Supervisory Medical Support Assistant

Clarification from the agency

This position is only open to Current Permanent employees at San Juan VA Medical Center. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position.

The employee has full administrative and professional responsibility for planning and directing all the Medical Support Assistant's (MSAs) activities under their supervision. The incumbent is responsible for extracting and analyzing data to provide reports in support of performance measures
to senior management. Duties include, but are not limited to:

• Assigning and evaluating the work of subordinate staff; resolving complex problems to ensure patient services are met.
• Evaluating new products, equipment, and systems to make recommendations for improved operations.
• Identifying educational or training needs; making final decisions on selections;
• Evaluating performance, and taking disciplinary action when necessary.
• Analyzes and evaluates on a quantitative or qualitative basis, the effectiveness of programs or operations in meeting established goals and objectives.
• Analyzes program performance data to identify potential areas of operational deficiency.
• Prepares and analyzes data, identifies trends and concerns of issues, and makes recommendations for improvement.

Work Schedule: Monday thru Friday 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM
Telework: AD-HOC
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 62064F
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 identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation/examination.
• 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. Be a Citizen of the United States. (U.S). Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens according to 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a).
• Education. High school diploma, General Education Development equivalency certificate, or proficiency certificate from a State or territorial-level Board or Department of Education.
• English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).

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: GS 08

Experience: One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade (GS 07). Experience include but are not limited to: assigning and evaluating the work of subordinate MSA staff; resolving complex problems to ensure patient services are met; evaluating new products, equipment, and systems to make recommendations for improved clinic operations; identifying educational or training needs; making final decisions on hiring selections; evaluating performance, and taking disciplinary action when necessary. The employee has full administrative and professional responsibility for planning and directing the MSA's activities.

In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs).

• Advanced knowledge of managing or leading patient support staff in a clinic. This includes independently utilizing reference sources, decision making, and 13 empowering the team to collaborate and resolve problems within a complex systems environment.
• 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.

Preferred Experience:

1. Strong leadership and supervision experience, with the ability to effectively manage, evaluate, and develop staff members while maintaining compliance with VA supervisory rules and HR regulations.
2. Ability to extract, interpret, and report data to support performance improvement initiatives and guide operational decision making, including knowledge of qualitative and quantitative analysis methods for evaluating program effectiveness.
3. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across multidisciplinary teams and manage multiple competing priorities in a dynamic clinical environment.

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 08. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS 08

Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary; however, the Supervisory Medical Support Assistant must be able to meet the physical demands associated with both administrative and supervisory responsibilities. The position requires prolonged periods of sitting, extended computer use, and sustained concentration while reviewing reports, performance data, staff studies, and analytical documents. Regular walking, standing, bending, and carrying light items (such as files, manuals, office supplies, or portable electronic devices) is required. Supervisory duties require the incumbent to move throughout multiple clinic areas to monitor operations, address patient flow issues, and meet with employees, clinical staff, and leadership. This includes traveling between the Primary Care Clinic, Mental Health Clinic, Specialty Care Clinics, and outlying outpatient clinics (OPCs) as needed to conduct evaluations, resolve operational concerns, or complete administrative investigations. The position also requires physical and situational readiness when responding to sensitive or urgent matters such as patient complaints, operational disruptions, or incidents involving distressed or agitated patients. The incumbent must maintain situational awareness and respond calmly and appropriately in unpredictable or stressful environments. Occasional travel throughout the medical center or to affiliated clinics may be required to meet supervisory oversight and operational needs.The ability to meet these physical and mental demands is required in accordance with VA 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

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

Next steps