Clarification from the agency

Status Candidates, VEAO Eligible and Special Hiring Authorities

Major duties of the Health Systems Specialist include, but are not limited to:

• Conducting analysis utilizing a variety of databases to support facility leadership in development and implementation of strategic, tactical and operational plans.
• Utilizes Pyramid Analytics, Power BI and other applications to perform sophisticated data analysis, including extracting data from internal and external databases, analyzing and interpreting complex data using basic statistical models, and designing and preparing user-friendly reports. Independently gathers, develops and interprets data from available information systems including ViSTA, Oracle, VHA Support Service Center (VSSC), planning systems, Allocation Resource Center (ARC) and VA performance measurement system and Strategic Analytics for Improvement and Learning (SAIL).
• Conducts independent research to develop an in-depth understanding of VA databases and data sources in order to retrieve and validate data and translate generally defined customer requirements into data analytics logic. Works iteratively with customers to fully define data and analysis requirements to accurately reflect requirements in analysis design and reports.
• Collects baseline information, develops benchmarks and identifies limitations in current systems to discover potential improvements.
• Completing environmental assessment analysis including demographic and market analysis to identify health trends for the organization.
• Utilizes data to organize work, set priorities, and monitor progress.
• Identifying best practice models by conducting cost/benefit analyses, analyzing demographic and workload data, designing and managing data bases (to include accessing non-VA data sources), and researching health care trends.
• Reviews, interprets and analyzes VHA information documents, such as VERA workload reports, performance measures, planning models, VSSC and other data sources etc., and translates them into reports and presentations incorporating data mined into sound, useful, visual management information and recommends improvement to operational effectiveness of the medical center.
• Independently studies and analyzes potential or developing problems affecting operations to arrive at appropriate solutions or recommendations for implementation. In doing so, identifies metrics performing below benchmarked standards or failing below the upper or lower control limits of a statically controlled models such as SAIL.
• Serving as subject-matter-expert in areas assigned for study to design studies, collect and analyze data, interpret findings, prepare reports, and communicate recommendations to clinical and administrative leadership.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm
Telework: This position may be authorized for ad-hoc telework. Ad-hoc is occasional, episodic, or short-term in accordance with Agency Policy. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Health System Specialist/PD91053O
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

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 12/29/2025.

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-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.

Individual Occupational Requirements: The 0671 Health System Specialist occupational series has an Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR), that all candidates must meet in order to meet the basic qualifications of the position.

Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study -- hospital administration, public health administration, or related fields such as business or public administration with course work in health care administration. Transcripts are required.

or

Specialized Experience(for positions above GS-5): 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 In service 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

In addition to the basic qualifications listed above, you must also meet the grade level requirement of the position. You may qualify based on your experience as described below:

• Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-11 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: applying specialized principles and practices of health care analytics to direct/support a health care delivery system; conducting data analysis, studying and analyzing program specific-data, compiling final reports of evaluation efforts and noting discrepancies; and knowledge and skill in applying analytical and evaluative methods and techniques to issues related to the efficiency and effectiveness of program operations performed by administrative, technical, and professional personnel and providers.

Preferred Experience: analytical work, preferably with SQL in order to assist query author duties and report writer duties with Oracle; Systems redesign experience e.g. modeling flow, working with databases to develop reports, use of A3, etc.; lean green belt certified or minimum of lean yellow belt preferred; project management experience or certification in project management.

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

• Capital Planning
• External Awareness
• Planning
• Project Management
• Strategic Thinking
• Influencing
• Organizational Awareness

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 primarily sedentary with periods of walking; standing; bending; occasional travel to offsite facilities; and carrying of light items such as papers, books, or small parts. Travel by automobile or air may be required. No special physical demands are required to perform the work.

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.

You must ensure all duties are detailed in your resume and it clearly shows how you meet the specialized experience required of the position. We cannot make any assumption on duties performed or level of experience based on a job title. All duties must be described under each job entry with the beginning and ending dates of employment (month and year and hours worked per week). If we are unable to determine your qualifications based on the application materials submitted we are unable to refer you for consideration.

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 (please note resumes are limited to two pages; refer to "How to Apply" section below for more information)
• Any supporting documentation to verify the eligibility that you have claimed (see full accepted documents list); failure to submit documentation required to verify eligibility claimed will result in being rated ineligible.

Note to current federal employees applying: You must submit a copy of a recent SF-50 (must provide an SF-50 dated 01/12/2025 or later; FWS/WG employees must provide one dated 03/10/2024 or later) to provide proof of eligibility.

• ATTENTION: You may need to submit more than one SF-50 if we cannot verify you meet time-in-grade (TIG) by your most recent SF-50. For example, if your most recent SF-50 is a General Adjustment or change in data element, we need your most recent SF-50 dated 01/12/2025 and another SF-50 to verify TIG. Examples of SF-50s for TIG verification include your last within-grade increase or promotion to highest grade held. Promotion shows when you started the grade level and a within-grade increase verifies you were at that grade level for at least one year. Failure to provide your most recent SF-50 dated 01/12/2025 or later to prove area of consideration eligibility and other SF-50s to verify you meet the TIG requirement will result in you being disqualified. We cannot verify time-in-grade based only on the grade and step you are currently on.

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)
• Other (2)
• Other (3)
• Performance Appraisal
• Professional Certification
• Proof of Marriage Status
• 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.

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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