Summary The position is located within HEALTH ADMINISTRATION SERVICES. In this occupation, you perform duties that involve operating telephone switchboard equipment to connect incoming and outgoing telephone calls. Your work also involves routing of calls and providing telephone and organizational information to callers. The incumbent will primarily perform the telephone operator's duties but shall also perform some administrative clerical duties in support of the organization. Responsibilities Incumbent is a telephone operator for a one-position computer (PC based) console. Unit operates five (5) days a week, eight (8) hours a day to provide a telephone and information services to this Health Care Center. Operates agency telephone system/switchboard to receive and connect incoming and outgoing calls. Routes the calls to their proper destination and provides telephone and organizational information to caller's Answers/places non-routine telephone calls such as international, FTS, and Sprint calls. Interviews incoming caller to determine the proper routing of the call. Places outgoing toll calls and accurately records time, charges, and other pertinent information. Regularly handles a variety of difficult calls requiring personal involvement on the part of the employee, such as threatening, abusive, or distraught callers. Interviews incoming caller to determine the proper routing of the call. Routinely performs clerical work in support of the facility communication system, which includes telephone system and pagers. Orders the installation, relocation and disconnection of telephone lines and equipment through placement of a job request to the telephone maintenance contractor. Ensures that all telephone equipment at the switchboard, switch room, etc., are kept in working order. Initiates corrective action (e.g. workorder or telephone call to telephone contractor) in the event of any mechanical difficulties with the telephone system and reports the malfunction(s), and actions taken. Meets the needs of customers while supporting VA missions. Consistently communicates and treats customers (veterans, their representatives, visitors, and all VA staff) in a courteous, tactful, and respectful manner. Provides the customer with consistent information according to established policies and procedures. Handles conflict and problems in dealing with the customer constructively and appropriately Work Schedule: Monday- Friday, 0800 am -1645 pm Telework: Ad hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Telephone Operator/PD756-01217A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized 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) Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 03/09/2026. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: General Experience: You must have one year of general experience. That is progressively responsible clerical, office, or other work that indicates ability to acquire the particular knowledge and skills needed to successfully perform the duties of this position and that is typically in or related to the position being filled. General experience includes: Skill in dealing calmly and courteously with people who are extremely upset or irate and skill in questioning callers, who often can provide only sketchy information, in order to direct them to the proper organizational component; Knowledge of alternative routing options and procedures to make efficient outgoing connections and to connect high priority or emergency calls when ordinary methods fail; A knowledge of the capabilities of the telephone system and skill in the procedures necessary to connect a number of parties on one or both ends of complicated conference calls, and to arrange two-party or conference calls by appointment. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have two years of education above high school. This education must have been obtained in an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college, or university. One year of full-time academic study is defined as 30 semester hours, 45 quarter hours, or the equivalent in a college or university, or at least 20 hours of classroom instruction per week for approximately 36 weeks in a business, secretarial, or technical school. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED). OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education as described above You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Veteran and Customer Focus Physical Security Self Management Stress Tolerance Integrity/Honesty 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. Typically, the employee sits comfortably to do the work. However, there may be some walking; standing; bending; carrying light items such as papers, books, small parts; or driving an automobile, etc. 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/. Note: If your school was accredited by the Department of Education at the time of graduation but is no longer listed on the Accreditation: Postsecondary Education Institutions | U.S. Department of Education website, you must provide documentation of accreditation with your application packet. NOTE: If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application. 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.
