HealthCare Education Specialist

Clarification from the agency

This announcement is only open to current, permanent employees of Institute for Learning, Education and Development (ILEAD) only. All other applicants will not be considered.

***Physical work location will be determined upon selection.***

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

• Interprets the criteria and requirements from different accreditation bodies and translates them into the accreditation policies in VHA ILEAD.
• Composes self-study of VHA and ILEAD Accreditation for new accreditation application and reaccreditation.
• Assists with preparing accreditation packages to forward to Accreditation bodies to maintain accreditations and to earn new accreditation.
• Creates national guidance tools such as job aids, standard operations procedures, and policies for VHA ILEAD Accreditation.
• Reviews and approves all accreditation packages.
• Responsible for all accreditation consultations and problem-solving with ILEAD Project Teams and all similar external activities with Agents-In-Place in the Field Accreditation Services on accreditation request packages.
• Analyzes the return on investment of each accreditation and its impact on VHA clinicians.

Promotion Potential: This position involves a multi-grade career ladder. The major duties listed above represent the full performance level of GS-13. At the GS-11 and 12 grade levels, you will perform assignments of a more limited scope and with less independence. You will progressively acquire the background necessary to perform at the full performance level of GS-13. Promotion is at the discretion of the supervisor and is contingent upon satisfactory performance, availability of higher-level work, and availability of funds. 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.

***Physical work location will be determined upon selection.***

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8am-4:30pm
Compressed/Flexible: May be available
Telework: This position is NOT eligible for telework.
Remote: This is NOT a remote position. You must live within or be willing to relocate within a commutable distance of the duty location.
Position Description/PD#: HealthCare Education Specialist/PD02775A, PD02780A, and PD03325A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): 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, 07/28/2026.

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-9. For a GS-12 position you must have held a GS-11 or higher. For a GS-13 position you must have held a GS-12 or higher. 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.

Individual Occupational Requirement:In order to meet the basic requirement of the HES Accreditation Specialist position, 1701 series, you must possess one of the following:

1. Degree: that included or was supplemented by major study (at least 24 credit hours) in education or in a subject-matter field appropriate to the position (Healthcare Administration, Clinical Field, Analysis/Performance).

   or

2. Combination of education and experience -- courses equivalent to a major (at least 24 credit hours) in education, or in a subject-matter field appropriate to the position (Healthcare Administration, Clinical Field, Analysis/Performance), plus appropriate experience or additional course work that provided knowledge comparable to that normally acquired through the successful completion of the 4-year course of study described in number 1 above.

Specialized Experience at all grades:In addition to meeting the Individual Occupational Requirement, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to:

• Preparing Accreditation self-studies, re-accreditation applications, and official accreditation file audits by accreditation bodies.
• Verifying and processing completion reports for various accreditation bodies.
• Interpreting the criteria and requirements from different accreditation bodies and translating them into accreditation policies.
• Creating national guidance tools such as job aids, standard operations procedures, and policies.
• Reviewing and approving accreditation packages.
• Analyzing the return on investment of each accreditation and its impact on VHA clinicians.

OR

Education to Qualify at the GS-11: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must possess 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree. (TRANSCRIPTS ARE REQUIRED)

OR,

Combination of Education and Experience to Qualify at the GS-11: An equivalent combination of specialized experience and graduate education as described above may be used to meet the total qualification requirements for this position. Only graduate education in excess of 2 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree. (TRANSCRIPTS ARE REQUIRED)

There is no educational substitution at the GS-12 and GS-13 grade levels.

Preferred Experience: Extensive Accreditation experience working as an Accreditation Analyst and/or an Accreditation Specialist for at least 3 years or more.You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:

1. Technical Competence- Uses knowledge that is acquired through formal training or extensive on-the-job experience to perform one's job; works with, understands, and evaluates technical information related to the job; advises others on technical issues.
2. Communication- Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately.
3. Analysis and Problem Solving- Applies the process of discovery that involves the diagnosis of a problem or issue, identification and gathering of relevant information, formulation and evaluation of alternative solutions or courses of action, and selection or recommendation of the preferred solution or course of action.
4. Organizational Awareness- Knows the organization's mission and functions, and how its social, political, and technological systems work and operates effectively within them; this includes the programs, policies, procedures, rules, and regulations of the organization.
5. Decision Making- Makes sound, well-informed, and objective decisions; perceives the impact and implications of decisions; commits to action, even in uncertain situations, to accomplish organizational goals; causes change

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: Work is performed while sitting at a desk, at conferences, briefings, meetings, in classrooms and the equivalent. The work is primarily sedentary. Must work multiple projects simultaneously and handle occasional high levels of stress and conflicting priorities. Work also involves travel and may include prolonged standing, walking, and transport of instructional supplies and/or equipment in excess of 30 lbs.

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)
• 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.

Next steps