across the healthcare system. Serving as an advisor to VA Headquarters Voluntary Service National Advisory Committee. Conducting thorough and exhaustive research on potential community partners to determine suitability for development of non-monetary partnership agreements. Serving as the local subject matter expert on volunteer and donation management. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00 am-4:30 pm; extended evening or weekend hours may be required. Telework: This position may be authorized for telework at service line discretion. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Voluntary Services Officer/PD99897S Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): 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 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, 11/13/2026. 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. You may qualify based on your experience described below: Specialized Experience: You must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-11) 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 Voluntary Services Officer (Chief). Qualifying specialized experience includes planning, scheduling, executing special events involving community leaders, staff and visitors; developing and proposing policies and innovative programs governing voluntary services; managing general post fund accounts and other financial accounts; representing a volunteer program on speaking engagements before service, fraternal, and civic organizations; and making presentations for diverse audiences and varying sizes from small meetings to large conferences. Preferred Experience: The ideal candidate brings strong leadership experience, demonstrating the ability to guide teams, drive organizational goals, and foster a collaborative work environment. Voluntary service experience is essential, reflecting a commitment to community engagement and public health initiatives. Candidates should possess significant administrator experience, including oversight of operations, staff management, and strategic program implementation. Experience with managing budgets and funds is required, including planning, allocation, and stewardship of financial resources to support program objectives. 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. 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: Accountability Customer Service Decisiveness Flexibility Interpersonal Skills Problem Solving Resilience 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. 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/.