Secretary (OA)

Summary The Executive Secretary provides a wide variety of administrative support for the work performed in the Office of the VA Loma Linda Healthcare System (HCS) Director. The incumbent is the primary administrative support to the Director who possesses ultimate responsibility for all aspects of the HCS operations. The incumbent serves as the administrative subject matter expert for all secretarial staff within the facility. Responsibilities Duties include, but are not limited to: Acts as the lead office manager for the Director's Office and ensures that the practices and procedures used by administrative staff in subordinate offices are consistent with those of the Director's Office. Provides specialized training for all subordinate level administrative staff. Monitors the quality and timeliness of administrative production by reviewing all correspondence submitted to the Office. Acts as the HCS primary resource person to all administrative staff when question arise concerning VA/VHA or HCS policies and procedures relative to administrative production. Manages day-to-day activities of the Office. Has exclusive control over the Director's schedule and calendar using own initiative and judgement in determining priorities for appointments and activities. Screens all call and visitors, answering most questions and completing most business involving established policy. Utilizes office automation equipment and processes. Serves as alternate purchase cardholder. Oversees the Financial Management Service unannounced audit system by appointing designated staff to conduct such quarterly audits. Serves as alternate timekeeper for the Office. Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 0730-1600 Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Secretary (OA)/PD02822O Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized. Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved. 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 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, 06/08/2026. 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-08 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07. For a GS-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-08.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. For Office Automation (OA) positions, qualified applicants must type at least 40 words per minute. You may qualify at the GS-08 grade level based on your experience as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-07 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. This is a developmental assignment to provide the individual with the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform the full range of duties. This is a developmental position and the full performance level is Secretary (OA) GS-0318-09. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: executive administration, training staff, policies, written and oral communications, reports, MS word and related software, guidance, transcribe, handwritten notes, meeting minutes, electronic calendars, and scheduling. You may qualify at the GS-09 grade level based on your experience as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-08 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. This is the full-performance level of the position. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: executive administration, training staff, policies, written and oral communications, reports, MS word and related software, guidance, transcribe, handwritten notes, meeting minutes, electronic calendars, and scheduling. Preferred Experience: High-level administrative support, coordinating complex executive calendars, arranging multi-leg travel and organizing large-scale meetings or conferences. Drafting non-technical correspondence, compiling reports, preparing briefings, and formatting materials in narrative or tabular form. Serving as principal office support, screening information, responding to requests, and directing work in alignment with executive priorities. From SHRM guidance, the following skills are strongly preferred: Advanced communication, both written (clear letters, memos, reports) and verbal. Superior organizational skills and attention to detail. Time management - meeting deadlines in a fast-paced environment. Office systems proficiency, especially Microsoft Office Suite; capable of learning new software quickly. Typing skills, often expected at a strong rate (e.g., 50wpm) 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 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