Secretary (OA)

Summary

This position is located within the Executive Suite of the Central Alabama Veterans Health Care System (CAVHCS) located at Tuskegee, AL. This position serves as the principal clerical and administrative support for the Chief of Staff and may be required to assist other Executive Secretaries and Administrative staff by carrying out and coordinating all the clerical and day-to-day administrative support activities which are typically required to accomplish the work of the organization.

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Duties

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Duties include, but are not limited to the following:

• Handles inquiries from Customers including patients, staff, Veterans Service Organizations, etc. on behalf of the Deputy Director or the Executive Leadership Team (ELT). Greets visitors to the executive offices and answers calls.
• The incumbent independently takes care of many matters and questions including answering substantive questions not requiring technical knowledge.
• Incumbent supports the Deputy Director in Resources Executive Council administratively to include scheduling presentations through audio and visual connections and prepare comprehensive meeting minutes in support of the Resources Executive Council.
• Incumbent prepares meeting agendas independent of the Director and establishes a specific filing system for easy retrieval of all follow-up actions.
• Handles inquiries from Customers including patients, staff, Veterans Service Organizations, etc. on behalf of the Deputy Director or the Executive Leadership Team (ELT). Greets visitors to the executive offices and answers calls.
• Responds to complex questions involving a range of issues that are posed to the Executive office.
• Process and edit incoming and outgoing correspondence, reports, memoranda, reports, data sheets and other forms of written communications to ensure responses and reports are proofread, in accurate format.
• Compose and edits letters, reports for accuracy and completeness, prepares public presentation outlines and develop standards form letters and replies to inquiries using proper formatting and guidelines.
• Track and maintains VA Central Office, White House, Veterans Integrated Service Network, Office of the Inspector General, Health Care System correspondence and reports to include patient inquiries using SharePoint. Assigns deadlines and establishes controls for follow-up.
• Research files, develops and assembles background information for correspondences and reports.
• Provides public contact support services by screening all calls to determine if the call requires immediate attention and refers visitors and Veterans to the appropriate point of contact.
• Accurately takes and transcribes all taped or handwritten notes and prepares meeting minutes, correspondence, memoranda, reports and bulletins.
• Using Outlook, electronically schedules appointments, coordinates meetings, schedules video-teleconferences, telephone conferences and accurately maintains calendar
• Serve as timekeeper for the Deputy Medical Center Director's direct reports.
• Advise the Deputy Medical Center Director on the nature of conferences, appointments and meetings and assures necessary background materials are made available for review prior to approval/meeting.
• Prepares all travel arrangements for the Deputy Medical Center Director via system.
• Organizes and maintains files and office records in accordance with RCS 10-1.
• Maintains tracking system of ongoing and planned activities for the Deputy Medical Center Director and reminds appropriate staff members as to upcoming deadlines, events and needs.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM Subject to change based on agency needs.

Telework: This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.

Position Description/PD#: Secretary (OA)/ PD09306A

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.

Financial Disclosure Report: Not required.

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, 09/08/2026.

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-08 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.

• 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: Examples of specialized experiences are: working in a Executive office or front office; or administrative secretary/assistant work to executive management in a health care setting; prioritizing, coordinating support and completing tasks within established time frames; use of office automation equipment such as computers, telephones, conference equipment, copiers, and fax machines; following complex administrative procedures; experience developing and installing office procedures, policies and practices; use of computer programs, such as Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, and Outlook); preparation of reports, correspondence, memorandums, and other forms of written communication; interfacing with outside organizations, referring visitors and callers to appropriate staff; instruct others on procedural requirements of a job; serving as a liaison to convey information; assembling/preparing information for a variety of meetings, reports and correspondence at the executive level. To be creditable, this experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-07level in Federal service.

Proficiency Requirement: In addition to meeting the above Time-In-Grade and Specialized Experience requirements above, applicants for this position must show possession of the following skill, as appropriate. Applicants may meet this requirement by passing the appropriate performance test, presenting a certificate of proficiency from a school or other organization authorized to issue such certificates by the Office of Personnel Management local office, or by self-certifying their proficiency. Performance test results and certificates of proficiency are acceptable for 3 years. Agencies may verify proficiency skills of self-certified applicants by administering the appropriate performance test.

• 40 words per minute typing speed

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.