Clarification from the agency

This position is only open to current and permanent employees of the Tucson VA Medical Center.

Duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Responsible for utilizing office automation equipment to prepare correspondence, documents, and reports; work performed requires the services of a qualified typist.
• Receives and screens telephone calls and visitors to the Office of the Chief, Surgical Service. Ascertain the nature of the call or the purpose of the visit and independently determine the appropriate action.
• Reads and screens all incoming correspondence, publications, regulations, and directives that affect the Surgical Service and unilaterally decides which can be acted upon personally and which must be referred to the Chief, Surgical Service, and/or Surgical Service Clinical Directors or subordinate supervisors for action.
• When necessary, uses personal judgment and initiative to obtain clarifying information from originating offices.
• Assists subordinate staff and other Surgical Service secretaries and program support clerks in interpreting vague instructions and in establishing any actions required. Briefs the Chief, Surgical Service, on such activity and maintains suspense controls to ensure timely submission of responses.
• Prepares reports, memorandums, and outgoing correspondence for the signature of the Chief and Surgical Service Clinical Directors and, on occasion, for the SAVAHCS Director and reviews it for proper format, conformance with regulations, content, grammar, and special policies.
• When necessary, use initiative to obtain clarification of any unclear information. Correspondence is often highly technical in nature and includes extensive medical terminology.
• Maintains and updates files, manuals, and special operating procedures pertaining to the Surgical Service and Surgical Service Clinical Directors, including VA regulations, reports, bulletins, circulars, etc. Also maintains records of recurring and non-recurring reports
  originating within the Surgical Service and follows up by contacting responsible employees to ensure submission of responses is timely and in the proper format.
• Serves as recorder of minutes for all meetings chaired by Chief or Assistant Chiefs, Surgical Service, and distributes copies of minutes to all appropriate personnel.
• Instructs and assists various Surgical Service secretaries, program clerks, students, volunteers, work- studies, etc. in the proper procedures and format for the preparation of correspondence and reports.
• Oversee all word processing activities for the Surgical Service, including the use of the most current computerized office automation equipment. Develops, coordinates, and conducts word-processing training for all Surgical Service secretaries and support clerks. This training is in-depth, ongoing and frequently includes daily technical assistance.
• Maintains the Chief, Surgical Service activity calendar and schedules appointments, conferences, and meetings on own initiative based upon personal knowledge of the Chief, Surgical Service workload and current issues of importance.
• Briefs the Chief, Surgical Service, and Surgical Service Clinical Directors in advance on matters to be considered at meetings and assembles background material for agenda items.
• Makes necessary travel arrangements for the Chief, Surgical Service, and Surgical Service Clinical Directors, including scheduling transportation, making hotel reservations, notifying organizations and officials to be visited, and typing various reports pertaining to the activity.
• Serves as a backup timekeeper for Surgical Service management personnel and for the Surgical Service staff. Enters leave data, when necessary, into the computer and compiles leave records used to compile reports. Monitors use overtime, fee hours, and all leave and absences to assure compliance with VA policy and refer, when appropriate, to supervisors for action.
• Requisitions office supplies, equipment and publications as needed. Coordinates submission of work orders for equipment repair.
• Serves as key coordinator for the office of the Chief, Surgical Service, and Surgical Service staff under the direction of Surgical Service Clinical Directors, ordering, maintaining, and delegating door keys to staff.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:00 am to 3:30 pm
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Secretary/PD14678O

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, 05/11/2026.

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-06 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05. 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 as described below:

• Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-05 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: serving as the Secretary and principle administrative support position to the supervisor. Receives and screens telephone calls and visitors. Receives incoming correspondence and determines which items should be brought to the supervisor's attention or forwarded to other staff for action. Maintains the activity calendar and schedules appointments, conferences, and meetings on own initiative based upon personal knowledge of the workload and current issues of importance.

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

• Accountability
• Attention to Detail
• Customer Service
• Decision Making
• Flexibility
• Integrity/Honesty
• Interpersonal Skills
• Learning
• Reading Comprehension
• Reasoning
• Self-Management
• Stress Tolerance
• Teamwork

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 requires sitting, walking, standing bending and carrying light items such as papers, binders and books. The pace is fast and possibly at times stressful. Auditory acuity to transcribe dictation is necessary. Visual acuity to accurately transcribe
information into reports is essential. Typically, the employee may sit comfortably to do the work. However, there may be some walking; standing; bending; carrying light items such as papers, books, small parts; driving an automobile, etc. No special physical demands are required to perform the work.


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
• Additional Supporting Documents (if applicable)
• Resume
• Separation Notice (RIF)
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action

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:For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit Feds Hire Vets - Veterans - Job Seekers - Veterans' Preference.

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