Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below. The area of consideration will be referred in the following order: 1) Current permanent VA White City Healthcare System Employees. 2) Current permanent Agency (Department of Veterans Affairs) Employees.

VA Careers - Pharmacy: https://youtube.com/embed/Fn_ickNBEws

FUNCTIONS OR SCOPES OF PRACTICE

• Leadership & Oversight: Directs all pharmacy operations and supervises staff, including pharmacists, technicians, and clerical personnel. Ensures compliance with VA, DEA, and station policies.
• Strategic Planning: Develops long- and short-term goals aligned with medical center objectives. Maintains action plans and prioritizes goals to achieve results.
• Budget & Resource Management: Prepares and justifies annual budgets for medications, supplies, equipment, and personnel. Monitors inventory levels and ensures timely distribution of pharmacy supplies.
• Staffing & Development: Recruits and selects personnel in collaboration with HR. Promotes professional development, evaluates performance, and addresses disciplinary issues. Fosters a positive work environment and rewards excellence.
• Operational Efficiency: Coordinates work schedules to ensure coverage and productivity. Implement policies and procedures for safe and efficient compounding and dispensing of medications.
• Compliance & Quality Assurance: Maintains regulatory compliance and oversees inspections of ward and clinic drug stocks. Develop operational policies to ensure quality and safety.
• Collaboration & Communication: Serves on medical center committees and works with other services to achieve organizational goals. Provides guidance to supervisors and staff on problem ­solving and adapting to changes.
• Performance Monitoring: Analyzes workload and productivity data, reporting metrics as required. Drives continuous improvement initiatives.

CLINICAL
Coordinates all professional and clinical aspects of the Pharmaceutical Care program and ensures continued accreditation of the Pharmacy Practice Residency. Promotes staff engagement in patient care activities, including medication record reviews, counseling, chart reviews, clinical huddles, and continuing education.

Develops new clinical programs, maintains quality patient care, and conducts medication usage evaluations through performance improvement initiatives. Serves on the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee, ensuring formulary maintenance and timely distribution of therapeutic agents. Provides comprehensive drug information and guidance to clinical staff and supports continuous improvement of strategic goals and committee measures.

EDUCATION
Oversee development and maintenance of drug information resources, including reference materials and journals. Ensures pharmacy staff meet continuing education and competency requirements. Identifies and supports candidates for advancement through developmental opportunities. Confirms departmental compliance with all improvement standards.

PROGRAM MANAGEMENT
implements a continuous quality improvement program for Pharmacy Service. Oversees personnel management reviews, ensuring duties and staffing align with workload requirements. Maintains accurate records and ensures timely submission of all operational reports.

SUPERVISORY CONTROLS
The Chief, Pharmacy Service, is administratively responsible to the Deputy Chief of Staff. The Chief of Pharmacy manages all routine professional, technical, and administrative problems with minimal supervisory intervention. The Chief of Pharmacy Services independently determines the priority of duties to be accomplished within the area to which they are assigned and exercises clear judgment.

Work Schedule: M - F, 8:00am - 4:30pm
Telework: Ad-Hoc, with authorization from the Service.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 00000
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized
EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.Contact VHA.ELRSProgramSupport@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Authorized

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• 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).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 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 trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

Basic Requirements:

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• Education: Graduate of an Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) accredited College or School of Pharmacy with a baccalaureate degree in pharmacy (BS Pharmacy) and/or a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree. Verification of approved degree programs may be obtained from the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education, 20 North Clark Street, Suite 2500, Chicago, Illinois 60602-5109; phone: (312) 664-3575, or through their Web site at: http://www.acpe-accredit.org/. (NOTE: Prior to 2005 ACPE accredited both baccalaureate and Doctor of Pharmacy terminal degree program. Today the sole degree is Doctor of Pharmacy.)
  • Graduates of foreign pharmacy degree programs meet the educational requirement if the graduate is able to provide proof of achieving the Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Examination Commission (FPGEC) Certification, which includes passing the Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Equivalency Examination (FPGEE) and the Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet-Based Test (TOEFL iBT).
• Licensure. Full, current and unrestricted license to practice pharmacy in a State, Territory, Commonwealth of the United States (i.e., Puerto Rico), or the District of Columbia. The pharmacist must maintain current registration if this is a requirement for maintaining full, current, and unrestricted licensure. A pharmacist who has, or has ever had, any license(s) revoked, suspended, denied, restricted, limited, or issued/placed in a probationary status may be appointed only in accordance with the provisions in VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, section B, paragraph 16.
• English Language Proficiency. Pharmacists must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d).

May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).

Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.

Service Chief, GS-14
Demonstrated KSAs. The KSAs shown below apply to all assignments at this grade level.

1. Skill in persuading others and gaining cooperation to accomplish goals.
2. Ability to effectively communicate orally and in writing regarding complex clinical and technical issues.
3. Skill in utilizing regulatory and quality standards to develop and implement operational programs.
4. Skill in managing multiple people or programs.
5. Skill in utilizing available resources to support the mission and goals of the organization.
6. Ability to plan, organize and direct the functions of the pharmacy staff.

Preferred Experience:
Progressive Pharmacy Leadership: Demonstrated experience managing pharmacy operations in a healthcare setting, including inpatient, outpatient, and clinical programs.

Regulatory Compliance Expertise: Proven ability to ensure adherence to VA, DEA, and other federal regulations, as well as accreditation standards (e.g., JCAHO, ASHP).

Strategic Planning & Program Development: Experience developing and implementing long-term goals, clinical programs, and quality improvement initiatives aligned with organizational objectives.

Budget & Resource Management: Skilled in preparing and managing budgets for medications, supplies, and personnel, with a focus on cost ­effective resource utilization.

Staff Development & Supervision: Track record of recruiting, mentoring, and evaluating pharmacy staff, fostering professional growth, and maintaining high-performance teams.

Clinical Pharmacy Practice: Background in providing pharmaceutical care, medication therapy management, and supporting formulary management.
Data-Driven Decision Making: Ability to analyze workload, productivity, and performance metrics to drive operational efficiency and continuous improvement.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-14.

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

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 MAY 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.

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.

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.

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

Special Note for Applications: To complete your application, please use the following link https://vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Resume.docx to download the standard Clinical Resume Document. This one-page document does not need to be modified and must be uploaded into the two-page restricted 'Resume' document upload field.

Your full resume/CV may be uploaded without page limitation into the 'Other' document upload field.

The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please 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
• License
• Other (1)
• Professional Certification
• Resume
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

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.

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

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