Secretary (OA)

Summary

The incumbent serves as the Executive Secretary to the Deputy Chief of Staff. This position is located in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Tennessee Valley Healthcare System (TVHS), which has 11 community based outpatient clinics, a research program, two affiliations - Vanderbilt University and Meharry Medical College, and other educational institutions and sharing agreements with various DOD facilities.

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Duties

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The incumbent will be responsible for the day-to-day management of the office functions and information to and from the Deputy Chief of Staff. Responds to administrative problems brought to the supervisor's attention by members of the staff or management officials outside the organization or outside the agency. Notifies the appropriate subordinate management officials of the need for information or recommendation, and either prepares the response or follows up to ensure a timely response by others. Performs administrative work for the Deputy Chief of Staff, which includes management of the office's schedule or day-to-day plans. Develops routine plans or schedules using standard references and existing information. Based on defined objectives, determines specific steps, input required, and/or milestones. Identifies schedule/time required, and estimates resources required. Acts as a liaison or handles the communication with persons and/or groups within and outside of an organization or office. Maintains liaison and communications with persons from a wide variety of backgrounds within the facility, the VISN office, and other VHA and VA officials as requested by the Deputy Chief of Staff.

• Provides administrative support functions and serves as recorder for all assigned TVHS committees, boards, and councils as requested by the Chief of Staff or Deputy Chief of Staff.
• The incumbent will also coordinate projects or compile information as requested by the Deputy Chief of Staff. This will require knowledge of the clinical services offered by TVHS.
• Maintains and updates as necessary a Desk Guide that describes the tasks to be performed by the executive secretary in sufficient detail to guide staff providing temporary coverage the secretary is absent and that will facilitate orientation to the position in the event permanent replacement is required.
• Provides backup coverage for other Director's Office secretary/administrative assistants at the York Campus as needed. Instructs and assists secretaries/administrative assistants in the clinical service/service line offices on correct correspondence procedures. Serves as timekeeper for employees under assigned Time and Leave units. Time keeping for these units is complicated by the fact that the units cover with various types of employees (e.g. Title 5, Title 38, etc) that may be located off site. May be assigned as an alternate timekeeper for other sections within the Office of the Director or the Office of the Chief of Staff. Works with Meharry Medical College to reconcile hours for contract physicians working with the Preventive Medicine contract.
• As a team member in the office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, participates in discussions of mutual expectations and necessary follow-up. In this way, cooperation and collaboration are assured.
• Serves the coordinator for control of keys for employees under the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff.

Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm

Telework: ADHOC 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#: Secretary (OA)/ PD700770

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.
• Physical Requirements: The work primarily sedentary. Work requires walking, standing, bending, and carrying light items such as books, files, and papers. The work is performed in an office setting that involves everyday risks or discomforts and requires normal safety precautious typical of such places as meeting and training room, libraries, or commercial vehicles. The work area is adequately lighted, heated and ventilated. 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, 09/10/2026.

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.

Required specialized experience is as follows:

GS-08 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:

• Assembles, summarizes, and tabulates data and statistics from multiple sources, ensuring their accuracy before submission.
• Processing and editing incoming and outgoing correspondence, reports, and memoranda; reviewing documents for grammatical errors.
• Compiles and summarizes statistics and material from files or other sources as required for reports or presentations.
• Coordinates and prepares Deputy Chief of Staff's evaluations and performance appraisals
• Maintaining files of correspondence and events

Preferred Experience: The ideal candidate should have extensive experience providing high-level administrative and secretarial support in a complex and fast-paced healthcare, academic, or similar organization. Experience must include managing executive schedules and calendars, coordinating meetings, handling sensitive correspondence, compiling and preparing reports, and maintaining office files and records. The candidate must demonstrate proficiency in independently prioritizing and completing multiple tasks with strict deadlines and minimal supervision. Familiarity with general office procedures, correspondence rules (including grammar, spelling, punctuation), and use of office automation/computer systems is required. Experience interacting effectively with senior officials, a wide range of internal and external contacts, and the public is essential. The candidate should have a track record of exercising sound judgment and maintaining confidentiality, as well as skill in handling a variety of complex or non-routine administrative issues. Prior experience coordinating administrative procedures involving multiple offices and personnel, and supporting executive staff or committees is highly desirable. Knowledge of VA and/or large healthcare system administrative policies and programs is preferred.

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.