Voluntary Services Asst

Summary

This position is located in the Center for Development and Civic Engagement/Voluntary Service, under Communication & Community Engagement Service at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Health Administration (VHA), VA Medical Center in Battle Creek, MI. The primary purpose of this position is to perform a variety of functions, including providing program management and overall program operations support.

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Duties

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***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION***

Major duties include, but are not limited to:

• Providing support to the facility's CDCE/Voluntary Service operations as the first point of contact for potential volunteers, patients, visitors, service organizations, corporate and community leaders, donors, and other internal and external stakeholders.
• Exhibiting a high degree of tact, diplomacy, and courtesy with every interpersonal interaction daily.
• Communicating and coordinating on behalf of the CDCE/Voluntary Service Officer with services across the health care system, agency representatives (including VHA, VBA, and NCA), and community officials regarding programs, events, and activities.
• Maintaining many physical and/or electronic records for reports due monthly, quarterly, annually, and ad hoc.
• Serving as the primary timekeeper for all CDCE/Voluntary Service employees.
• Assisting the CDCE/Voluntary Service Officer in position management to project staffing needs, entering actions by Human Resources and employment decisions into HR Smart, USA Staffing, and any other relevant position management portals as determined by local, VISN, or national protocols.
• Responsible for clerical functions associated with the CDCE/Voluntary Service program management.
• Collaborating with CDCE/Voluntary Service Officer to complete equipment inventory surveys and ensures proper documentation of equipment assigned to the CDCE/Voluntary Service department.
• Receiving, processing, and tracking gifts and donations including accurate entry into the Voluntary Service System or subsequent electronic donation database programs.
• Coordinating requests and purchases of office operating supplies, generates reports from automated information systems, and completes other administrative tasks essential to the effective and efficient operation of the CDCE/Voluntary Service Office.
• Performs other related duties as assigned

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

Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized

Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved

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 is moderately sedentary, although considerably variable. It requires a fair amount of standing, sometimes for long periods, walking, climbing stairs, and bending.
• 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) - See "Required Documents" below for details.

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, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

To apply for this position, you must have the following qualifications:

Specialized Experience: You must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-5) in the Federal Service that has given you the particular knowledge, skills and abilities required to successfully perform the duties of a Voluntary Services Assistant - CDCE/Voluntary Service Assistant position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Qualifying specialized experience includes orders and maintains necessary level of needed forms and office supplies; maintenance of office records and files; Compiles data for reporting purposes; experience inputting data into a computerized database; experience recording and managing physical items such as donation; and utilizing interpersonal communication skills which foster effective working relationships.

A Quality Ranking Factor* has also been requested by the facility to help determine which of the basically qualified applicants are likely to be better qualified for a position.

The quality ranking factor for this position is: "Experience working with volunteers in voluntary service organizations and in an administrative role?"

* Quality Ranking Factor s are skills, knowledge, abilities, or other worker characteristics which could be expected to result in superior performance on the job. Quality ranking factors will not be used for screening but may be used as ranking criteria. Applicants with higher proficiency levels may rank above those with lower proficiency levels on a quality ranking factor.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at

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.

Physical Requirements: Work is moderately sedentary, although considerably variable. It requires a fair amount of standing, sometimes for long periods, walking, climbing stairs, and bending. Work may require some heavy to moderate lifting, transporting of materials, equipment and supplies for special events and other programs. Due to the diverse nature and scope of the work, it may require occasionally working in extreme temperatures (hot or cold). Driving or riding in a vehicle is also required on a routine basis to provide coverage, trainings, or other support at off-site clinics; attend outside community meetings; and support special events. Travel may also occur in support of outreach events and conferences. The incumbent must attend lengthy meetings both during and after regular scheduled work hours. Travel to other medical center facilities is often necessary. Work is primarily in a hospital setting involving possible exposure to contagious disease. The regular and recurring work environment involves everyday risks and discomforts requiring normal safety precautions typical of an office and a hospital. The CDCE/Voluntary Service office is a very busy environment with constant traffic from visitors, volunteers, etc. on a daily basis. Some duties may be performed off medical center property at other community locations or outpatient satellite clinics. Some travel may be required within and beyond the local community on some evenings or weekends.

Education

There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

Additional information

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. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. 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.

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.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation and be found well-qualified (have a final rating of 80 or more before any Veterans preference points) for this vacancy. 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.