Duties
Performs and manages a variety of administrative and technical duties and processes for OCLA Front Office. The incumbent performs assignments that require managing OCLA Front Office administrative needs. This includes but is not limited to, managing calendars, main phone line system, and day-to-day administrative requests and procedures for OCLA's Front Office (Assistant Secretary, Principal Deputy Assistance Secretary, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Chief of Staff, and other OCLA politically appointed positions).
As requested by the Assistant Secretary, Chief of Staff, and other members of OCLA's Front Office, the incumbent accompanies for high level meetings to serve as scribe and task manager for OCLA action items. Incumbent receives requests, inquires, and comments regarding OCLA high visibility, political, and sensitive natured topics; determine their nature and importance and works with OCLA's Front Office to ensure such tasks are completed in a timely and efficient manner.
Incumbent serves as a timekeeper and purchase card holder for OCLA. As purchase card holder, this position will be responsible for fiscal responsibility for OCLA transactions and will manage and track OCLA's supply, travel, and professional training budget in accordance with VA guidelines. In addition, this position will serve as backup to OCLA's administrative officer and correspondence analysts.
Incumbent determines pre-meeting materials and develops and prints materials, binders, and overall prepares OCLA Front Office and other senior leaders (at times, to include for Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs and other non-OCLA senior officials) to be prepared for meetings.
Responsibilities include but are not limited to assisting with site and facilities coordination, handling reservations/housing, transportation, coordination, and escort for speakers, monitoring on-site logistics, and printing meeting materials. Additional responsibilities include assisting with the management of the VIP database, social correspondence, stationary, invitations, mailings, RSVP, menus, air/ground transportation, and access requests. Reviews, edits, and distribution of read ahead materials to senior Department leadership.
This position's work includes managing, developing, evaluating, analyzing, making recommendations, and implementing new or modified work methods and automating work processes for OCLA's Front Office operations. Collects, interprets, and analyzes qualitative and quantitative data. Prepares reports and/or briefings on results of studies.
Continuously handles highly sensitive and confidential information with the utmost discretion and diligence. Prepares reports, develops presentations on a variety of related topics for OCLA Senior Leadership. Provides assessments required for effective and consistent direction of the functions of OCLA Front Office Operations.
Collect, interpret, and analyze qualitative and quantitative data to support OCLA Front Office operations. Prepare comprehensive reports, briefings, and presentations that summarize research findings, track milestones, and provide actionable insights. Respond to inquiries on office procedures and administrative issues with accurate and relevant information. Conduct background research on VA/OCLA policies, plans, and program issues, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives.
Establish, review, update, and develop standard operating procedures to ensure compliance with VA directives and improve workflow efficiency. Present findings and recommendations on complex and interrelated issues, identify management problems, and propose comprehensive solutions. Conduct special studies and projects, evaluating program objectives, proposing solutions, and aiding the Chief of Administrative Operations. Maintain updated directories and operational documentation, ensuring continuous improvement and effective program execution.
Promotion Potential: 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.
Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm
Compressed/Flexible: No
Telework: Ad-hoc as determined by agency policy
Virtual: This is not a virtual or remote position.
Position Description/PD#: Staff Assistant, GS-0301-13 400020 and GS-0301-12 400030
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
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
- 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.
As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a one year probationary period or two 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 one year probationary period or two year 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, 09/24/2025.
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-12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-11. For a GS-13 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-12.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.
See the Required Document section below for more information regarding the SF-50s needed to verify time-in-grade.
You may qualify based on your experience as described below:
GS-12 Qualifications:
Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-11) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience include: completing a variety of administrative and technical duties related to operational management - to include but not limited to managing calendars, processing timecards, answering phones, and ordering supplies and experience in securing and printing meeting material in advance of meetings.
GS-13 Qualifications:
Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-12) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience include: managing a variety of administrative and technical duties related to operational management - to include but not limited to managing executive calendars, processing timecards, answering phones, and ordering supplies; preparing leadership by printing, securing, and sometimes drafting/compiling materials in advance of meetings; creating, analyzing, and researching new or modified work methods and automating work processes for Program Offices/Administrations; preparing reports and/or briefings on results of self-completed studies; and documented ability in collecting, interpreting, and analyzing qualitative and quantitative data.
You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:
Administration and Management
Critical Thinking
Organizational Awareness
Integrity/Honesty
Attention To Detail
Customer Service
Data Management
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 primarily sedentary, although some slight physical effort may be required. Travel may be required.
For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at
http://://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.
Education
There is no educational substitution at this grade level.
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: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office.
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.
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 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
- Performance Appraisal
- Resume
- Separation Notice (RIF)
- SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
Note: Failure to submit
all documentation prior to the announcement closing will result in an
ineligible rating. We will not contact applicants for additional documentation.
SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action (if applicable for Time in Grade and/or Eligibility):
- Most recent SF-50 (Current Federal Employees must provide an SF-50 dated 1-12-2025 or later; Current Federal Wage System (WG/WL/WS) employees must provide one dated within one year of the closing date)
- ATTENTION: You may need to submit more than one SF-50 if we cannot verify that you meet time-in-grade by your most recent SF-50. For example, if your most recent SF-50 is a General Adjustment, we need your most recent SF-50 dated 1/12/25 and another SF-50 to verify time-in-grade. Examples of SF-50s for time-in-grade verification include your last within-grade increase or promotion to highest grade held. A promotion SF-50 shows when you started the grade level and a within-grade increase verifies that you were at that grade level for at least one year. Failure to provide your most recent SF-50 dated 1/12/2025 or later and other SF-50s to verify time-in-grade will result in you being disqualified. We cannot verify time-in-grade based on the grade and step you are currently on alone.
- Former federal employee applying under reinstatement eligibility must supply their latest SF-50 as well as any additional SF-50s needed to verify time-in-grade as stated in the above bullet.
- Award SF-50's do not provide sufficient information and will not be accepted for the purpose of verifying time-in-grade.
- Examples of appropriate SF-50s to include in addition to your most recent 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
http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/vetpref/index.aspx.
IF APPLYING AS A CTAP ELIGIBLE:
You must submit the following documentation demonstrating eligibility for CTAP:
- Resume
- Agency Reduction in Force notice;
- Most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location
- Most recent performance appraisal (must be fully successful or above)
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. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 09/24/2025 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12803728.
- 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.
- 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.
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.
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.