Health System Specialist - Graduate Healthcare Administrative Training Program (GHAPT) Trainee Job in Durham, NC

Vacancy No. CBTA-12709974-25-BRW Department Veterans Health Administration
Salary $63,815.00 to $82,958.00 Grade 9 to 9
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 3/14/2025 Close Date 3/25/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Durham, NC


Summary

The GHATP Trainee functions as a Health System Specialist in the Office of the Director of the Medical Facility and is responsible for managing projects and assisting in the coordination of daily office activities. The GHATP program is a one year program designed so that the position acquires the knowledge, skills, abilities and competencies to assume more complex responsibilities and assist the Office of the Medical Center Director in successfully meeting its mission and strategic goals.

This job is open to

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

Major duties include but are not limited to:

  • Utilizes data and reporting tools to develop health-planning service line strategies impacting the operations of components of medical centers, network offices, and/or VHACO program offices.
  • Analyzes data trends in budget and fiscal expenditures supporting the preparation and execution of budget and committee meetings for identified components within the whole organization.
  • Researches laws, regulations, and policies related to budget and fiscal administration displaying knowledge of service line or component operations within the health care system or oversight office.
  • Participates on project teams in lead or support roles identifying and improving operational processes impacting service lines or components of the VA health care system or oversight office.
  • Displays knowledge of VA priorities and mission statements to recommend improvements to policy and procedures related to service line budget and administrative processes.
  • Observes, analyzes, and reports under professional service direction the areas of discipline, rewards and recognition, reassignment, staff adjustments and realignments, labor/management relationships, affirmative employment, and alternative dispute resolutions and grievances to understand processes for conducting projects and studies.
  • Performs rotations and on-site visits to make recommendations to the issues and opportunities present at the Network and other VA/VHA facilities and program offices.
  • Analyzes org charts, policies, VERA and SAIL data to represent the service line of the facility or program office priorities during resource allocation committee meetings.
  • Participates in disaster preparedness and emergency management planning meetings to evaluate efficiency and effectiveness of policies and procedures at the service line level.
  • Attends facility/Network/and VHACO program office strategic and succession planning meetings to observe techniques and methodologies in VHA personnel management.
  • Gathers organizational data from reports and TRIP packs in preparation for media and community events either separately or in conjunction with the Public Affairs Office.
  • Reviews and explores VHA relationships and processes with affiliated education programs.
  • Participates in local hospital council, veteran organization, and community organization meetings with VHA senior leader staff members.
  • Manages, leads, and administers project plans which include meeting objectives, assigning resources, giving briefings and presentations as project representative, maintaining quality assurance processes, creating project documentation, and completing after action review reports and follow-up procedures in conduct comprehensive project management.
  • Reviews and reports on service line policies in preparation for surveys, audits, and inspections in quality assurance, compliance, and procedures governed by internal and external organizations.
  • Develops and presents an innovative project recommending improvements to policies, procedures, and services provided by VHA at the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE).
  • Performs other related duties as assigned.
Work Schedule: 8:00 a.m. -4:30 p.m., Monday - Friday
Position Description Title/PD#: Health System Specialist - Graduate Healthcare Administrative Training Program (GHAPT) Trainee/PDS0002A
Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary, although some slight physical effort may be required.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job
  • Subject to a background/suitability investigation
  • May serve a probationary period
  • Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
  • A complete application package; Resume, Transcripts, etc.
  • Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process
  • Accepted for/currently enrolled in a qualified educational institution
  • Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)

Qualifications

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-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07. 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.

GS-9: To be eligible for this position applicants must have completed a master's degree (within the last 2 years, 6 years for preference eligible veterans) in an institution accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME) in major field of study such as: hospital administration, public health administration (MHA, MHSA, MPH), or related fields such as business or public administration (MBA, MPA) with course work in health care administration by program start date, OR have 2 years of progressively higher level graduate education in an institution accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME) in major field of study such as: hospital administration, public health administration (MHA, MHSA, MPH), or related fields such as business or public administration (MBA, MPA) with course work in health care administration by program start date.


Physical Requirements - The work is primarily sedentary, although some slight physical effort may be required.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at http://www.opm.gov/qualifications. OPM Qualifications Standards for GS-671.

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.

Education

A transcript must be submitted with your application.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from an institution accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME) in major field of study such as: hospital administration, public health administration (MHA, MHSA, MPH), or related fields such as business or public administration (MBA, MPA) with course work in health care administration by program start date. You may verify your school's accreditation by using the following link: CAHME-Accredited Healthcare Administration Programs by State (healthcareadministrationedu.org).

Additional information

VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.

Receiving Service Credit for 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. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. 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 to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.

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

Required Documents

Documents Accepted:

  • 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

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.

How to Apply

All applicants are encouraged to apply online.

To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 03/25/2025 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12709974.

1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.

2. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.

Agency contact information

Brian Watt
Address
Durham VA Medical Center
508 Fulton Street
Durham, NC 27705
US

Next steps

After the vacancy announcement closes, applicants are evaluated 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.


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


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