Duties
The primary purpose of this position is to serve as the Dental Service's principal administrative program specialist responsible for the full scope of operational analysis, access management coordination, compliance monitoring, and multi-site program implementation.
Duties may include but are not limited to:
- Serves as the primary non-clinical program specialist for implementation of VHA dental program.
- Independently analyzes new and revised national or VISN-level directives to determine operational impact on multi-site Dental operations.
- Develops implementation plans, monitoring mechanisms, and corrective action strategies to ensure compliance.
- Independently analyses new and revised national policies, handbooks, and VISN-level directives to determine operational impact on multi-site Dental operations.
- Develops implementation plans affecting Dental operations, monitoring mechanisms, and corrective action strategies to ensure compliance.
- In collaboration with the Chief of Dental and Administrative Officer, designs or updates local administrative SOPs, workflows, checklists, and tracking mechanisms for assigned program areas.
- Establishes compliance metrics and recurring review structures; conducts trend analysis; identifies systemic trends and gaps; and prepares formal corrective action plans for leadership approval and follow-up monitoring.
- Prepares executive-level briefings, narrative analyses, data tables, and briefing materials to support Dental leadership in reporting program status and compliance to facility, VISN, and national stakeholders, directly informing operational and strategic decision making on Dental operations.
- Independently plans and conduct complex operational analyses of workload, access, productivity, scheduling reports, local tracking systems to assess demand, supply, utilization, and performance relative to national and local targets across multiple Dental sites within a high-complexity VA healthcare system.
- Analyzes interrelated performance measures including time to third next available appointment, chair and provider utilization, recall effectiveness, no-show and cancellation trends, clinic template efficiency, and backlog management across multiple Dental sites. Identifies root causes of performance variation, identifying bottlenecks, opportunities for improvement, and develops evidence-based recommendations.
- Develops and maintains service-wide operational dashboards, scorecards, and summary reports for the Chief of Dental, AO, and Dental leadership; synthesizes complex data into clear, actionable information that supports decision-making on staffing, templates, hours of operation, and expansion planning.
- Leads access improvement initiatives that require cross-service coordination and workflow redesign.
- Recommendations directly influence clinic structure, staffing models, template design, hours of operation, and access expansion strategies.
- Provides expert recommendations that directly influence clinic structure; adjustments to clinic templates, staffing models, session mixes, support staff deployment, hours of operation, recall strategies based on analysis, tracks the impact of implemented changes on access, productivity, and Veteran experience, and access expansion strategies.
- Serves as the Dental subject-matter specialist for non-clinical aspects of scheduling, consulting and order management processes, ensuring alignment with national BAS and Office of Dentistry guidance and local scheduling policies.
- Conducts comprehensive workflow analyses across sites, mapping interdependencies among consult entry, triage, scheduling, recall, order management, and closure/obsolescence processes. Identifies systemic failure points that impact timeliness, compliance, and continuity of care.
- Interprets and adapts national BAS and Office of Dentistry guidance to local operational structures, works closely with MSAs, front-desk staff, clinic leads, and the AO to standardize business rules for managing wait lists, backlogs, cancellations, no-shows, and consult/order life cycles, incorporating national guidance and local operational realities.
Work Schedule: Full-Time, Monday - Friday
Telework: Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Administrative Specialist
/PD03362-O
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Requirements
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 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 or trial 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, 06/02/2026.
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-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09. 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.
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-09 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: performs reviews of clinical, financial, and administrative data related to hospital operations, drafts reports, memoranda, meeting minutes, performs documentation reviews of, clinical data, and administrative data, conducts education and training of all staff on topics that include, integrity and compliance, resident supervision documentation standards, employee patient boundaries, and business ethics. OR,
- Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have completed 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. OR,
- Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education beyond the graduate degree level.
You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:
- Communication
- Creative Thinking
- Customer Service
- Project Management
- Strategic Thinking
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.
Preferred experience: 5 years dental-specific experience.
Physical Requirements: In accordance with VA Directive and Handbook 5019.
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/.
Additional information
This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.
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.
Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Review our benefits
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
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.
Required Documents
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
- Resume
- SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. 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.
- Cover Letter
- DD-214/ Statement of Service
- Disability Letter (Schedule A)
- Disability Letter (VA)
- Other (1)
- PCS Orders
- Professional Certification
- Resume
- Separation Notice (RIF)
- SF-15
- SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
- Transcript
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.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from
schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.