Transportation Assistant

Summary Veteran Transportation Service (VTS) will operate within the Service located at the VA Medical Center/Health Care System (VAMC/HCS) with several Community Based Outpatient Clinics. The Transportation Assistant works with the VTS Supervisory Mobility Manager for transportation workload forecasting, scheduling design, procedure development, and quality improvement implementation , modification of processes, evaluation and ongoing operational flow of the Veteran Transportation Services program. Responsibilities Please be advised, there is 1 vacant position at the FR Sousley location and 1 vacant position at the Troy Bowling Campus. Please be prepared to identify a specific location preference during your interview if there is a preference to duty location. Veteran Transportation Service (VTS) will operate within the Service located at the VA Medical Center/Health Care System (VAMC/HCS) with several Community Based Outpatient Clinics. The incumbent reports directly to the Supervisor, Mobility Manager at the VA Medical Center. Staffing within the Veteran Transportation Service includes: Supervisory Mobility Manager, VTS Drivers (Motor Vehicle Operators WG-5703-06), Beneficiary Travel (Transportation Assistants GS-2102-06); VTS Transportation Coordinators (Transportation Assistants GS-2102-06); Fleet Manager (Transportation Assistant GS- 2102-06); and Program Support Assistant GS 0303-06 and other possible support staff. This position is a Transportation Coordinator at the facility level and acts as primary contact to Veterans for transportation needs. The incumbent works with the VTS Supervisory Mobility Manager for transportation workload forecasting, scheduling design, procedure development, and quality improvement implementation , modification of processes, evaluation and ongoing operational flow of the Veteran Transportation Services program. The coordination of transportation function is multi-faceted and diverse. The three major areas of responsibility are: Scheduling, Data Collection, & Tracking Support; Consult Management responsibilities; Program Support responsibilities. The incumbent must have knowledge of clinical services, related software and programs as they relate to clinical computing and office automation. Duties include but are not limited to: Ensuring compliance with VA transportation regulations, safety requirements, and local operational guidelines. Receiving and processing transportation requests from clinical services, social workers, schedulers, and Veterans. Dispatching drivers and transportation personnel based on patient need, vehicle availability, route efficiency, and safety considerations. Maintaining transportation logs, trip sheets, records, and documentation in accordance with VA policy, HIPPA, and local procedures. Monitoring real-time trip status, adjusting schedules, communicating delays, and ensuring timely patient pick-ups and drop-offs. Responds to "action required" notifications, ensuring the primary providers are correct. Utilizing transportation management systems and software to input data, run reports, verify eligibility, and track workload. Reviewing documents, reports and/or applications for omissions and inconsistencies. Supporting program operations, including data entry, correspondence, workload reporting, auditing, and quality-assurance tasks. Coordinating and scheduling transportation services for Veterans, including ambulatory, wheelchair, and stretcher transport. Coordinating special-mode or inter-facility transport, including ambulance scheduling and communication with outside providers. Communicating with Veterans, caregivers, clinical staff, and vendors to resolve issues, clarify transportation needs, and provide customer service. Work Schedule: 8:00AM to 4:30PM Monday-Friday Telework: Adhoc -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/PD#: Transportation Assistant/PD30320A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): 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 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) 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 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, 07/31/2026. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS-06 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-06 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05. 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. 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-05 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience is considered to be experience with the following: Knowledge to make sound and logical decisions, identifying and utilizing appropriate resources Knowledge to deal effectively with problems, issues, and situations which occur in the daily activities to establish and maintain effective working relationships Knowledge of VA laws, regulations, directive, policies, procedures, performance measures and guidelines relating to VA medical benefits administration, organizational structure, VA mission and goals, Privacy Act of 1974, Freedom of Information Act, and working practical knowledge of applicable Veterans Health Administration regulations, station directives, Public Laws, State Laws, and Central Office directives, and HIPPA regulations. Personal mastery of interpersonal skills, including the ability to meet and deal with a wide variety of staff from many educational and skill levels, for communicating clear instructions and interpretations. Ability to prepare and produce written instructions and a variety of correspondence. Ability to manage emergency situations. Knowledge with consult management, scheduling, admissions, discharge, transfer, and administration with patient processing including diagnostic tests and studies. Knowledge of the various departments within the Lexington HCS medical center and the policies and procedures as they relate to the Veteran Transportation Service Program (VTS) clinics and patient care. Knowledge of electronic medical records. Knowledge of Scheduling Package, Patient Care Encounters Package, Consult Management processes, Advanced Clinic Access principles, VTS Package, and VISTA Knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite and other software programs Administration and Management Data Management Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Interpersonal Skills Problem Solving Reading Comprehension Reasoning Self-Management 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: Incumbent will be exposed to stressful working situations that will require a professional attitude and collective reasoning. The incumbent is subject to a high volume of work, the need for accuracy, frequency of interruptions and ever changing demands due to program changes. 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. 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 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. 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. 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.