Summary The position is located in the VA Portland Health Care System (VAPORHCS) Executive Office. The Health System Specialist serves as a major advisor and Executive Assistant to Deputy Director at VAPORHCS. The incumbent is a peer to Division Leaders, collaborating and working as a member of a cohesive team to collectively assist Executive Leadership in all aspects of efficient and effective business operations. Responsibilities Support to Executive Office Independently identifies and collects necessary data; assembles and assesses information gathered; formulates findings, conclusions, and recommendations; presents results in written and oral form. Performs duties directly contributing to the administrative management of a complex health care delivery system. Provides full staff assistance on administrative matters affecting patient care and organizational policy and serves as a staff member directly supporting the top management team responsible for planning, organizing, developing, directing, and evaluating VAPORHCS operations. Provides comprehensive resource allocation information support decisions involving organizational funds. Assists the Deputy Medical Center Director with complicated assignments especially in regards to analysis and support during medical center integration planning. Program Management and Planning Facilitates short and long-range planning efforts. Administers planning process and provides authoritative recommendations to the Deputy Medical Center Director and assesses priorities to best meet Veterans' health care delivery needs. Examines programs and recommends expanding, contracting, combining, separating, or realigning them to best meet patient health care needs most economically as well as Congressional mandates, regulatory requirements, VISN requirements, etc. Directs and assists VAPORHCS staff in management functions as delegated by the Deputy Medical Center Director. Analyzes and develops reports pertaining to program plans, development operations, and assessment of any planning phase of VAPORHCS' activities. Evaluates Programs/Monitors Data Conducts special studies on manpower, space, and equipment utilization to facilitate resource management decision-making by Executive Leadership. Provides staff support in human resources, equipment, and space planning process and performs administrative functions for staff programs. Works with adjustments in allocations during the year, consults in preparation of monthly reports, and handles other day to day operations. Plays a critical support role in developing and coordinating internal review systems to assure that both clinical and administrative activities are in compliance with agency, accrediting, regulatory requirements, and resource sharing organizations and contracts. Analyzes data, identifies trends and concerns of issues and brings to Deputy Medical Center Director's attention, those areas where possible discrepancies exist. Recommends actions or adjustments necessary to achieve required objectives. Special Projects Acts as an expert on special projects, and advises top managers on major office issues. Leads, conducts and participates in complex management studies and reviews, particularly those with wide or significant effect upon the health care system's organizational structure, policies, processes, operations, fiscal control and economy. Ensures action items and goals are identified and communicated to appropriate members of management and labor and accomplished within timeframes and deadlines. Selects qualitative and quantitative methodologies appropriate to the subject under examination and organizes and leads integrated process teams Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30am to 4:00pm PST Position Description Title/PD#: Health System Specialist (Executive Assistant to the Deputy Director)/PD21510-0 Physical Requirements: No special physical demands are involved except the ability to work under pressure, tight time deadlines, and rapidly changing priorities. The work requires substantial walking throughout the VAPORHCS. The incumbent may work irregular hours. Travel may be required. Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job Subject to a background/suitability investigation Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 A complete application package; Resume, Transcripts, etc. is required 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 identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. 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 within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement, 02/19/2026. Specialized Experience: You must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-11) in the Federal Service, that is directly related to the work of the position and has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties as a Health System Specialist. Qualifying specialized experience is defined as progressively responsible analytical or administrative, or clinical management or supervisory experience in the health care field. This work may have been performed in an operating health care facility or a higher organizational echelon with advisory or directional authority over such facilities. Work must have involved a close working relationship with facility managers and analysis and/or coordination of administrative, clinical, or other service activities, and provided knowledge of the following: Missions, organizations, programs, and requirements of health care delivery systems; Regulations and standards of various regulatory and credentialing groups; and Government-wide, agency, and facility systems and requirements in various administrative areas such as budget, personnel, and procurement. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Utilizing qualitative and quantitative methods to develop recommendations regarding the efficiency and effectiveness of a program; working directly with healthcare professionals and organizational leadership to solve problems in support of the delivery of patient care and program/operational functions; experience planning, organizing, and developing studies or projects; developing and leading strategic planning initiatives to enhance healthcare service delivery and operational efficiency; and performing a wide range of administrative functions. NOTE: 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. 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. Education There is no educational substitution for the GS-12 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. 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 well-qualified, applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors if applicable, and must be proficient in most of the requirements of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website which can be found at https://www.opm.gov/. 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.
