Clarification from the agency

• First Area of Consideration (Facility Employees) - Current, permanent Battle Creek VAMC employees. • Second Area of Consideration (Other VA Employees) - Current, permanent Department of Veterans Affairs Employees (VA employees who are located somewhere other than the Battle Creek VA Medical Center).

The incumbent is responsible for a broad range of activities related to the institutional objectives of quality patient care, strategic alignment to VHA priorities and education. The nature of the numerous partnerships and affiliations, the large number of medical and allied health education programs makes the duties of administration, planning, and implementation complex.

The primary purpose of this position is to provide support to health care management officials by analyzing, evaluating, advising on and/or coordinating health care delivery systems and operations. The position renders advice on operational policies and assures these policies are coordinated with, and in support of, field operations. The incumbent must assure that operational policies are coordinated with and in support of administrative functions in coordination with the supervisor. The incumbent is expected to use initiative in organizing and accomplishing the responsibilities that have been delegated. The incumbent works closely with senior management officials and others in implementing and evaluating policies, plans, and internal operational systems. Addresses specific problem areas and applies a high degree of analytical ability and specialized healthcare knowledge to the management of healthcare delivery systems. This position exercises broad latitude and provides senior expert level advice to senior personnel, and/or agency officials concerning complex, novel, and unusual healthcare issues.

Duties include but not limited to:

• The incumbent is delegated authority to make decisions and act on matters within the responsibility of the Office of the Director using broad policy guidance. For day-to-day operations, these decisions are binding and affect the management of the administrative affairs of the services that report to the Director.
• The incumbent will have a supervisory role for Director's Suite staff, e.g. secretary; others identified as "implementers" and will serve in a key role for driving organizational change and bringing about desired organizational improvement. The incumbent will have an oversight function for major follow-up items for entire organization.
• Incumbent will plan, organize, and coordinate significant meetings with internal and
  external stakeholders on a regular and recurring basis. Incumbent will serve as External Community Affairs role as a collateral duty in support of Director's efforts to Improve the Battle Creek VA Medical Center image in the community and build relationships with other organizations in the community.
• Reviews and evaluates proposed policy and procedure drafts submitted to the Director;
  returns inadequate policy proposals to the author with recommended change for rewrite
  or further coordination with other services.
• Serves as a liaison between the Medical Center and VISN 10 Network Office. This includes participation in activities related to support of the Network and in special task forces. Represents the Medical Center through meetings and contacts with the Network Office and Central Office planning staff.
• Provides advice to the services concerning budget formulation, reviews and evaluates annual budget proposals, and reviews requests for additional resources (space, equipment, and personnel) from the clinical services. Based on this evaluation, incumbent returns requests which are inadequate or not in compliance with VA or Medical Center policy.
• Participates in local, community and stakeholder activities and news media events. Incumbent is called upon to speak at various functions in the absence of the Director.
  In the absence of the ELT members, the incumbent may be required to assume duties
  typically performed by the ELT members for limited time.
• Is responsible for the performance of subordinate staff, and takes actions to reward,
  promote, or recognize staff as warranted by the evaluation of performance.
• Attends and actively participates in major top management conferences, including Director's morning report, Pentad/ELT and other medical center meetings/briefings. Participates in Director's Staff Meeting and serves on numerous other medical center committees.
• Responsible for the completion of special projects and additional tasks assigned by the
  Director.
• Responsible for budget preparation and management for the Director's office. Management of these budgets requires the exercise of good judgement, knowledge of medical services available, sensitivity of the frequent emergent or unusual needs of patients, awareness of innovations in medical technology, and the ability to use tact and diplomacy in denying requests.

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)

• 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, 11/17/2025.

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-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. 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 as described below:

• 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 would typically include, but are not limited to: 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.

• Administration and Management
• Creative Thinking
• Decision Making
• Organizational Awareness
• Strategic Thinking

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

• Cover Letter
• DD-214/ Statement of Service
• Disability Letter (Schedule A)
• Disability Letter (VA)
• License
• Other (1)
• Other (2)
• Other (3)
• Performance Appraisal
• Professional Certification
• Resume
• Separation Notice (RIF)
• SF-15
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

• 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.

Next steps