Clarification from the agency

This is an INTERNAL ANNOUNCEMENT and is limited to current permanent employees of the VA Central Iowa Health Care System to include CBOCS. The public and employees of other Federal agencies should apply to announcement number CBSY-12829800-25-SH NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this occupational series. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

Major duties include, but are not limited to:

• The Supervisor MSA plans and directs programs at medical centers and/or satellite outpatient clinics and has full supervisory responsibility for at least one subordinate Lead MSA and 15+ MSAs. Assignment at this level include, but are not limited to: assigning and evaluating the work of subordinate staff; resolving complex problems to ensure patient services are met; identifying educational or training needs; making final decisions on selections; evaluating performance, recommendation for awards and advancement and taking disciplinary action when necessary. The employee has full administrative and professional responsibility for planning and directing the MSAs' activities, organizes work, sets priorities, and delegate's tasks and responsibilities in order to meet deadlines. Responsible for extracting and analyzing data in order to provide reports in support of performance measures to senior management. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher level duties must consist of significant scope, administrative independence, complexity (difficulty) and range of variety as described in this standard at the specified grade level and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time.
• The Supervisor MSA works collaboratively in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model for Primary Care/PACT clinics and integrated services including Pharmacy and Radiology, Surgical Services, Medical Services, Specialty Clinics, Compensation and Pension, Mental Health, Community Resource Referral Center (CRRC), Geriatric & Extended Care, Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOC), performs all related duties, customer service and other duties assigned for the proper and timely treatment of patients and assure appointment schedules are maintained by MSA Staff for one or more outpatient clinics. The incumbent must assist with clinic access contingency plans by adjusting appointment times, location, or dates as well as shift patients to other healthcare providers as conflict with staffing and/or coverage occurs.
• The Supervisory MSA may be asked to participate in the daily huddles and weekly team meetings where patient care planning and management occur. Incumbent will rotate this to assure all MSA staff is in attendance and understand the process.
• Incumbent must be able to train staff on the requirements of VHA Scheduling Directives and complete accurate scheduling responsibilities. Assures staff collects, scans, and updates health insurance information. The Supervisory MSA may also be asked to assist in the Beneficiary Travel Program and collaborate with Health Benefits Advisor Office/Member Services and other duties within the clinic.

Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 07:30 to 16:00
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 000000
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.
• 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

Basic Requirements:

a. Citizenship. Citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, paragraph 3.g.).

b. Experience and Education.

1. Experience. Six months experience of clerical, office, customer service, or other administrative work that indicates the ability to acquire the particular knowledge and skills needed to perform the duties of the position. OR,
2. Education. One year above high school. OR,
3. Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable.

c. Certification. None required

d. Grandfathering Provision. 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).

e. Foreign Education. To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. must have been submitted to a private organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credits and such education must have been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. programs.

f. Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

g. English Language Proficiency. MSAs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3,Section A, paragraph 3.j.

Supervisory Medical Support Assistant, GS-8

Grade Determinations: One year of experience equivalent to the GS-7 grade level leading or supervising MSAs or equivalent administrative patient support staff in a non-VA medical inpatient, outpatient, or interdisciplinary setting.

AND

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. Candidates must demonstrate all of the KSAs below:

• Ability to provide the full range of administrative and supervisory duties to at least one subordinate MSA supervisor or team leader in a patient support setting which includes assignment of work, performance evaluations, selection of staff, and recommendation of awards and/or advancements.
• Ability to collaborate, communicate, and demonstrate customer service and interpersonal skills with internal and external customers to ensure quality/continuity of care and ensure compliance with established policies and regulations.
• Ability to provide briefings, orientations, staff development, and training in a patient support setting.
• Ability to manage fiscal matters, forecast resource and equipment needs, and identify budget needs.
• Advanced knowledge of managing or leading patient support staff in a clinic. This includes independently utilizing reference sources, decision making, and empowering the team to collaborate and resolve problems within a complex systems environment.

Preferred Experience: Scheduling Capabilities and Leadership Skills

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

The full performance level of this vacancy is G-8.

Physical Requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.

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
• Responses to the Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) on a separate document - KSAs are found under qualification/grade requirements in the announcement.
• Your full resume/CV may be uploaded without page limitation.
• Resume
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action

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

Next steps