Secretary (OA)

Summary

The Executive Secretary provides administrative and secretarial support to members of the Executive Leadership Team of Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center organization, including the Director, Associate Director, Chief of Staff, and Associate Director of Patient Care Services. The organizational structure of each Executive Leader varies with the number of subordinate services, programs and departments.

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Duties

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The incumbent serves as the Executive Secretary to the Associate Director and performs all secretarial duties for the Associate Director. Services aligned to the Associate Director include Education and Development, Health Administration Service, Resource Management Service, Supply Chain Management Service, Resource Management Service, Supply Chain Management Service, Privacy Officer, Emergency Manager, and Prosthetics Service.

Major duties include but are not limited to:

• Receives schedules, refers, and contacts members of the staff, agency, and persons outside the agency ranging from other government agencies to the general public.
• Regularly involved in high level contacts with visitors and callers from such organizations as Congressional offices, members of the news media, State and local officials, and high-ranking officials in the field or industry, publication groups, attorneys, presidents of major national or international firms or organizations, and/or leading representatives of foreign governments.
• Processes incoming and outgoing materials such as correspondence, reports, memoranda, White House Hotline inquires, suspense items and other forms of written communication.
• Develops background information and prepares outlines for Associate Director public speaking engagements, papers, and correspondence/reports, provides general clerical mail and correspondence services such as preparing a variety of recurring reports, reviewing outgoing correspondence for proper attachments, or consolidating/coordinating submittals of information.
• Schedules appointments, coordinates meetings, and/or schedules conferences for the Associate director and the Executive Assistant.
• Ensures that confidentiality of records and sensitive information is maintained at all times within the established facility requirements.
• Serves as the senior timekeeper for the respective Associate Director team and as a backup timekeeper for other Executive Leadership Team members and Associate Director Services/Service Lines.
• Assists the Associate Director and/or Assistant section in preparing move and space plans.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 7:30am - 4:00pm CST.

Telework: Ad hoc

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Secretary (OA)/ PD115330

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 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, 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, 07/28/2026.

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-8 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-7. 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.

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-7 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: proofreading all incoming and outgoing correspondence to ensure grammar and punctation are accurate; editing letters and reports for accuracy and completeness, monitoring and tracking actions to ensure timely submission; independently developing and presenting information, scheduling conferences and meetings and shifting schedules as needed, providing accurate advice on procedures, and reports; preparing travel arrangements; maintaining confidentiality on all sensitive items and prioritizing actions; operating computer systems and computer software programs including but not limited to Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, Publisher, Acrobat, Outlook, and Teams.

Preferred Experience:

• Exceptional attention to detail and accuracy in all administrative tasks.
• Advanced clerical and technical skills, including proficiency with office software, document management systems, and communication tools.
• Strong organizational and information management abilities, with proven experience in maintaining structured records, prioritizing tasks, and managing high-volume workflow.
• Professional communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to interact effectively across all levels of leadership.
• Discretion and sound judgment, particularly when handling sensitive information and supporting executive decision-making.
• Ability to anticipate needs, manage competing deadlines, and support the Associate Director proactively.
• Demonstrated reliability, adaptability, and consistent commitment to administrative excellence.

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

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

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.