Administrative Officer

Summary The Administrative Officer (AO) is located in the Research Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System (VASDHS). VASDHS supports one of the largest research enterprises within the Department of Veterans Affairs and hosts significant activities in all four VA research programs. Responsibilities The Administrative Officer (AO) is responsible for planning, developing and directing the administrative activities of the Research Operations Divisions of this large and complex research program. The Research Operations Division includes oversight of Research Staffing, Research Budgets/Financial Management, and VA Intramural Funding Administration, as well as coordination of resources for effective Research Space Management and Utilization. On a daily basis the AO R&D exercises the full range of authority required to perform such activities in support of the research program, including but not limited to: Exercising authority to make decisions and carry out day-to-day administrative activities in the oversight of all services and resources Responsible for overall fiscal and budgetary integrity of VASDHS Research Service, including oversight of multi-year research appropriation Responsible for preparing budget estimates, fiscal and program operating plans, budget requests, analyses and justifications Establishing and monitors R&D processes designed to assure the proper accounting of funds obtained through external sources Preparing briefings for senior VA officials, local and national officials, affiliated organizations and others as appropriate Overseeing staffing for Research Administration, as well as for all laboratory personnel engaged in VA-funded research projects at the facility Prioritizing systems redesign where indicated to maintain effective and economical services in support of R&D program needs Overseeing all aspects of the VASDHS intramurally-funded research program at the pre- and post-award level Meeting personally with investigators as needed post-award to ensure proactive management of their research budgets, facilitate staffing and contracting solutions, and prepare amendments/ modifications to their funded awards as needed Implementing strategies for effective inter-divisional communications and efficiency of function across all aspects of the Research Service Providing direct and/or indirect supervision to employees performing a variety of duties supporting the Research & Development Program Serving as spokesperson and representative (along with ACOS R&D) for R&D to VASDHS and external staff and entities Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30am - 4:00pm Telework: This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Position Description/PD#: Administrative Officer/PD099860 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 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) Return to Office (RTO): RTO mandates are in affect and selectees will be required to report to in person work unless they have an approved exemption already in place. 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, 06/05/2026. 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-13 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-12. 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-12 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) Exercising authority to make decisions and carry out day-to-day administrative oversight of services, resources, and operational activities; (2) Ensuring fiscal integrity by preparing budget estimates, operating plans, and funding justifications, and overseeing the proper accounting and execution of multi-year research appropriations; (3) Overseeing staffing and personnel actions, including supervision of employees and coordination of hiring, performance management, and workforce planning needs; (4) Implementing systems redesign or process improvement initiatives to maintain effective, efficient, and economical administrative and operational functions; (5) Preparing and delivering briefings for senior officials and implementing communication strategies to ensure coordination and efficiency across organizational divisions. 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. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. The Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provides 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 CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at