Secretary (OA)

Summary

This position serves as an Administrative Support Assistant for the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System (VAAAHS) Medicine Service. This position is assigned in the Administration Section of Medicine Service, and requires that the person can work well with numerous health care professionals, and administrative support personnel.

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Duties

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Duties include but are not limited to:

• This position requires the highest standards of providing customer service both internally and externally.
• performs a variety of clerical, administrative and technical duties/responsibilities in support of the administrative management of a complex health care delivery system.
• Support will encompass the Medicine Service, in all Sections and Programs that include Cardiology, Gastroenterology, Hematology /Oncology, Pulmonary/Respiratory, Inpatient/Hospitalist, Nephrology, Rheumatology, Infectious Disease, Endocrine & Metabolism, Geriatrics, Allergy and other sections or programs under Medicine Service.
• Must have considerable administrative training and experience and comprehensive working knowledge of special administrative and complex processes to support clinical operations.
• Performs work in support of management and/or program analysis functions in which knowledge of the purpose, operation, methodology and techniques characteristics of specific management/program analysis functions are required.
• Requires considerable specialized training and experience in administrative, computer, clerical, problem solving skills, and analytical, evaluative, qualitative, quantitative and statistical skills, as well as the ability and desire to manage a wide variety of complex, and unexpected and nonrecurring problems.
• Must have a comprehensive working knowledge of a special and complex subject matter, procedures, and practices common to Medicine Service programs at VAAAHS.
• The work performed by this individual may have great impact in the performance of the Medicine Physicians, Associate Chief of Medicine Service, Administrative Officer and other managers for whom the individual interfaces with.
• Schedules, refers, and contacts members of the staff, at the facility, and outside the facility including VISN, other faculty at the University of Michigan, other government facilities, other health care institutions, and the public. This position will work closely with all our providers and administrative personnel to ensure all proficiencies, evaluations, functional categories, performance pay notifications, service agreements are up to date and all 6-part folders are compliant.
• Maintains electronic appointment calendars, updates share point sites, coordinate meetings, and schedules conferences. Attends meetings, prepares meeting minutes, and follows up on action items with appropriate staff members.
• Utilizes VISTA for entering 2237s, 1358s, MAXIMO for work orders, and is the primary office supply coordinator for all of Medicine Service.
• Performs all aspects of timekeeping for Medicine Service. Enters employee work tours, accurately and timely posts tours of duty, annual leave, sick leave in VATAS. Tracks part time physicians that utilize Memos of Service Level Expectations.
• Serves as the Medicine service focal point for arranging and coordinating training activities as a TMS administrator.
• Serves as Automated Data Processing Application Coordinator (ADPAC) for the service. Providing automated data processing clinical supplication advisement and support; enters EPAS for computer access for all staff, contractors, WOC, and occasionally learners.
• Must have a clear understanding of duties of Position Description.

Physical Demands:

• The work is mainly sedentary; but may require, walking, stair climbing, bending, stooping and carrying lightweight documents, and repetitive use of the keyboard as part of daily activities. Stamina and concentration to meet crucial deadlines are required.
• Keen hearing and distinct speech are essential due to the extensive use of the telephone as a means of communication. There may be a certain amount of mental strain due to time constraints and frequent reviews and surveys. The employee must be able to handle stress of meeting deadlines and the time constraints placed on him/her. The work does not require any special physical effort or ability.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am to 4:30pm

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Secretary (OA)/ PD061760

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

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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. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• 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.
• 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 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 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, 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, 08/28/2026.

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-6 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-5. 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.

Specialized Experience: You must have one(1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level of GS-05 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.

Proficiency Requirements - at least 40 words per minute typing speed, must be listed on the resume.

Examples of specialized experience:

1. Expertise in computer operation procedures, computer programs for typing correspondence, creating spreadsheets and graphs, maintaining an on-line calendar, creating mail-merge documents, and utilizing the network server.
2. Skill in auditing, collecting, analyzing, and presenting statistical data using statistical methods.
3. Secretarial skills including proficiency in typing, records management, taking accurate and complete meeting minutes, and use of general office equipment. Skill in operating dictating equipment, and transcribing dictation.
4. Thorough knowledge of grammar, spelling, punctuation, and ability to edit documents to produce a final product which is grammatically and stylistically correct. October 2018 Reviewed Aug 2020 Detailed knowledge of the VA format style for correspondence and ability to write clearly and critically review submissions from administrative and clerical.
5. Skill in human relations appropriate for coordinating an office environment, resolving problems, conducting training, and acting liaison for personnel within and outside of the medical center, including patients and their families. Knowledge of government travel regulations to prepare forms and input data into electronic Travel Manager Program, Concur.
6. General knowledge and use of various personnel forms and knowledge of the terminology used in the preparation of forms.

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.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit:

Additional information

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.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave : Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at

Interchange Agreement: Applicants must be eligible under the VA Interchange Agreement, having served continuously for at least one year in the other merit system under this interchange agreement. For more information regarding the VA Interchange Agreement please visit:

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.