Summary The primary purpose of the position is to provide comprehensive telephone and telecommunications support to all VISN 16 facilities and customers, and is part of the Alexandria VA Medical Center Centralized Call Center located at the Alexandria VA Medical Center, Alexandria, LA. Responsibilities Duties include: Furnishes information to customers concerning telephone extensions, organizational functions, and staff information. Operates computerized telecommunication systems and/or performs support and service functions requiring knowledge of telecommunications processing sequences, procedures, user and/or program functions, computer requirement and /o techniques associated with the maintenance of the system. Provides information of a routine nature and receives and directs callers to the appropriate area. Provides support directly to system users within the organization and provides training, as well as troubleshooting telephone and computer related problems. Operates Centralized Attendant telephone system to receive and connect incoming and outgoing calls utilizing complex computerized equipment and telecommunication software. Correctly operate electronic communication equipment. Regularly provides customer service to a variety of difficult calls requiring personal involvement on the part of the employee, such as threatening, abusive or distraught callers. Provides comprehensive telephone and telecommunication support to all facilities and customers. Provides clear-cut, repetitive files maintenance work suck as updating username, departments, telephone directories, and making back-up copies of files. Modifies and maintains operations manuals, reference books, and /or software instructions associated with programs and systems used in the Centralized Call Center. Work Schedule: Full-time, Monday - Friday, 10:00am - 6:30pm, subject to change based on the needs of the facility. Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Telephone Operator/PD06123A 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 Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 You may be required to serve a probationary/trial period 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 (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification 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) Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 08/29/2025. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: General Experience: You must have one year of general experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade, GS-03, which involved progressively responsible clerical, office, or, other work that indicates the ability to acquire the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform the duties of the position. Examples of general experience include: using personal computers, answering telephone calls, and providing information to customers. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed two (2) years of education above high school level in any field for which high school graduation or the equivalent is the normal prerequisite. This education must have been obtained in an accredited business or technical school, junior college, college or university for which high school graduation or the equivalent is the normal prerequisite. OR, Combination of General Experience and Education: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an equivalent combination of successfully completed post-high school education and general experience which meet the total experience requirements for this grade level. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Clerical Organizational Awareness Technical Competence Technology Application Telecommunications 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. The employee sits comfortably to do the work. There is some moving around to adjust equipment; carrying of light items such as papers, books. No special physical demands 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 https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/. 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: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information 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.
