Secretary (OA) Job in Chicago, IL

Vacancy No. CAZP-12693892-25-FD Department Veterans Health Administration
Salary $50,259.00 to $65,334.00 Grade 6 to 6
Perm/Temp Temporary FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 2/25/2025 Close Date 3/10/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Status Candidates
Locations:
Chicago, IL


Summary

This position is aligned under the Facilities Management Service Line located at the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center. The secretary participates actively in the supporting management functioning by performing routine administrative, medical and miscellaneous clerical work.

Applicants must be current permanent Federal Employees of the Jesse Brown VA. The detail may be extended. Applicants should receive the approval of their supervisor before applying.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

Current, permanent employees of the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, including CBOCs and VCS employees.

Duties

Major Duties:

The incumbent is secretary to the Chief, Engineering Service and is responsible for performing
clerical and administrative duties of the service. The incumbent is also responsible for the training of clerical personnel, and provides guidance and assistance on applicable procedures, policies, instructions and regulations to clerical personnel assigned to the service.

Incumbent receives all incoming calls to the Office of the Chief and retrieves and provides
information whenever possible from files and reports. Discretion must be used in releasing
information during telephone calls, personal contacts with visitors, staff and other health care
professionals. Information is not released without consulting the chief of service.

Responsible for screening calls, requests, and makes appointments for the chief, Engineering
Service, and supervisory staff. Reports all in house service calls to appropriate shop personnel.
With knowledge of the Chief's itinerary and schedule arranges for conferences and meetings.
Maintains a schedule of meetings and making sure to remind chief and supervisory staff of these
meetings and conferences. In the absence of the supervisor makes commitments and reschedules appointments and informing Chief.

Composes replies to routine letters and memorandums in final form. Types outgoing
correspondence and communications in final form from rough draft or dictation. Reviews
outgoing correspondence for accuracy, format, conformance with procedural instructions,
grammar, typographical accuracy and neatness before submitting for signature of appropriate
official. This includes correspondence for the Chief, Engineering Service Signature and the
Medical Center Director.

from handwritten copies, notes, oral instructions, or other sources, prepares and types
correspondence and engineering change order, memos, progress payments, etc. The material is
often technical in nature, involving equipment, maintenance and Engineering terminology.

Incumbent prepares a variety of recurring and special reports reflecting both administrative
Activities, and technical information using data from files and records maintained.

Verifies accuracy and checks adequacy of information obtained presents material for review if
appropriate and organizes and types final report. Takes and maintain minutes for the Environment of care Committee as required by JCAHO. Also assist Chief Engineer with documentation and follow up for the medical center space and equipment committee. Also provide assistance to the Chief on the with Medical Equipment Utility Management subcommittee to the EOC.

Incumbent is responsible for making travel arrangements for the Chief, supervisors and staff by
preparing travel authorizations for training request. Responsible for organizing and maintaining
general files and records, manuals, handbooks and other related materials.


Work Schedule: Full-Time, Monday - Friday, 7:30am-4:00pm, 8:00am-4:30pm or 8:30am-5:00pm
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Secretary (OA)/PD04239O
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

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
  • You may be required to serve a probationary period
  • Subject to background/security investigation
  • Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process
  • Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)
  • Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS-5 grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-5 . 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 and/or education s described below:
  • Specialized Experience: At least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-5 level in Federal Service. Specialized experience is defined as experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Specialized experience for this position would consist of: Knowledge of a full range of functions to operate word processing software, as well as additional functions to operate a variety of other office automation systems to fulfill various office needs, e.g., forms fill and production, and database management; knowledge of the substantial range of functions within all software types to check grammar and spelling, import and export data, edit tables and graphs within text, and update or modify existing databases; knowledge of clerical and administrative skills such as grammar, punctuation, spelling, correspondence formats, staffing charts, records management and filing requirements to assist in preparation, edit, quality control and retention of documentation; ability to prioritize, compile, interpret, analyze, and summarize data in the completion of assigned work; skill in planning, communicating, motivating, training and working with management and staff; and proven ability and skill to appropriately and courteously communicate and relate to internal and external customers.
  • OR,
  • Substitution of Education for Experience GS-5: Successfully completion of 4 years of education above the high school level. This education must have been obtained in an accredited business, secretarial, or technical school, junior college, college or university. One year of full-time academic study is defined as 30 semester hours, 45 quarter hours, or the equivalent in a college or university, or at least 20 hours of classroom instruction per week for approximately 36 weeks in a business, secretarial and technical school. Transcripts Required.
  • OR,
  • Combination of Education and Experience GS-5: Equivalent combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and experience may be used to meet the total experience requirement at the GS-5 grade level. Education must be in excess of first 2 year of post-high school education to be considered as described in experience and education. Transcripts Required.
You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:
  • Communications
  • Computer Skills
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Team Building
  • Writing


Proficiency Requirement: In addition to meeting experience and/or education requirements, applicants for this position must show possession of the following skill.

Ability to type 40 words per minute.

Applicants may meet this requirement by passing the appropriate performance test, presenting a certificate of proficiency from a school or other organization authorized to issue such certificates, by the Office of Personnel Management local office, or by self-certifying their proficiency. Performance test results and certificates of proficiency are acceptable for 3 years. Agencies may verify proficiency skills of self-certified applicants by administering the appropriate performance test.

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 some physical effort such as standing, walking, bending, sitting, and carrying light to moderately heavy computer printouts, books, papers and files

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/.

Education

There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit or 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. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. 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.

Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

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. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

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.

Required Documents

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 use this checklist to ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), etc.
  • 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


Veterans' preference does not apply for internal or other current permanent Federal agency employees.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply

All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 03/10/2025 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12693892.

  1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USA JOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
  2. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.
NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.

To verify your application is complete, log into your USA JOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Application page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. To return to an incomplete application, log into your USA JOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USA JOBS account or your application will be incomplete.

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

Agency contact information

Felicia Davis
Address
Jesse Brown Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center
820 South Damen Avenue
Chicago, IL 60612
US

Next steps

Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. After we receive application packages (including all required documents) and the vacancy announcement closes, we will review applications 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. Referred applicants will be notified as such and may be contacted directly by the hiring office for an interview. All referred applicants receive a final notification once a selection decision has been made.

You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USA Jobs account and clicking on Applications. Information regarding your application status can be found in the USAJobs Help Center.

NOTE: Participation in the seasonal influenza program is a condition of employment and a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). It is a requirement that all HCP to receive annual seasonal influenza vaccination or obtain an exemption for medical or religious reasons. Wearing a face mask is required when an exemption to the influenza vaccination has been granted. HCP in violation of this directive may face disciplinary action up to and including removal from federal service. HCP are individuals who, during the influenza season, work in VHA locations or who come into contact with VA patients or other HCP as part of their duties. VHA locations include, but are not limited to, VA hospitals and associated clinics, community living centers (CLCs), community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs), domiciliary units, Vet centers and VA-leased medical facilities. HCP include all VA licensed and unlicensed, clinical and administrative, remote and onsite, paid and without compensation, full- and part-time employees, intermittent employees, fee basis employees, VA contractors, researchers, volunteers and health professions trainees (HPTs) who are expected to perform any or all of their work at these facilities. HPTs may be paid or unpaid and include residents, interns, fellows and students. HCP also includes VHA personnel providing home-based care to Veterans and drivers and other personnel whose duties put them in contact with patients outside VA medical facilities.


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