Secretary (Office Automation)

Summary This Secretary (Office Automation) position serves in the Chief of Staff (COS) Office serving as the initial point of contact for all business relating to the Chief of Staff within the Jonathan M. Wainwright Memorial, Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, Walla Walla, WA. Responsibilities 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 and responsibilities include: Acts as a back-up to the other three Executive Secretaries for the Director, Associate. Screens telephone calls and visitors; handling, referring on, or forwarding to the COS as appropriate. Schedules appointments and makes commitments for the COS to attend meetings, and conferences. Handles many requests for information and interpretation of nontechnical policies and procedures. Reschedules appointments as necessary when conflicts arise. Maintains the highest degree of professionalism, remain polite, courteous, and punctual for all duties as assigned. Demonstrates a high degree of integrity, initiative, and willingness to offer help to all staff associated with the office of the Chief of Staff. Researches, assembles, and summarizes information as required from files and documents as requested by the Chief of Staff or in anticipation of their needs. Follows up on commitments, assignments, projects, and work assigned in a timely manner. Transcribes meeting minutes, ensuring appropriate distribution of minutes once approved. Reviews incoming correspondence for the Chief of Staff, determining proper action, and prepares answers for the COS signature. Acts as the timekeeper for the Chief of Staff office to include service chiefs and is the alternate timekeeper for Medical Center Director and Associate Director for operations and the Associate Director for Patient Care Services as needed. Maintains Chief of Staff leave calendar, so he is aware of provider absences/shortages. Performs other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Full Time, Monday- Friday - 7:30am - 4:00pm Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved 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 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 qualify for this position, you must meet the following criteria: TYPING PROFICIENCY: This position requires the skills of a qualified typist. In addition to meeting the experience requirements below, you must be able to type at least 40 words per minute. ~AND~ SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: GS-7: Applicants must have one (1) full year of specialized experience that equips you with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. To be creditable for the GS-07 the experience must have been equivalent to the GS-06 in Federal service. Specialized experience includes: providing clerical and administrative support related duties, screening telephone calls and visitors, scheduling appointments, reviewing, preparing incoming and outgoing correspondence, generating various reports, preparing travel paperwork, agendas, meetings, using computer-based programs essential to coordinate all aspects of the position such as Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Adobe Acrobat. Physical Demands: The work is sedentary. There may be some walking, standing, bending, carrying light objects, etc. However, no special physical qualifications are required to perform the work. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at 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