Summary The Loma Linda VA Medical Center is currently recruiting one Health System Specialist (Strategic Planner) under the office of Associate Medical Center Director, Operations in Loma Linda, CA. The incumbent is to assess the productivity, effectiveness, and efficiency of healthcare systems operations and to analyze problems in the staffing and efficacy of staff activities and administrative support. Responsibilities Duties include but are not limited to the following: Strategic Planning & Development: Collaborates with executive leadership and service chiefs to create, implement, and communicate strategic plans for the VA Health Care System (VA HCS). Program & Initiative Management: Leads the development and oversight of new initiatives, programs, and revenue-generating opportunities aligned with VA HCS goals. Data Analysis & Research: Conducts complex studies and analyses on healthcare management issues, including statistical modeling and financial assessments. Project Management: Manages multiple, often high-priority projects, including short-turnaround assignments, using multidisciplinary teams and formal project planning methods. Stakeholder Engagement: Coordinates with internal and external stakeholders, including VISN, VACO, and community partners, to align planning efforts and share information. Capital & Facility Planning: Oversees long-range capital planning, space optimization, and VA/DoD joint planning initiatives to support infrastructure and operational goals. Demographic & Market Analysis: Analyzes Veteran population data and service gaps to guide planning decisions and ensure alignment with health care needs. Communication & Briefings: Prepares and delivers formal and informal presentations, reports, and briefings to senior leadership and external partners. Policy & Procedure Development: Establishes and refines procedures to improve administrative efficiency, information flow, and alignment with VISN policies. Leadership & Advisory Role: Serves as a key advisor to the VA HCS Director and Executive Leadership Team, providing expert guidance on planning and strategic initiatives. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30 AM - 4:00 PM Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Health System Specialist (Strategic Planner)/PD14279A 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 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 (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) 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, 10/14/2025. 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-13 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-12. 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-12 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. You may qualify for the GS-0671-13 Health System Specialist (Strategic Planner) based on your experience as described below: research and data analysis, process design, stakeholder engagement, project management, and written and oral communication; extensive knowledge of the following: strategic planning, organizational theory, healthcare policy, VHA policy and planning guides, modeling practices, and data analysis; ability to rely upon own judgment and technical skill to accomplish objectives; thorough understanding of healthcare policy, financial planning, strategic planning, and opportunity analysis; ability to analyze opportunities and risks, develop plans to implement projects designed to capitalize on opportunities and/or minimize risks, and the ability to present complex ideas and issues clearly to diverse groups; applying new processes and development to problems, making decisions and recommendations by interpreting or developing important policies and programs, verbally presenting sensitive information/recommendations on complex matters to senior management, presenting and influencing senior management decisions and supporting and defending decisions to senior management; analyze problems in detail and present both written and oral recommendations, taking into full consideration the wide range of issues that affect the management of VA HCS. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Compliance Organizational Awareness Planning and Evaluating Project Management Strategic Thinking 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: Some travel is required. Work requires management deadline projects so work hours may be extended as the project requires. Minimal lifting is 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. 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.
