Supervisory Medical Administration Specialist

Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to current, permanent federal employees of the Central Western Massachusetts VA Health Care System.

Supervisory Medical Administration Specialist GS-0301-11

This position is located in the Community Care Service of the VA Central Western Massachusetts Healthcare Systems which serves approximately 42,260 Veterans across 7 sites of care. The Community Care department comprises roughly 60 staff and processes more than 45,000 referrals annually. As a rapidly growing and essential program for a Level 3 complexity facility, Community Care ensures Veterans receive timely care through hub VA facilities and community partners when services fall outside the medical center's internal capabilities. The incumbent reports to the Supervisory Health System Specialist (Assistant Chiefs Community Care) who reports directly to the Chiefs Community Care. The position collaborates closely with Quality/Patient Safety and Care Coordinators in support of access timeliness and documentation integrity.

This position is located in the Community Care Service of the VA Central Western Massachusetts Health care Systems which serves approximately 42,260 Veterans across 7 sites of care. The Community Care department comprises roughly 60 staff and processes more than 45,000 referrals annually. As a rapidly growing and essential program for a Level 3 complexity facility, Community Care ensures Veterans receive timely care through hub VA facilities and community partners when services fall outside the medical center's internal capabilities. The incumbent reports to the Supervisory Health System Specialist (Assistant Chiefs Community Care), who reports directly to the Chiefs Community Care. The position collaborates closely with Quality/Patient Safety and Care Coordinators in support of access, timeliness, and documentation integrity.

Major duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

The incumber demonstrates a thorough understanding of Community Care operations, including referral and authorization workflows, non-VA purchased card processes, documentation and scanning requirements, scheduling standards, and the administrative elements that support clinical coordination across hub facilities and community partners. The position must understand the critical role Community Care plays in ensuring Veterans receive timely care outside the facility's internal capabilities. The incumbent applies this knowledge to direct, coordinate, and oversee the day-to-day administrative functions of the unit.

The incumbent is responsible for supervisory activities associated with the assigned section. The position develops short and long range plans, goals, and milestones for completing the unit's functions. The incumbent develops and implements procedures and methods to ensure work is performed in accordance with VA policy, regulations, and local SOPs. Determines workflows, sequencing and methodologies for staff to use in accomplishing assigned tasks and evaluates the timeliness, accuracy, and compliance of completed work. Reviews work products of subordinates, accepting, amending, or rejecting work as appropriate. Assesses the overall effectiveness of the unit in terms of mission accomplishment, quality and quantity standards met, procedural and regulatory compliance, and technical competence of staff. Adjusts work assignments, redistributes workload, and modifies workflow processes to improve efficiency, reduce bottlenecks and maintain service goals.

The incumbent uses subordinate team leads or senior staff as appropriate to coordinate and oversee daily operations; exercises significant responsibility in communication with other units and advising higher level management officials on operational issues affecting the team's work; and ensures equity and consistency in performance standards and rating practices within the unit. Directs a program segment and measurable workload and resources. Makes decisions on work problems presented by subordinates and evaluates their recommendations, providing guidance and resolving issues as needed. Serves as the reviewing official on evaluations of employees rated by subordinate leads if applicable. Makes or participates in selections for nonsupervisory positions and contributes to hiring decisions for team leads. Hears and resolves group grievances or serious employee complaints and recommends disciplinary actions for higher level approval. Determines and/or approves non-routine training needs and requests related to staff development. Approves expenses such as overtime and employee travel within delegated authority.


Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm
Telework: This position may be authorized for Ad-Hoc telework. Eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Supervisory Medical Administration Specialist/PD04197A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized.
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. This position requires the application, assessment, and questionnaire to be fully completed. The assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the 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 identification 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

Supervisory Medical Administration Specialist GS-0301-11

Supervisory Factor Narrative:
The position is a first line supervisory role with responsibility for planning, assigning, and reviewing the work of subordinate administrative personnel engaged in Community Care program support. The incumbent establishes performance standards, writes performance plans, and evaluates employee performance; provides coaching, counseling, and disciplinary recommendations; approves leave; interviews candidates and participates in selections; and recommends awards. The incumbent identifies training needs and assures staff are trained in required systems and SOPs; ensures safety, security, equal employment opportunity, and privacy requirements are met; and promotes an equitable, inclusive workplace. Work planning includes balancing workload across staff to meet access and timeliness metrics, adjusting assignments to maintain coverage, and monitoring and production and quality metrics.

The incumbent uses team leads or senior staff, as applicable, to coordinate and oversee daily operations; exercises responsibility in advising service leadership on unit level operational issues and internal control needs; ensures reasonable equity of performance standards and rating techniques within the unit; and directs a program segment with measurable workload and resources. The incumbent makes decisions on work problems presented by subordinates, evaluates their recommendations, and resolves issues as needed. Serves as the reviewing official on evaluations of employees rated by subordinate leads (if applicable). Makes or participates in selections for nonsupervisory positions, contributes to decisions for team leaders, hears and resolves group grievances or serious complaints, and reviews and recommends serious disciplinary actions for higher level approval. Approves non routine training needs and requests related to staff development within delegated authority' approves expenses comparable to overtime and employee travel; recommends awards or bonuses and provides input on classification or staffing changes subject to review by higher level officials.

The incumbent promotes team building, improves business practices, reduces bottlenecks, and schedules leaves to ensure adequate coverage

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 10/08/2026.

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-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09. 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-09) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to:
  • Program Administration and Planning
  • Budget Administration
  • Quality Improvement and Productivity OR,
• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree if related. Degree must be in a field that has equipped the applicant with knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties of the position being filled. OR,
• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED). Note: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week..

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following Competencies for this position:

• Accountability
• Customer Service
• Decisiveness
• Flexibility
• Interpersonal Skills
• Problem Solving
• Resilience

Supervisory Situational Judgment Test. Applicants will be required to complete a Supervisory Situational Judgment Test (SSJT) as part of the assessment process for this position. The SSJT evaluates judgment and decision-making skills that align with relevant competencies, organizational values, and best practices. Assessment results may be used as part of the evaluation, ranking and referral process. This is not a timed test, however, the assessment is expected to take approximately 45 minutes or less to complete. The assessment for this application does not include a cut score for a minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. However, you must answer each item in the assessment.

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 required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required.

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 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
• Resume
• Separation Notice (RIF)
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

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: 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.

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