Secretary (Oa)

Summary

This Secretary (OA) position serves as the Executive Secretary for the Associate Director for Patient Care Services/Nurse Executive (ADPCS/NE) and exercises exclusive control over the ADPCS/NE schedule establishing and adjusting priorities, rescheduling appointments as necessary, notifying staff of meetings, etc. He/she independently uses initiative to resolve issues of an unusual nature. He/she keeps the ADPCS/NE informed of the schedule and gives updates as changes are made.

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Overview

• Accepting applications

• Open & closing dates

04/24/2024 to 05/09/2024

• Salary

$49,025 - $63,733 per year

• Pay scale & grade

GS 7

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Location

1 vacancy in the following location:

• Walla Walla, WA 1 vacancy

• Remote job

No

• Telework eligible

Yes-Ad-Hoc only

• Travel Required

Not required

• Relocation expenses reimbursed

No

• Appointment type

Permanent -

• Work schedule

Full-time -

• Service

Competitive

• Promotion potential

None

• Job family (Series)

0318 Secretary

• Supervisory status

No

• Security clearance

Other

• Drug test

No

• Position sensitivity and risk

Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk

• Trust determination process

Credentialing

Suitability/Fitness

• Announcement number

CBSV-12397758-24-DAL

• Control number

788341100

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This job is open to

• Internal to an agency

Current federal employees of this agency.

Clarification from the agency

Current permanent employees of VISN 20 locations for Veterans Health Administration employees, including permanent Veterans Canteen Service employees, current permanent full-time Hybrid Title 38 and permanent full-time Title 38 employees.

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Duties

Duties include but are not limited to the following:

• Processes incoming mail received to the ADPCS/NE including information received by electronic transmission, telefax, and hard-copy mail

• Ensures information is distributed in an appropriate and timely manner

• Makes assignment of action to the appropriate staff based on past experience and review of the content of the action item

• Ensures information continues to flow, keeping the ADPCS/NE aware of pertinent issues and incoming communication in his/her stead

• Acts as a backup for the other Executive Secretaries in their absence

• Takes phone calls from Veterans for complaints and writes up a report of contact as appropriate and notifies appropriate staff that can handle the complaint

• Maintains professional composure under difficult situations and confidentiality with information received in the Executive Office

• Notifies VA Police and/or Disruptive Behavior Committee Chair of any threatening behavior by customers as appropriate

• May have to interact with Senator and Congressional personnel in the performance of duties

• Reviews correspondence and documents prepared for signature by the ADPCS/NE to ensure compliance with regulations, rules of grammar, format guidelines, and special policies of this facility

• Prepares routine official correspondence and office reports, based on standing procedures, past practices, or information received through verbal instructions or gleaned from available background information

• Responses on routine matters are prepared and given to the ADPCS/NE along with the incoming correspondence

• Takes and transcribes dictation into letters, endorsements, messages, office instructions, and reports, with responsibility for sentence structure, grammar, and spelling

• Serves as recorder for committees as assigned, taking and transcribing meeting minutes, ensuring appropriate distribution of minutes once approved, and supporting the committee chair in notifying staff of action assignments

• Responds to requests from departments or staff within the Medical Center for information concerning programs under the ADPCS/NE's control

• Coordinates meetings and conferences for the ADPCS/NE as well as official visits, and other activities

• Makes or assigns all necessary travel arrangements for the ADPCS/NE, including airline and hotel reservations, requests for funding of training, conference registration, etc

• Serves as Controlled Correspondence Officer for Patient Care Line Service, ensuring that controlled correspondence such as congressional inquiries, patient complaints, etc., are assigned to the appropriate staff for completion and monitored for timely response

• Takes appropriate follow-up action in situations when responses do not meet the established deadlines or if responses provided are insufficient

• Maintains government manuals, policy notebooks, and files in the Patient Care Line Service and ensures such records are handled appropriately and are available as needed

• Communicates Patient Care Line Service policies to the Administrative Assistance Team (AAT) and serves as a member of that group

• Provides orientation for all new secretarial/ administrative support staff in departments under the supervision of the ADPCS/NE

• Serves as a timekeeper and alternate timekeeper as assigned for the Patient Care Line Service and the Executive Office

• Manages purchasing requests as needed for ADPCS/NE

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; 08:00 am to 4:30 pm

Telework: AD-HOC

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Secretary (OA)/PD802450

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

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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

• You may be required to serve a probationary period

• Subject to background/security investigation

• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process

• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)

• Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 05/09/2024.

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-07 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-06. 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, as described below:

• Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-6) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Experience performing clerical, secretarial or administrative functions in a medical environment; reviewing correspondence for procedural, grammatical and/or typographical accuracy; performing administrative support work such as program or office planning; triaging incoming calls, maintaining filing systems; and organizing, scheduling and handling logistics for conferences, meetings, interviews.

NOTE: As a general rule, education is not creditable above GS-5 for most positions covered by this standard; however, graduate education may be credited in those few instances where the graduate education is directly related to the work of the position.

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:

• Administration and Management

• Attention to Detail

• Customer Service

• Manages and Organizes Information

• Problem Solving

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: The work is sedentary. It occasionally requires lifting and carrying light weight objects such as files, books, and papers. Some walking may be required. No special physical qualifications are required.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

Education

There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit or 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.

Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities [i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities], and/or Disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. Contact the Agency Contact for information on how to apply under this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal/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 http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.

Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

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.

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.

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• Benefits

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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 window

Learn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits

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.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview. Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.

Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.