Clarification from the agency

The area of consideration is current, permanent employees of the James A Haley Veterans Hospital and satellite offices and those employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs. ICTAP is outside of this area of consideration.

• Operates the computerized telecommunication console to direct phone calls and a personal computer using VISTA applications to send messages and retrieve information needed to direct calls and coordinate the distribution of messages at the medical center in a timely, accurate manner.
• Performs necessary maintenance and programming of radio and digital pagers with numbers for the paging system when issuing and reassigning pagers.
• Performs a variety of administrative duties including switchboard room and emergency elevator access as well as responsibility for elevator and patient's bedside telephone.
• Perform pre-approved routine overhead announcements (such as visiting hours, religious service schedule, etc.), requests to page a patient or staff, and other special announcements as approved by the Director' s Office (such as hospital events, activities or other important information).
• Responds to emergency alarms and makes emergency announcements on the overhead paging system requiring immediate response from facility and professional staff.
• Routinely handles 800 to 1,000 calls during a normal weekday shift, ranging from simple to highly complex.
• Responsible for receiving and distributing Incoming calls throughout the medical center.
• Teamwork is required. Medical center values involving high customer satisfaction and good public relations require the incumbent to have effective communication skills and positive outcomes in complicated situations.
• Work environment and tasks are performed as a team effort, especially during emergency codes and handling potential suicidal calls. Teamwork and effective communication skills are important elements of the job.

Work Schedule: Rotating irregular tours to include 8am-4:00pm, 4:00pm-12:00am,12:00am-8:00am holidays and weekends.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Telephone Operator/PD00642A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved
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
• 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)

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

You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:

• General Experience: You must have one year of general experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-3 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of general experience would typically include, but are not limited to: operates the computerized telecommunication console to direct phone calls and a personal computer using VISTA applications to send messages and retrieve information needed to direct calls and coordinate the distribution of messages at the medical center in a timely, accurate manner. Performs a variety of administrative duties including switchboard room and emergency elevator access as well as responsibility for elevator and patient's bedside telephone. Responds to emergency alarms and makes emergency announcements on the overhead paging system requiring immediate response from facility and professional staff. Responsible for receiving and distributing incoming calls throughout the medical center.
  
  . OR,
• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have two years above high school (Transcript required).. 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 .

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:

• Attention to Detail
• Computer Skills
• Customer Service
• Customer Service (Clerical/Technical)
• Flexibility
• Integrity/Honesty
• Interpersonal Skills
• Reading Comprehension
• Self-Management
• Speaking
• Stress Tolerance
• Teamwork

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 position requires extended periods of sitting, which may cause discomfort in the legs and lower back, necessitating appropriate ergonomic support. Good hearing and clear speech are essential for accurate and effective communication, while strong upper limb dexterity is needed to operate telecommunications equipment, including consoles, computers, and paging systems. The role also demands visual acuity for viewing computer screens and reading printed materials.

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.

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 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

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.

Next steps