Clarification from the agency

ALL US CITIZENS This announcement is open to all US Citizens who must have graduated from an accredited educational institute or certificate program within the last 2 years for non-Veteran applicants or 6 years for Veterans. DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: This position is being filled using Direct-Hire Authority (5 CFR 337.201) for this occupation.

The incumbent serves as a Health System Specialist (GHATP training program is designed so that the incumbent acquires the knowledge, skills, abilities and competencies necessary to assume progressively more complex responsibilities and assist the Office of the Medical Center Director in successfully meeting its mission and strategic goals. The incumbent will develop as individual development plan (IDP) and receive recurring progress reviews by the supervisor.

Major Duties and Responsibilities are but not limited to the following:

• 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.
• 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.
• Displays knowledge of VA priorities and mission statements to recommend improvements to policy and procedures related to service line budget and administrative processes.
• 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.
• Participates in disaster preparedness and emergency management planning meetings to evaluate efficiency and effectiveness of policies and procedures.
• Attends facility/Network/and VHACO program office strategic and succession planning meetings to observe techniques and methodologies in VHA personnel management.
• Participates in local hospital council, veteran organization, and community organization meetings with VHA senior leader staff members.
• Reviews and reports on facility 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 Executive (ACHE).
• Researches laws, regulations, and policies related to budget and fiscal management displaying knowledge of VA health care system operations.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm
Compressed/Flexible: Not Available
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Pathways (Graduate Healthcare Administration Training Program) Health Systems Specialist;
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job
• Subject to a background/suitability investigation
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• A complete application package; Resume, Transcripts, etc. is required
• Required to sign a Pathways Program Participant Agreement and serve a probationary/trial period.
• 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.

Resumes must be legible so they can be reviewed for eligibility, minimum qualifications and other position requirements listed in the job announcement.
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.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement:04/14/2026.

BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT FOR THE RECENT GRADUATE PROGRAM:

Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR):

Health System Administration Series, 0671

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.~ or ~Specialized Experience: 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

To meet the requirements for the The Graduate Healthcare Administration Training Program (GHATP): Applicants must be a recent graduate who has completed, within the previous two years, a Master's degree in hospital administration, public health administration or other healthcare admin/management from a qualifying degree program recognized by the Department of Education. A Master's in business or public administration may be accepted if at least two (2) healthcare courses are taken before completion of degree. All qualification requirements must be met by 04/03/2024.Veterans (as defined in 5 U.S.C. 2108) who, due to military service obligation, were precluded from applying to the Recent Graduates program during any portion of the 2-year eligibility period described above have a full 2-year period of eligibility upon their release or discharge from active duty; however, this eligibility period cannot extend beyond 6 years from the date of completion of the requirements of an academic course of study.

You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:

GS-09 Qualifications

• Specialized Experience: You must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the Federal service that includes performing the following duties: 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.

OR,

• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a Master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in hospital administration, public health administration, or related fields such as business or public administration with course work in health care administration. Note: Transcript required.

OR,

• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an equivalent combinations of successfully completed graduate-level education (beyond 18 semester hours) as described above. Note: Transcript required.

Volunteer Experience: 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. Full vs. Part-Time Employment: Full-time employment is considered to be at least 35 hours per week. Part-time experience will be credited on a pro-rated basis; when including part-time employment in your resume you must specify the average hours worked per week.

RECENT GRADUATE:The Pathways Recent Graduates Program is open to recent graduates who are legally permitted to work in the U.S. To be eligible.. You must have obtained one of the following qualifying degrees, certificate, career, or technical education programs: associates, bachelors, masters, professional, doctoral, or technical/vocational degree or certificate (which may include Registered Apprenticeship Programs, Job Corps, Climate Corps, AmeriCorps, and Peace Corps) from a qualifying educational institution within the previous two years.

Physical Requirements: Work is primarily sedentary, although slight physical effort may be required.

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.

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 to include the documents detailed below. Your resume and supporting documentation will be verified; errors, omissions, or failure to submit the documents as specified will affect your rating or result in loss of consideration for employment.

• Resume detailing specialized experience and competencies as they relate to this position
  • For each position in your resume, you must specify the start and end dates (month/year) and a description of duties. If the position was Federal, you must also indicate the grade level. Resumes containing a general summary of all positions held, not specifying start/end dates, and/or not including Federal grade level(s) are insufficient to determine basic qualifications.
• Transcript that includes your coursework and date of graduation. A diploma is NOT sufficient to determine eligibility/qualifications.
• Veterans: Member-4 DD-214 and disability rating letter (if applicable)
  • If you are currently on active duty to be released within 120 days, you may submit an armed forces certification in lieu of a Member-4 DD-214.

Please use this checklist to 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.

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 http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/vetpref/index.aspx.

Next steps