Secretary (OA)

Summary The Central Texas Health Care System is recruiting for a highly qualified Secretary for the Austin VA clinic administrative office located in Austin, Texas. The position is the principal clerical and administrative support position in the office, operating independently of any other such position in the office. The primary purpose of this position is to compose correspondents on other subjects as outlined in regulations and procedures or specifically requested by the supervisor. Responsibilities Major duties include, but not limited to: Assists in the accomplishment of administrative duties, assist in solving non-technical problems in areas of responsibility. Serves as a liaison between supervisor, office staff and other organizations. Primary areas of responsibility include but are not limited to: assisting in preparation and justification for personnel actions, timekeeper, training, coordinator, procurement of office materials, travel, special meetings/preparation, assist with vouchers, data gathering and property accountability. Receives telephone calls and visitors, discreetly screening nature of call to determine that tat should be referred to the supervisor or can be diverted to other contacts. Transcribes dictation involving both technical and non-technical terminology, of correspondence, reports etc. from telephone conversations, formal and informal meetings/conferences, or from one or more individuals. Receives and reviews all incoming mail for the office. Determines which items should be brought to the attention of the supervisor as opposed to those that should be sent directly to other appropriate staff members for action. Reads directives and instructional material pertaining to administrative practices and clerical procedures in order to be aware of new, revised, or amended procedures in order to be aware of new , revised, or amended procedures for such matters as preparation and processing of corresponding, engineering reports, and forms, filling, mail procedures, preparation for vouchers and security procedures. Responsible for proper spelling, grammar, format, format and arrangement of material related to typing work, the dispatching of correspondence, and the accuracy of cited references. Types in final form written materials and/or voice recordings, variety of material such as letters, reports, tabulated data, memoranda, etc. Arranges the material in various formats, assembles the material in proper order and uses files and other references to check information such as citations, dates, and data. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30am - 4:00pm Telework: Ad-hoc Only Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Secretary (OA)/PD013420 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Requirements 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, 09/30/2026. 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-05 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-04. 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. 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-04 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: basic understanding of the administrative concepts, principles, and practices sufficient to perform independently such duties as eliminating conflicts and duplication in extensive office procedures; evaluate data collection, forms and coordinates incoming data from a variety of sources; obtain and monitor the use of supplies for the office; develop material for supervisors to use in briefings and town halls; timekeeping; schedule appointments, coordinate meetings and/or schedule conferences; review outgoing correspondence/reports for format, grammar, and punctuation; prepare agendas and take and transcribe minutes of meetings/conferences. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have 4 years of education above high school with courses taken directly related to the knowledge, skills and abilities of this position. (TRANSCRIPTS 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 high school. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED) Skill Requirement: In addition to meeting experience or education requirements, applicants for these positions must show possession of the following skills, as appropriate. 40 words per minute typing speed 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. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. 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. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at Education IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. 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: NOTE: If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application. 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 Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration