Clarification from the agency

Current, Permanent VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System Employees and CTAP Eligibles

The Administrative Officer duties include, but are not limited to:

• Serve as liaison with executive leadership, local service chiefs, interdisciplinary personnel, VISN and VACO leadership, professional organizations, and educational affiliates and accrediting agencies.
• Provide recommendations for administrative and general management decisions.
• Review and interpret directives, memorandums, program initiatives, clinical and
  administrative inventories, and translate them into sound management practice,
  organizational goals, and operational effectiveness.
• Devise and implement policies and procedures relative to the Service line to ensure compliance with VA, VISN, OIG requirements.
• Discuss pertinent issues with operating personnel to determine the impact on new or revised guidance on current operations.
• Recommend the establishment of and prepare administrative policies, directives, and procedures for implementation throughout the facility.
• Provide advice and guidance on the interpretation and application of administrative directives and Instructions.
• Plan and conduct detailed management studies and analyses to determine the impact of major medical facility reorganizations and changes.
• Compile and analyze facts, develop plans, and perform extensive coordination.
• Advise section supervisors and coordinate staffing and section on specific matters.
• Address any emergent issues quickly and provides rationale solutions with minimal to no loss of service.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday; 8:00am-4:30pm
Telework: Ad-hoc telework schedule may be available per agency directive.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Administrative Officer/PD941610
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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 dentification 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

In order to qualify for this position, you must meet the following requirements within 30 calendar days of the closing date listed on the announcement:

• 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-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-9. 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.
• Applicants must be eligible under the VA Interchange Agreement, having served continuously for at least one year in the other merit system under this interchange agreement. For more information regarding the VA Interchange Agreement please visit: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-authorities/competitive-hiring/.
• All Title 38 Veterans Canteen Service (VCS) employees must have served in their Excepted Service position for at least 90 days in order to be eligible for a position within the Competitive Service.
• Applicants who were previously selected under a Competitive Delegating Examining Unit (DEU) announcement must have served in their position for at least 90 days prior to being eligible for other positions within the Competitive Service.

You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:

• Specialized Experience: 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: ability to work with customers to assess their needs, provide information or assistance, resolve problems, and satisfy expectations; knowledge of planning, coordination, and execution of business functions, resource allocations, and production; ability to plan, distribute, coordinate, and monitor work assignments of others; evaluate work performance and provide constructive feedback; set priorities and determine short- and long-term goals and strategies; coordinate with other organizations to accomplish objectives; monitor progress and outcomes; apply knowledge of an organization's mission and functions; and the ability to identify problems, determine the accuracy and relevance of information, use sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives, and assess outcomes. OR,
• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a 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 to the work of the position. (Transcripts must be submitted). 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 the first-year graduate level education. (Transcripts must be submitted).

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

• Administration and Management
• Attention to Detail
• Customer Service
• Managing Human Resources
• Organizational Awareness
• Planning and Evaluating
• Problem Solving

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 Administrative Officer is not expected to perform heavy lifting but may be expected occasionally to lift a box, such as paper, which weighs approximately 20-25 pounds. The candidate may have to carry light weight items under 15 pounds. This position will require the candidate to walk short and long distances in a hospital setting up to 2 hours. At times, this may include use of stairs. This position will require the candidate to read computer and other documents for extended period of times, up to 4-5 hours consecutively, and will require ability to communicate verbally via the phone, in person to other employees and perform presentations to committees and groups of people. Corrected vision via glasses or contacts is appropriate and use of a hearing aid or other device to correct hearing to within normal adult frequencies is allowed and appropriate. Use of fingers to type on computer keyboard, sign documents etc., is required.

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.

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

• Resume (when listing previous employment please include month and year).
• Your most recent Within Grade Increase SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility.
• If you have previously held a higher grade and are applying based on that grade, you must provide a copy of the SF-50 showing you held the higher grade in addition to your last or most recent SF-50 indicating proof of status. Note: Your SF-50 must reflect the grade and step information equivalent to or greater than the grade lower than the position you are applying to. This may not always be your most recent SF-50. You may need to submit more than one SF-50.

Please make sure you have included other documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), documentation to support Veterans Preference claims, or ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees). You will not be contacted for additional information.

SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action (if applicable for Time in Grade and/or Eligibility):

• Most recent SF-50 if you are a current or former Federal employee
• An SF-50 showing 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
• Award 50's do not provide sufficient information and will not be accepted for the purpose of verifying time-in-grade.
• Examples of appropriate SF-50's include:
  • Within grade increases at the highest grade held; or
  • Promotions with an effective date more than one year old; or
  • SF-50's at the highest grade held with an effective date more than one year old.

Veterans' Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire. You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.). If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference" with required proof as stated on the form. Documentation is required to award preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit Feds Hire Vets - Veterans - Job Seekers - Veterans' Preference.

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