Emergency Management Specialist (Assistant) Job in San Francisco, CA

Vacancy No. CBSW-12786027-25-KM Department Veterans Health Administration
Salary $92,433.00 to $120,157.00 Grade 11 to 11
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 8/21/2025 Close Date 9/3/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Status Candidates
Locations:
San Francisco, CA


Summary

The position is located with the San Francisco VA Medical Center and reports to the Emergency Management Specialist (EMS). The position of an Emergency Management Specialist Assistant (EMSA) provides the health care system in sustaining national and regional support to the Comprehensive Emergency Management Program.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

This vacancy is open to current, permanent VISN 21 employees only.

Duties

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

  • Serves as an Emergency Management Specialist providing support for VAMC preparedness, mitigation, response, recovery, as well as the Emergency Management (EM) department inspections, operations, planning, liaison, and other emergency activities. Assists in the development and implementation of Emergency Management program components as directed by the Chief of Emergency Management. Contributes to the planning and organization of activities, ensuring that training and operations requirements are fully integrated and coordinated, and in compliance with all legal and regulatory requirements.
  • Contributes to the implementation of guidelines that impact the day-to-day operations and the associated emergency management activities and functions throughout the healthcare system.
  • Works directly with the VAMC Emergency Manager, VISN Emergency Manager, and VHA OEM Area Emergency Manager, city, county, state, and federal partners to coordinate and collaborate on EM related planning and incident response.
  • Assists in implementing workforce goals and coordinates personnel resources at the VAMC (includes periods of incident response).
  • Prepares draft annual reports and budgets for all programs, to ensure programmatic yearly objectives are in concert with and support VAMC and VHA strategic plans and goals for approval by the Chief of Emergency Management.
  • Analyzes and evaluates, on a quantitative and qualitative basis, the effectiveness of programs or operations in meeting established goals and objectives.
  • Engages in the review and provides input to the Chief of Emergency Management of Federal, State, local governments, hospital coalitions, and consortiums' emergency management plans. Analyzes, evaluates, and provides recommendations to the VAMC EM to provide a quality program. Evaluates programs against criteria. Recommends program changes to improve quality.
  • In consultation with the Chief of Emergency Management, the Emergency Management Specialist reviews, analyzes, and coordinates the implementation and evaluation of exercises to test and critique VHA's comprehensive emergency management plans and programs. Aid the Emergency Management manager during exercise scenarios using DUTIES
  • Provides input in the revision and review of policies, procedures, mission objectives, and/or organizational design for mission accomplishment of complex and evolving issues and functions, including the development of appropriate national guidance and procedures as it relates to CEMP, Environment of Care (EOC), and COOP activities for VHA.
  • Provides customer service to medical center employees and vulnerable patient/Veteran accountability efforts before, during, and after an emergency. Responsible for providing data on employee and patient/Veteran accountability, which is reported to the healthcare system Incident Command Center and VISN in a timely manner.
  • Assists in the tracking of contingency supplies and equipment, maintenance of databases, and resource requirements to meet objectives and provide support as needed. Works with the EM to serve as the secondary responsible party for deliberate planning, operations, and logistics.
  • The incumbent functions as an assistant to the EM assigned the responsibility to coordinate the VAMCs' Disaster Emergency Personnel System (DEMPS) program. DEMPS is comprised of qualified volunteers who register and train in disaster management and support national deployment requirements. The incumbent will assist in the identification, training, and recruitment of qualified volunteers with specific skills for supporting national requirements.
  • In the absence of the Chief of Emergency Management, supports and provides advice and guidance to the Healthcare system Director, Deputy Director, VISN and VAMC Directors, Service Chiefs, and other program managers on all aspects of emergency management.
  • The incumbent is assigned the responsibility to coordinate the VAMCs' Disaster Emergency Personnel System (DEMPS) program. DEMPS is comprised of qualified volunteers who register and train in disaster management and support national deployment requirements. The incumbent will assist in the identification, training, and recruitment of qualified volunteers with specific skills for supporting national requirements.
Other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm or as determined by the supervisor.
Telework: This position is not authorized for telework.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Emergency Management Specialist (Assistant)/PD01530A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: 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
  • You may be required to serve a probationary/trial period
  • 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)
  • Must have a current, valid driver's license.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/03/2025.

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. 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 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: managing an emergency response program for a large medical center; interpreting and implementing an emergency management policy directives or applicable procedures, pertinent laws and local and federal policies; developing, guiding, inspecting a healthcare-associated emergency management; identifying life safety hazards such as bio-hazards; considering decontamination for hazardous situations; resolving or mitigating hazards (Must reflect in resume).
OR
  • Education: have successfully 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., to such a degree in a major field of study related to the work of the position which provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the duties of this position. Transcripts must be submitted with the application.
OR
  • Combination: Have a combination of experience and education. Note: To combine education and experience, first determine how much of the qualifying experience and education you have, as a percentage of what is required for each. Add the percentages together, and if the total is 100% or more, then the combined education and experience is qualifying for the position. Example: To compute the percentage, divide your total months of qualifying experience by 12. Then divide your semester hours of education beyond the first 18 semester hours (i.e. beyond the first year) by 18. Add the two percentages together. The total percentage must equal at least 100% to qualify. Transcripts must be submitted with the application.
You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:
  • Compliance
  • Emergency Management
  • Patient Care
  • Public Safety and Security


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 work is sedentary during non-emergency situations. However, participation in field exercises and operational support missions may require strenuous physical activity to include carrying persons and equipment, walking long distance, climbing, working long hours, long periods of standing, and bending and stooping. May include various housing and living conditions to include non-climate controlled, limited privacy sleeping facilities (for example, cots, tents, "hot-bunking", gymnasiums, or similar), limited shower and laundry facilities, and limited feeding options (such as shelf-stable meals, meals-ready-to-eat (MRE's), and field kitchens).

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

Receiving Service Credit or 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. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. 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.

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.

Benefits

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
  • Disability Letter (VA)
  • PCS Orders
  • Professional Certification
  • Resume
  • Separation Notice (RIF)
  • SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action


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

How to Apply

All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 09/03/2025 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12786027.

  1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USA JOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
  2. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.
NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.

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.

Agency contact information

Kaitlyn McNeil-Segovia
Address
San Francisco VA Medical Center
4150 Clement Street
San Francisco, CA 94121
US

Next steps

Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. After we receive application packages (including all required documents) and the vacancy announcement closes, we will review applications to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email. Referred applicants will be notified as such and may be contacted directly by the hiring office for an interview. All referred applicants receive a final notification once a selection decision has been made.

You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USA Jobs account and clicking on Applications. Information regarding your application status can be found in the USAJobs Help Center.

NOTE: Participation in the seasonal influenza program is a condition of employment and a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). It is a requirement that all HCP to receive annual seasonal influenza vaccination or obtain an exemption for medical or religious reasons. Wearing a face mask is required when an exemption to the influenza vaccination has been granted. HCP in violation of this directive may face disciplinary action up to and including removal from federal service. HCP are individuals who, during the influenza season, work in VHA locations or who come into contact with VA patients or other HCP as part of their duties. VHA locations include, but are not limited to, VA hospitals and associated clinics, community living centers (CLCs), community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs), domiciliary units, Vet centers and VA-leased medical facilities. HCP include all VA licensed and unlicensed, clinical and administrative, remote and onsite, paid and without compensation, full- and part-time employees, intermittent employees, fee basis employees, VA contractors, researchers, volunteers and health professions trainees (HPTs) who are expected to perform any or all of their work at these facilities. HPTs may be paid or unpaid and include residents, interns, fellows and students. HCP also includes VHA personnel providing home-based care to Veterans and drivers and other personnel whose duties put them in contact with patients outside VA medical facilities.


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.


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