Summary The position reports to the Emergency Management Specialist (EMS). The position of an Emergency Management Specialist Assistant (EMSA) provides the health care system in sustaining national and regional support to the Comprehensive Emergency Management Program. The EMS and EMSA are high-profile positions requiring daily interaction with the highest levels of VAMC leadership, Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN), VHA and the VHA Office of Emergency Management (OEM). Responsibilities Include but not limited to: Must obtain a working knowledge of proper equipment operations (i.e. vehicles, trailers, generators, satellite communications, etc.) and how to properly deploy and set-up assets for operations at a field location. Perform basic service tasks on mobile assets. (i.e. fluid top-off, tire pressure checks, asset cleaning, etc.) Must obtain a working knowledge of preventive maintenance requirements related to assigned assets and equipment. Subject to work under emergency notification and contact procedures. Required to carry a government provided mobile communication device and respond in a timely manner to text messages and/or voice communications as part of their normal job responsibilities. Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Emergency Management Specialist/PD99481S Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: 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, 03/09/2026. 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-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07. 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. Preferred Experience: Knowledge of the pertinent laws, objectives, precedents, guidelines and policies governing various emergency management programs and operations enough to assist with development and execution of a comprehensive emergency management program. Knowledge of a variety of emergency, contingency and operations plans, policies, and directives enough to provide advice and assistance; basic level mobile asset preventative maintenance. Subject to work under emergency notification and contact procedures. Additional Significant Facts: During significant incidents and emergencies, you may be required to be available 24 hours a day, seven days per week for the duration of the event. Knowledge of general emergency preparedness principles. Ability to pass and maintain current Department of Transportation (DOT) physical. (within the first 60 days of employment) Ability to obtain and maintain a current Florida Class A Commercial Driver's License permit. (within the first 60 days of employment) Ability to obtain and maintain a current Florida Class A Commercial Driver's License. (within the first 6 months of employment) Ability to support same day travel for multi-day missions. Ability to work in austere conditions. Required to carry a government provided mobile communication device and respond in a timely manner to text messages and/or voice communications as part of their normal job responsibilities. Required to use a government provided laptop and maintain the ability to access the VA network remotely. Must be able to travel by motor vehicle, train, boat, and aircraft. Minimum Qualification Requirement: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-07 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Provides customer service to employees and patients. Determines the most appropriate principles, practices, and methods to apply in all phases of assignments, including the approach to be taken, degree of intensity, and depth of research in management advisories. Interprets regulations on your own initiative, applies new methods to resolve complex and/or intricate, controversial, or unprecedented issues and problems, and resolves most of the conflicts that arise. Keeps the supervisor informed of progress and of potentially controversial matters. Or, Education Substitution: To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a master's degree or equivalent graduate degree; or, two full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree; or, LL.B. or J.D. Or, Combination: You must have a combination of specialized experience graduate-level education beyond 18 semester hours counting towards a master's degree. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Administration and Management Compliance Inspection Public Safety and Security 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 physical, even during non-emergency situations. Daily activities, field exercises, and operational support missions will require strenuous physical activity which may include carrying persons and equipment, walking long distances over difficult terrain, running, climbing, working long hours in primitive or arduous conditions, long periods of driving, standing, bending, stooping, and climbing. Deployments may include various housing and living conditions to include non-climate controlled environments, limited privacy sleeping facilities (i.e. cots, tents, "hot bunking", gymnasiums, or similar), limited shower and laundry facilities, and limited feeding options (i.e. shelf-stable meals, meals-ready-to-eat, field kitchens, and non-standard meal hours). 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 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.
