Clarification from the agency

ALL US CITIZENS. DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: This position is being filled using Direct-Hire Authority (5 CFR 337.201) for this occupation.

Duties include but are not limited to:

• Obtains data and prepares replies to correspondence for the signature of the Medical Center Director, Network Director, or for the appropriate VA Central Office.
• Participate and lead fact-finding and administrative board of investigations for useful, effective evidence-gathering and reliable, efficient fact-finding.
• Reviews medical center budget initiatives, subsequent justifications and defends for the clinical or administrative service/program to the Medical Center Director as needed.
• Plans, organizes, trends and reviews requests for resources within their assigned executive's chain of command and makes recommendations.
• Applying advanced qualitative and quantitative techniques.
• Reviews policies and procedures that are in conformance with the overall philosophy of the Veterans Health Administration.
• Coordinates and participates in strategic planning.
• Reviews audits and evaluations which are conducted at the facility.
• Conducts analytical studies on particular operational processes, issue topics, or related special projects.
• Completes other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 7:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Position Description Title/PD#: Health System Specialist/PD08401A
Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary. There will be episodes of moderate lifting or prolonged periods of standing and bending in searching various files. There is lifting and carrying of such items as record boxes and bulky files.

Conditions of employment

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period (OR INSERT "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 INSERT "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.

Individual Occupation Requirement: 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.

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.

AND:

GS-13 grade level: One year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the federal service); experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) and other characteristics to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience includes:

• Assist in prioritizing resource allocations throughout the healthcare system in conjunction within the Director's authority.
• Develops a thorough administrative and strategic operational initiative of the organization that enables the specialist to identify problems, analyze data, and recommend resolutions
• Plans, organizes, trends and reviews requests for resources within their assigned executive's chain of command and makes recommendations, based upon the relative needs while considering their ability to utilize the resources requested.
• Reviews medical center budget initiatives, subsequent justifications and defends for the clinical or administrative service/program to the Medical Center Director as needed.
• Deals with problems arising from quality of care issues and consumer complaints arising from individual patients, Veterans groups, Congressional office, and other stakeholders.
• Participate and lead fact-finding and administrative board of investigations for useful, effective evidence-gathering and reliable, efficient fact-finding.
• When presented a problem, aggressively pursue a resolution without further prompting.

There is no educational substitution for the GS-13 level.

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.

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. Applicants will be referred in the order in which they were received.

Documents Accepted:

• Cover Letter
• DD-214/ Statement of Service
• Resume
• Separation Notice (RIF)
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action

Documents Required:

• Resume

Please review the above list(s) to ensure you have included all necessary documents required for your application.Not every applicant will require the same documents, therefore it is the applicants responsibility to ensure that their application package includes all necessary documents to determine qualifications and eligibility for appointment, such as a copy of your SF-50, transcript, ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees).You will not be contacted for additional information. Applicants will be deemed ineligible if supporting documentation is not submitted.

Veterans' Preference: Since the Direct-Hire Recruitment Authority is being used, traditional Veterans' Preference rules do not apply. Qualified veterans will, however, be given full consideration for this position.

Applications are accepted online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application.

Next steps