Administrative Support Assistant

Summary

This position is located in the Division of Hospital and Specialty Medicine (DHSM) Office in Portland VAMC. The employee reports to the Supervisory Administrative Specialist and provides primary administrative support to the division directors, committees, and staff to include planning, organization, and support of DHSM programs such as Gastroenterology/Endoscopy, General Interna Medicine, Geriatrics, Hospital Medicine, Nephrology, Pulmonary, etc.

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Duties

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Duties and responsibilities:

• The incumbent works in a highly independent capacity to perform administrative work, which includes management of the Director's schedules and day-to-day plans.
• The incumbent provides administrative support to the 3 DHSM Directors and 11 section Chiefs in Cardiology, Pulmonary, Gastroenterology, General Medicine, Hospital Medicine, Geriatrics, Infectious Disease, Rheumatology, Nephrology, and Endocrinology.
• The incumbent identifies schedule/time required, estimates resource required.
• Develops plans or schedules using standard references and existing information.
• Assists and updates office documents, standard operating procedures and related materials.
• Reviews, analyzes and evaluates the accomplishments of various office administrative functions, such as records management, reports control, form control and administrative standard operating procedures
• Advise personnel on proper maintenance and control of records.
• Periodically surveys records maintained throughout the assigned divisions for compliance with established regulations and procedures, noting deficiencies, inadequate or underutilization of filing cabinets and other file storage equipment.
• Initiates actions to correct deficiencies.
• Certifies multiple fund control points in OLCS and will track contract expenditures and transactions.
• Acts as a liaison with persons and/or groups within and outside of an organization or office.
• Maintains communications with persons and groups from both within and outside the organization.
• Process, edit, and format incoming and outgoing materials such as correspondence, reports, memoranda, and other forms of written communication including the following: edit letters, compose letters, and reports; review correspondence for accuracy and completeness; and develop standard or form letters; and reply to inquiries.
• Routinely collects, compiles and tracks data on staff performance measures such as meeting attendance, training, timekeeping, and generates reports.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30am - 4:00pm or 8:00am - 4:30pm, PST

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Administrative Support Assistant/ PD209670

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 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 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, 10/02/2026.

You may qualify based on your specialized experience as described below:

Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-06 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 general administrative and customer service support.
• Assisting and updating office documents.
• Scheduling and coordinating meetings.
• Advising management on office administration, office supplies ordering, data processing and files management.
• Maintaining records and correspondence and routing for signatures.
• Prepares correspondence, reports and presentations using Microsoft Office Suite.

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.

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 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.