Staff Assistant

Summary

This position is located in the Surgical Service at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, (VAMC). The incumbent serves as a staff assistant for Surgical Service. The diverse responsibilities of the Staff Assistant.

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Duties

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Duties but not limited to:

• Manages long-term and short-term projects for the program
• Initiates, plans, and implements process improvement initiatives
• Ensures program compliance with all applicable policies and regulations.
• Manages program workload to align with the goals and mission of an organization.
• Recognizes the interrelationship of health administration programs with other medical services and programs.
• Investigates complex issues and analyzes problems that affect the management of an organization
• Consistently communicates and treats customers and treats customers veterans, their representatives, visitors was, and all VA staff in a courteous, tactful, and respectful manner.
• Follows applicable regulations and instructions regarding access to computerized files, release of access codes, as set out in the computer access agreement that the employee signs.
• Conducts and participate in Facility risk assessment, security evaluations and audits, and ensure the implementation of recommendations.
• Provides weekly documentation of productivity via list of operations by surgical specialty and report of CPT coding accuracy to quality management and infection disease service, solely responsible for entering residents privileges into MS PowerPoint that records major and minor surgical procedure and is a requirement for joint commission accreditation and is responsible for updating information on the Medical Center website and relationships to monthly on-call schedules.
• Skill in applying analytical and it variety of techniques to the identification, consideration and resolution of issues or problem. Knowledge of good public and professional relations in interactions and with internal and external customers.
• Ability to use qualitative and quantitative and analytical techniques

Work Schedule: Monday- Friday 7a-3:30p, 7:30-4p, or 8a-4:30p EST

Compressed/Flexible: Not Authorized

Telework: Not Authorized

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Staff Assistant/ PD24146O

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): 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.
• 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, 07/10/2026.

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-9 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-7. 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 possess one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level in the Federal service that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of this position. Qualifying specialized experience includes: Investigates complex issues and analyzes problems that affect the management of an organization, Investigates complex issues and analyzes problems that affect the management of an organization, Follows applicable regulations and instructions regarding access to computerized files, release of access codes, as set out in the computer access agreement that the employee signs, Conducts and participate in Facility risk assessment, security evaluations and audits, and ensure the implementation of recommendations, Provides weekly documentation of productivity via list of operations by surgical specialty and report of CPT coding accuracy to quality management and infection disease service, solely responsible for entering residents privileges into MS PowerPoint that records major and minor surgical procedure and is a requirement for joint commission accreditation and is responsible for updating information on the Medical Center website and relationships to monthly on-call schedules, Skill in applying analytical and it variety of techniques to the identification, consideration and resolution of issues or problem. Knowledge of good public and professional relations in interactions and with internal and external customers; OR,
• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed a master's or equivalent graduate degree; OR 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree; OR, LL.B. or J.D., if related; OR,
• Combination: equivalent combination of successfully completed education and specialized experience directly related to the work of the position as outlined above that meets the requirements of the position. Only education in excess of the first year (18 semester hours) may be used to qualify applicants for the GS-09 level. NOTE: If using education combined with specialized experience to qualify, a copy of your transcript is required.

Preferred Experience: APAC, Time Keeping, knowledge of VA systems, VATAS, VISTA, EPAS, Persec, and Account Provisioning/Deprovisioning System

Best Qualified Criteria: Best qualified applicants will meet the following criteria in addition to the minimum qualifications for this position:

Category 1 - Best Qualified (BQ) Candidates in this category:

- Show advanced knowledge of management principles , organizational processes, and administrative methods used across programs.

- Demonstrate mastery in producing administrative, using VISTA and PC applications; independently monitor and analyze quality data.

- Communicate effectively with internal and external stakeholders, representing the service professionally and reliably.

- Consistently manage high-complexity tasks, coordinate multiple service-level activities,

- Time and attendance, ADPAC

Category 2 - Highly Qualified (HQ) Candidates in this category:

- Have strong analytical and evaluation abilities, with experience resolving a variety of administrative issues.

Communicate effectively, maintain liaison with staff and service areas, and support routine interdepartmental coordination.

Category 3 - Well Qualified (WQ) Candidates in this category:

- Possess basic analytical skills and can perform factual or procedural administrative tasks using clear and established instructions.

- Communicate effectively within the immediate office environment but may require support in representing the service externally.

- Perform tasks of lower complexity with predictable processes and limited need for independent interpretation.

Category 4 - Qualified (Q) A general definition-if required:

- Meets the minimum qualification requirements for the Series (GS-0301).

- Able to perform basic administrative tasks with close supervision and detailed instructions.

- Limited ability to analyze information or apply guidelines without assistance.

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: 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

OUR MISSION: To fulfill President Lincoln's promise "To care for those who have served in our nation's military and for their families, caregivers, and survivors" - by serving and honoring the men and women who are America's Veterans. How would you like to become a part of a team providing compassionate whole health care to Veterans?

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.

Whole Health is an approach to health care that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their life to the fullest. The VA is committed to Whole Health and values Veteran and Employee health and wellbeing. As a VA employee, you will practice Whole Health in an environment that supports personalized and proactive care.

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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.