Clarification from the agency

Current, permanent employees of the Tennessee Valley Healthcare System ONLY.

The major duties of this position include but are not limited to the following:

• Provides consultation, direction, and leadership for professional, technical, administrative, and clerical employees, particularly regarding governance related issues and agency issue briefs.
• Oversees the management of all TVHS governance-related documentation to include policies, charters, and minutes ensuring files are properly protected and readily available when needed.
• Develops tools required to collect and evaluate data and information into reports, tables, charts and graphs, reviews subject matter, and provides a concise analysis to leadership, particularly regarding governance related issues and agency issue briefs.
• Provides full and thorough review, analysis, and evaluation of governance related programmatic activities and development.
• Works to establish and implement the primary goals and support the mission of TVHS, setting the direction, and overlay for governance related issues.
• Provides insight in a variety of operational and management issues and integrates this understanding into the development and implementation of governance programs.
• Establishes, in concert with leadership and key support staff, both long- term and short-term governance related plans, policies and procedures, assuring that administrative and clinical programs are integrated in order to provide high quality patient care with optimal resource utilization.
• Serves as the facility subject matter expert and manager of facility level policy creation, modifications, maintenance, storage, and distribution. Ensures local policies adhere to higher level policy guidance and appropriately support accreditation readiness and external oversight regulations.
• Serves as the technical advisor and consultant to all levels of TVHS leadership on governance issues such as committee structure, requirements, membership, documentation, responsibilities, and oversight. By thoroughly reviewing all applicable higher level agency, local facility, and external oversight guidance, ensures that all committees are properly chartered, organized, and managed.

Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday | 7:30 AM- 4:00 PM CST
Telework: Ad Hoc Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Health System Specialist (Quality and Patient Safety)/PD70516A
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 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, 01/19/2026.

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-9 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-7. The grade may have been in any occupation but must have been held in the Federal service.
• For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-9. 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.

• Examples of appropriate SF-50s include:
  • Within grade increases at the highest grade held; or
  • Promotions with an effective date more than one year old; or
  • SF-50s at the highest grade held with an effective date more than one year old.

In addition to the Time-in-Grade Requirement above, applicants must also possess the Individual Occupational Requirement as described below.

INDIVIDUAL OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENT:

1. 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
• Government-wide, agency, and facility systems and requirements in various administrative areas such as budget, personnel, and procurement.

OR

2. Education: Undergraduate or graduate education with a major study in hospital administration, public health administration, or related fields such as business or public administration with course work in health care administration. (TRANSCRIPT MUST BE PROVIDED.)

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.

In addition to the Time-in-Grade Requirement and Individual Occupational Requirement, applicants must also possess the Specialized Experience, Education, and/or Combination as described below.

NOTE: CANDIDATES USING EDUCATION TO MEET THE INDIVIDUAL OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENT MUST SUBMIT AN UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT OF CONFERRED DEGREE BY THE ANNOUNCEMENT CLOSING. LATE SUBMISSIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

To qualify for this position at the GS-09 level, you must meet one of the following:

• SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: You must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-7) 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:
  • Forecasting financial needs, preparing budget requests, tracking expenditures, and procuring supplies and equipment.
  • Performing all section contracting officer representative (COR) functions to include contract establishment, surveillance, and evaluation to ensure all contract requirements are met and resolving discrepancies with the contractor and contracting officer to ensure the government and operational needs are met.
  • Managing all section records to include meeting minutes, personnel records, financial records, contract records, and others per the record control schedule and other applicable guidance.
  • Providing oversight and coordination of all official TVHS policy memoranda to include training, reviewing, tracking, distribution, providing notifications, and ensuring compliance with accrediting and reviewing organizations and national policy.
  • Ensuring inquiries, correspondence, and actions for area of responsibility are addressed appropriately.
  • Demonstrating experience and ability to process and analyze data; presenting the data for use by decision makers and other stakeholders.

THE PREFERRED CANDIDATE WOULD POSSESS AND DEMONSTRATE THE FOLLOWING EXPERIENCE:
- Lean/Six Sigma Process Improvement Belt Training and Certification
- Quality and/or High Reliability Organization (HRO) Training & Experience
- Government Financial, Contracting, & Human Resources Experience
- Expert Knowledge of Grammar, Spelling, Punctuation, Formatting, and Executive Correspondence and Would Be Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite Applications.

NOTE: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates, AND hours worked per week

OR

• EDUCATION: Successfully completed a master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. or J.D., if related. Education at the graduate level must have been obtained in an accredited college or university and must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position.

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 the first year) and specialized experience as described above, to meet the 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. This 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. Experience must be clearly indicated in your resume

(QUALIFICATIONS CONTINUED UNDER EDUCATION SECTION OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT)

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), or SF-50s (current, Federal employees). You will not be contacted for additional information.

• Cover Letter
• Other (1)
• Performance Appraisal
• Professional Certification
• Resume
• 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 50s do not provide sufficient information and will not be accepted for the purpose of verifying time-in-grade.
• Examples of appropriate SF-50s include:
  • Within grade increases at the highest grade held; or
  • Promotions with an effective date more than one year old; or
  • SF-50s at the highest grade held with an effective date more than one year old.

Next steps