Health System Specialist

Summary

The Health Systems Specialist (Executive Governance) supports governance compliance operations within the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center. The position analyzes workflows, manages sensitive documentation, supports audits and regulatory compliance, develops tracking and decision-support systems, assesses operational risks, and coordinates cross-service activities to strengthen accreditation readiness and organizational performance.

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Duties

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Major Duties Include:

• Evaluates governance workflows, identifies operational barriers, and analyzes trends across committees.
• Conducts audits, develops compliance dashboards, and applies advanced analytical techniques to assess program effectiveness.
• Performs root-cause analyses, designs corrective action plans, and evaluates feasibility and sustainability of solutions.
• Manages executive-level documentation systems and ensures sensitive records remain accurate, secure, retrievable, and audit-ready.
• Maintains secure systems for investigative records and ensures findings meet strict documentation integrity and timely submission requirements.
• Reviews operational practices, data sets, compliance documentation, and trend analyses to ensure accuracy, logic, clarity, and regulatory conformity.
• Communicates with investigators, representatives, visitors, staff, service chiefs, and leadership in a courteous and respectful manner.
• Facilitates communication between services during investigations and coordinates governance and compliance processes across medical center departments.
• Addresses conflicts constructively, ensures positive working relationships, and models a commitment to customer service.
• Plans and organizes governance calendars, charters, agendas, work plans, and committee readiness reviews.
• Coordinates RMC requests, staffing/resource proposal reviews, and tracking systems for compliance and investigative activities.
• Monitors project timelines, implementation milestones, and progress on corrective actions to ensure organizational deadlines are met.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 7:30am - 4:00pm. Subject to change based on needs of the facility.

Telework: 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 Title/PD#: Health System Specialist/PD041890

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job
• Subject to a background/suitability investigation
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• A complete application package; Resume, Transcripts, etc. is required
• 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.

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.

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 period or trial 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.

Individual Occupational Requirement: Applicants who meet the Individual Occupational Requirements described below are fully qualified for the specified entry grade and must also meet the specialized experience and/or education requirements.

Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study hospital administration, public health administration, or related fields such as business or public administration with course work in health care administration. (Transcript required)

OR

Specialized Experience: (for positions above GS-5): Progressively responsible analytical or administrative, or clinical management or supervisory experience in the health care field. This work may have been performed in an operating health care facility or a higher organizational echelon with advisory or directional authority over such facilities. Work must have involved a close working relationship with facility managers and analysis and/or coordination of administrative, clinical, or other service activities, and provided knowledge of the following:

• Missions, organizations, programs, and requirements of health care delivery systems;
• Regulations and standards of various regulatory and credentialing groups; and
• Government-wide, agency, and facility systems and requirements in various administrative areas such as budget, personnel, and procurement.

OR

Special Provision for Inservice Placement: Successful completion of an agency-sponsored on-the-job training program may be substituted for qualifying experience, provided it included a formal individualized training plan. Such a training program must have been conducted in an operating health care system and included: Assignments providing a knowledge of basic health system administration philosophies, practices, and procedures, and basic government administrative policies and requirements; Practical assignments providing an opportunity to apply health system administration skills and principles (as the individual progresses, work assignments must be characteristic of the grade level to which he or she is assigned); and Oversight by an experienced health system administrator with periodic evaluation of the individual's progress and appropriate adjustment of the training program.

In addition to meeting the above Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR), applicants must also meet the experience and/or directly related education relevant to this position.

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-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09 . 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-09 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to:

• Support complex executive governance, compliance, documentation, and investigate operations within a large medical center.
• Evaluate organizational workflows and administrative processes to identify inefficiencies and opportunities for improvement.
• Conduct and coordinate investigations and Administrative Investigation Boards (AIBs), including reports, documentation, and corrective-action taking.
• Review sensitive records for accuracy, compliance, audit readiness, and adherence to internal and external standards.
• Maintain governance documentation systems, compliance tracking tools, schedules, and corrective-action plans.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary and cross-service activities involving executive leadership, service chiefs, investigators, and administrative personnel.
• Analyze data, assess risk, and apply VHA, VISN, CMS, and TJC standards to support regulatory compliance and executive oversight.
• Communicate complex and sensitive information clearly and tactfully while exercising sound judgement, discretion, and attention to detail.
• Manage multiple high-visibility priorities while meeting strict deadlines and regulatory requirements.

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 Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M in a field related to this position that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. (Transcript required).

OR

Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have equivalent combination of successfully completed graduate education (beyond the first two graduate years or 36 semester hours) and specialized experience to meet the total experience requirements. The education portion must include graduate courses that demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position. (Transcript required).

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: 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.

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.

A supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.

Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process.

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 well-qualified, applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors if applicable, and must be proficient in most of the requirements of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website which can be found at

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.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

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.