Health System Specialist

Summary The Health System Specialist (Strategic Planner) will identify and employ strategies to effectively fulfill the health care systems operational and space planning needs; act as the planner for healthcare and operational improvement projects impacting patient care delivery systems and functions throughout the medical center; and to conduct studies and organizational analyses of diverse functions and work processes. Responsibilities The duties related to this position include but are not limited to the following: Facility Planning/ Special Projects: Develops, collects, analyzes, prepares, and delivers planning documents and presentations to support space and capital planning. Is the subject matter expert for the VAPIHCS Space Committee. Analyzes information in meaningful, relevant and impactful ways. Develops, modifies, or provides input to project plans and recommendations. Skilled at communicating insights and understanding of issues or problems. Knowledgeable and a member of the VAPIHCS Strategic Capital Investment Program (SCIP) team, and responsible for input and content to the SCIP program related to VAPIHCS Capital Asset and Lease projects. Researches, engages, and collaborates with public and private community health care providers and organizations to expand VHA's health care delivery network. Coordinates and integrates project activities and summarizes interactions in a clear and succinct manner. The incumbent is expected to be creative and use their background and technical knowledge to problem-solve. Represents VAPIHCS in activities related to community, regional, and state planning activities which may impact the delivery of healthcare Strategic Planning: The incumbent performs strategic analyses and formulates recommended actions and tactics contributing to both the VAPIHCS Operational as well as Strategic Plan. Requires the ability to apply specialized principles, techniques and formulation of well articulated and measurable content/actions all reflecting solid practices of health care management, and knowledge of healthcare delivery systems Engages the Executive Leadership Team in all aspects of strategic planning with an emphasis on establishment of strategic initiatives or actions to support VHA goals and objectives. Collaborates with subject matter experts, neighboring markets and VISNs to align planning efforts and optimize resources in support of current priorities. Possesses a deep understanding of the technical aspects of the healthcare business that are critical for success. Gathers data and collaborates with service chiefs and top management to develop an annual strategic/operational healthcare system plan, including well developed tactics and actions, all to support VHA goal attainment. Reviews and makes periodic updates to databases related to capital asset inventory and activation Long-Range Capital Planning: Represents VAPIHCS in activities related to community, regional, and state planning activities which may impact the delivery of healthcare. Advises the Executive Leadership Team on planning issues associated with program development and expansion initiatives related to VA/DoD Sharing Initiatives, VHA Site Tracking (VAST), Clinical Inventory, Rural Health, and Tele-health Other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday to Friday, 7:30am- 4:00pm Telework: This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Health System Specialist/PD028300 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Requirements 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 ( 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 To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 07/01/2026. 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-12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-11. 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. 06/22 JOA QA Results (CT): Please correct the items below prior to posting * Second review is not necessary. 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 as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-11 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: providing strategic, facility/space planning, and supportive analyses and recommendations identify and employ strategies to effectively fulfill the health care systems, operational and space planning needs, planning for healthcare and operational improvement projects impacting patient care delivery systems and functions throughout the medical center, conducting studies and organizational analyses of diverse functions and work processes, and experience with Health Systems Strategic Planning methods to gather, analyze, and evaluate information concerning the health care delivery system. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Information Management Organizational Awareness Planning and Evaluating Strategic Thinking 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: Work is mainly sedentary. Travel to other VAPIHCS sites is necessary. There will be walking, standing, bending, carrying/traveling with items such as, drawings, files, and at times a laptop. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at Education There is no educational substitution at this grade level. Additional Information This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.