Secretary (Office Automation)

Summary

The incumbent serves and reports as a Secretary (OA) to the Chief of Medical Specialties. The position is located at the EPVAHCS in El Paso, Texas. The incumbent serves as a back-up in the absence of the Administrative Officer in all non-clinical aspects. Incumbent works under the general supervision of the Chief of Medical Specialties. Plans, prioritizes, and implements own schedule of activities, functioning independently within the parameters of delegated authority.

Learn more about this agency

Duties

Help

Major Duties:

The incumbent assists the Chief of Medical Specialties or designee by performing clerical and administrative support work which consists of the following duties:

1. Screens visitors and telephone calls, directs callers to appropriate staff or personally provides desired information or completes business involving established policies or routine matters without directing referrals to the Administrative Officer, whenever possible.
2. Incumbent manages all incoming correspondence and action documents. Reads all incoming correspondence, screens items to be handled personally, and forwards the remainder to staff for action. Composes routine correspondence on subjects as outlined in regulations and procedures or specifically requested by the Chief of Medical Specialties. Reads outgoing correspondence for accuracy. Maintains the Chief of Medical Specialties personal files of correspondence, documents concerning subordinate personnel, and other documents pertinent to the operation of the Chief of Medical Specialties office. Replies to inquiries not requiring the Chief of Medical Specialties' attention.
3. Maintains Chief of Medical Specialties calendar and schedules appointments and meetings based upon personal knowledge of Chief of Medical Specialties workload and current issues of importance. Independently reschedule appointments when it becomes apparent that supervisor will not be able to meet previous schedules.
4. Maintain 6-part staffing folders, ensuring documents are valid and current. Prints yearly employee competency and performance plan templates for Chief of Medical Specialties.
5. Incumbent develops and maintains tracking system for Medical Specialties Service monitors as they are identified and developed. Assists with any charting and reporting results. Use delegating authority when necessary to assist in completion of projects.
6. Incumbent serves as recorder for multiple committees relevant to the Medical Specialties Service. Attends meetings as recorder, takes and prepares minutes for signature and distribution. Incumbent will often independently follow-through on actions/recommendations and/or setting up suspense files for future action as a result of discussions conducted in meetings. Incumbent will complete changes to policies, procedures and CPM's as requested by committees and route for proper approval/signatures.
7. Incumbent tracks and follow-up of employee action that the Chief of Medical Specialties is responsible for. Works closely with Chief of Medical Specialties, Administrative Officer, and Human Resources to ensure timelines are met.
8. Incumbent serves as Talent Management System (TMS) coordinator for the Medical Specialties Service.
9. The incumbent serves as timekeeper for the Medical Specialties Service. Posts timecards and must be thoroughly familiar with regulations concerning time, attendance, work schedules, WebHR, and VATAS.
10. Incumbent reviews charts and tracks a variety of data for performance improvement and staffing methodology.
11. Incumbent performs general office work. Ability to utilize various computer programs, i.e., Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, Talent Management System (TMS), Vista, WebHR, etc. Obtains and monitors the use of services, supplies, or equipment for the unit. Justifies and requests replacements for outdated equipment by identifying the outdated equipment, gathering relevant information on office equipment, or requesting office equipment for own work area. Receives and verifies accuracy of orders and initiates corrective action in case of error.

Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 4:45pm

Telework: Not Available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Secretary (Office Automation)/ PD012250

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

Help

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, 10/13/2026.

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-4 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Knowledge of the organizational structures and reporting systems. A broad knowledge of an extensive body of rules, regulations, and procedures to effectively perform a variety of assignments and resolve a variety of problems. Knowledge of the organizational of office files and the purpose and content of documents in files. Knowledge of organizational skills are necessary for use in maintaining numerous office files, suspense records, preparing reports and general working functions within the Medical Specialties and Chief of Staff Services. OR,
• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have four years above high school. This education must have been obtained in an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college or university. One year of full-time academic study is defined as 30 semester hours, 45 quarter hours, or the equivalent in a college or university, or at least 20 hours of classroom instruction per week for approximately 36 weeks in a business, secretarial, or technical school. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED). 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 the first 60 semester hours (i.e., beyond the second year) to be creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirement. One full academic year of study (30 semester hours) beyond the second year is equivalent to 6 months of specialized experience. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED).

TYPING PROFICIENCY: This position requires the skills of a qualified typist. In addition to meeting the experience and/or education requirements, you must be able to type at least 40 words per minute.

Physical Requirements: The work is sedentary. Some work may require movement between offices, hospitals, warehouses, and similar areas for meetings and to conduct work. Work may also require walking/standing, in conjunctions with travel to and attendance at meetings and/or conferences away from the work site. Incumbent may carry and lift light items weighing less than 15 pounds.

Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.

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 : If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application.

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.

Help

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.

Review our benefits

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.