Health System Specialist

Clarification from the agency

Open to current permanent employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs and CTAP eligible.

Major duties include:

• Conducts studies of service and health care system programs and operations, and makes recommendations for improvements to reduce cost and increase efficiency and effectiveness without compromising customer service.
• Responsible for handling routine day-to-day operational matters within the Office of the ADPCS/NE to include coordination and liaison with all services falling under the ADPCS/NE and Quality Management, Compliance, Systems Redesign, Patient Safety, Privacy, Information Security, Public Affairs, Facilities Support Service, Logistics, and the Equal Employee Opportunity Office, as well as resolving more complex, non-routine matters not requiring action by the ADPCS/NE.
• Participates in the organization of these functions and performs a full range of human resources management responsibilities.
• Synchronizes and coordinates proficiencies; performance appraisals for initial, midyear, and final by closely working with the service supervisors to ensure that accurate and current records are maintained and that all documentation from Union grievances and proposed disciplinary actions are filed utilizing an effective system that assures privacy, accessibility, and accuracy of this information within the service.
• Ensures Patient Care Services comply with all provisions of the Equal Employment Opportunity Program in accordance with Office of Personnel Management, VHA regulations and established Medical Center guidelines.
• Makes proposals based on research, analysis, and observation to modify or change policies and processes as well as initiate suggestions for new policies designed to enhance the efficiency of EPVAHCS operations.
• Attends or conducts meetings to explain organization policy and procedures and resolves problems.
• Acts as a subject matter expert for equipment purchases and Equipment Inventory Listings (EILs).
• Assesses the cost/benefit of equipment requests prior to endorsement and approval by the Equipment Committee.
• Coordinates preparation of Joint Commission surveys, and the Office of Inspector General.
• Assists the Senior Executive Team in preparation of annual strategic plan for submission and dissemination throughout the EPVAHCS.
• Prepares written correspondence for the ADPCS/NE that is clear, concise, and complete and requires few revisions of content on issues as assigned.
• Participates in Health Care System Emergency Preparedness and safety responses pertinent to internal/external disasters, homeland security requirements, and other threats to system operations.
• Provides the analysis and evaluation of resources required for efficient and responsible operation of programs.
• Oversees Fund Control Points.
• Reviews requests for travel.
• In the absence of the Associate Director for Patient Care Services/Nurse Executive, the incumbent acts in that capacity regarding administrative issues (clinical issues are delegated to the Deputy Nurse Executive).
• Determines appropriate recommendations for unresolved or questionable problems and performs follow-up.
• Provides program managers, supervisors, and staff with direction and advice regarding policies, procedures, and guidelines.
• Develops comprehensive reports, studies, business plans, and presentations in support of the ADPCS.
• Manages and/or prepares responses to organization correspondence.
• Provides oversight to the Patient Care Service administrative staff, including education, coaching, and support for program implementation and monitors overall quality and productivity indicators to ensure appropriate utilization of resources.
• Examines routine and highly complex operations systems, problems, either potential or real, and determines, in priority order, actions necessary to resolve the problems upon which recommendations for their resolution can be made.
• Coordinates projects involving more than one service and ensures completion of the projects within the prescribed time frame.
• Develops and implements management information systems and monitors for tracking status of service's resources and operational parameters relative to service performance and strategic goals/plans as needed.
• Serves as the principal advisor and resource person to the Associate Director for Patient Care Services and the Executive Leadership team.
• Develops and makes recommendations to the ADPCS/NE regarding activities related to: administrative issues within the services and other health care facilities; needed improvement in the efficiency and effectiveness of VA health care delivery operations; modification in programs or activities designed to promote or improve health care delivery; and school affiliations.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm
Telework: This position may be authorized for Ad-hoc telework.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Health System Specialist/PD013170
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
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 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, 06/12/2026.

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. 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 for GS-11 level: You must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-09) in the Federal Service, that is directly related to the work of the position and has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties as a Health System Specialist. Qualifying specialized experience is defined as 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: (1) Missions, organizations, programs, and requirements of health care delivery systems; (2) Regulations and standards of various regulatory and credentialing groups; and (3) Government-wide, agency, and facility systems and requirements in various administrative areas such as budget, personnel, and procurement. At this level, applicants would have obtained this experience working within a health care setting, working directly with health care system administration and finance services to solve problems in support of policy compliance and program/operational functions; applying new approaches to difficult and complex issues by developing and/or evaluating programs; develop solutions and recommendations to resolve substantive issues pertaining to programs, missions, services, and other comprehensive facets of the health care system; plan, organize, and direct team study work and to negotiate effectively with management to accept and implement recommendations where the proposals involve substantial agency resources, require extensive changes in established procedures, or may be in conflict with the desires of the activity studied; analyze problems and to design, develop, evaluate, modify, and implement projects and programs to meet current health care industry and agency requirements. OR,
• Education: Successfully completed a Ph.D., equivalent doctoral degree, three (3) full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, Or LL.M in the related field of the position to be filled (i.e., hospital administration, public health administration, or related fields such as business or public administration with course work in health care administration). The education portion must include courses that demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. Education must have been obtained in an accredited college, or university. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. OR,
• Combination: Combinations of successfully completed graduate level education (beyond a master's degree) and specialized experience as described above to meet total experience requirements. The education portion must include graduate courses that demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do to the work of this position (i.e., hospital administration, public health administration, or related fields such as business or public administration with course work in health care administration). NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. Experience must be clearly indicated in your resume.

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

• Operational Management
• Operational Analysis
• Advisory Capabilities
• Project Management

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. Some work may require movement between offices, hospitals, warehouses, and similar areas for meetings and to conduct work. Work may also require walking/standing, in conjunctions with travel to and attendance at meetings and/or conferences away from the work site. Incumbent may carry and lift light items weighing less than 15 pounds.

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
• 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)
• License
• Other (1)
• PCS Orders
• Performance Appraisal
• 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.

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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