Administrative Specialist

Summary

The incumbent serves as an Administrative Specialist in the Associate Director's Office within the Wilmington Veterans Affairs Medical Center (WVAMC). This position reports to the Executive Assistant to the Associate Director. As a member of the AD central office staff, under the direction of the EA, this position performs duties which are administrative in nature for one or more assigned services.

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Duties

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Duties include but not limited to the following:

Administration & Planning

• Serves as an administrative advisor to the Chief(s) of the assigned service(s). As such, the incumbent provides a key role in assisting the Service Chief(s) in the development and implementation of policies and procedures, both long and short-range planning, budget, guidelines, and proposals for efficient and effective utilization of resources and the operation of the division.
• Assists in developing strategic plans for the collection and analysis of data related to service operations and actively participates as a full member of the healthcare delivery team, involved in policy making, process execution, and works to provide administrative oversight to the assigned service(s).
• Analyzes proposals and provides the Service Chief(s) and/or Executive Assistant with an objective opinion before a final decision is made.
• Recommends courses of action and conducts executive review of correspondence which requires the concurrence, or signature of the Service Chief(s) or higher-level officials.
• Serves as a Service Level Patient Advocate for the assigned service, identifying barriers to providing exceptional customer service by using customer feedback in planning and providing products and services to enhance the overall customer service experience of all Veterans, staff and visitors.
• Maintains communication with all appropriate services, the Executive Assistant, the Chief(s), as well as the Medical Center Patient Advocate in collaborative efforts to resolve patient complaints and evaluate the quality of support provided by staff, investigating and problem solving any issues identified which impact customer satisfaction.
• Record and organize documents related to expenditures and provides accurate and timely data allowing for immediate visibility concerning availability of funds.
• Evaluates and plans sufficient space utilization based on constantly changing and ever-increasing program demands, inclusive of the assigned service(s)'s staff and patients, adhering to VA guidelines.

Personnel Management

• Responsible to plan for revised space assignments and request allocation of space through the medical center's space designee.
• Develops effective approaches to meeting service goals and objectives; provides leadership to the subordinate staff; keeps staff, higher level management and customers informed about significant matters; develops good working relationships with customers; and ensures that work products are acceptable and timely.
• Conducts an internal audit program to ensure the financial policies of the medical center are being followed and are effective.
• Responsible for the management of all administrative processes through appropriate utilization of staff within the assigned service(s).
• Works closely with Human Resources to coordinate performance appraisal programs, competencies, awards, ensuring all requirements and deadlines are met.

Contracting Officer Representative (COR)

• performs a critical role in the procurement process and oversight of contracts to include, but not limited to, goods and services, equipment procurements for the assigned service(s).
• Track and monitor all contracts for the service(s). This tracking will include tracking data, including length of contracts, exercise of options, and availability of funding for future option periods.
• Act as the liaison between the Contracting Officer, and the Contractor. The incumbent will gather all required information necessary for solicitation and obligation of contracts.
• Work closely with all leadership within the assigned service(s) to compile and ensure quality completion of documentation for procurement packages submitted.
• Ensures that the work is timely, and the contracts adhere to the requirements of the Statement of Work. Incumbent is responsible for expediting the contracting process when needed.

Performs other duties as assigned.

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

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#: Administrative Specialist/ PD02103A

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: 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, 08/06/2026.

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-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the Gs-07. 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 and/or education as described below:

• Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-07 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: 1) Works closely with human resources and other service support staff to ensure all on boarding requirements are current, correct, and complete prior to any request for staff entering on duty.2) Plans, coordinates, implements and recommends action concerning equipment, supplies, budget, space and personnel actions.3) gathers all required information necessary for solicitation and obligation of contracts.4) Monitor contractor's performance to ensure compliance with the technical requirements of the contract.5) maintains necessary controls and suspense files compiling and submitting necessary paperwork for appointments, clearances, and staffing actions.. OR,
• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed a master's or equivalent degree, or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree, or an LL.B or J.D. in a related field that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. Transcript/s must be submitted with your application or you will not receive credit .. 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 only graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be used to qualify applicants for positions (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED) ..

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at

Education

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

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

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.