Summary The incumbent serves as the Executive Secretary for the Office of the Chief of Staff at the West Texas VA Health Care System. This position carries broad responsibility for coordinating, analyzing, and preparing a wide range of recurring and specialized products and services that supports both the overall mission and the operational priorities of the health care system's Executive Leadership Team. Responsibilities Duties include, but are not limited to. Office Management - coordinates daily office operations, monitors workflow, and collaborates with administrative support team to resolve issues - develops ad maintains recurring schedules for COS office activities - coordinates office coverage during staff meetings, trainings and Executive Office programs - maintains current knowledge of medical center, VISN, and VACO policies - offer expert advice on administrative processes based on established VA and local guidelines - manages day-to-day administrative operations for the Chief of Staff - provides leadership and guidance to administrative assistants and secretaries regarding correspondence preparation and best practices - serves as the primary back up to Director's secretary and provides direct support to the Executive Assistant o the Chief of Staff - serves as primary timekeeper - prepares and maintains Performance Appraisal Program (PAP) 6-part folders for COS - serves as the Manager Self Services (MSS) coordinator for the office Operations Support - plans, organizes and executes executive level events such as ceremonies, observances, Executive Leadership Conferences. - maintain and operate multi-media, videoconferencing, computer, and telecommunications equipment - maintains operational data and databases related to Executive Office functions, strategic engagements and townhalls Office Automation - serves as an in internal consultant, providing accurate and detailed information - ensures the Executive Suite operates efficiently - ensures staff receive appropriate training - develops and maintains systems to ensure beneficiary complaints and inquiries are properly received, documented, resolved, and reviewed for recurring issues required further investigation - composes responses to routine correspondence and assists with preparing more complex written communications for leadership review. 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. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm Telework: This position may be authorized for Ad-Hoc telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Secretary (OA) - Chief of Staff/PD012470 and PD01251 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 To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the 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, 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, 04/20/2026. 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-07 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-06. For a GS-08 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 for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. You may qualify based on your experience n as described below: GS-07 Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-06 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: performs standard clerical and administrative functions; assists with preparing reports, schedules routine meetings, and travel arrangements; prepares and processes routine correspondence; knowledge in data analysis using quantitative and qualitative methods, developing metrics and collecting data where gaps exist; understanding organizational structure, policies, and regulations; analyzing and synthesizing complex information; preparing reports and presenting findings to diverse stakeholders; conducting studies to improve operational efficiency; and recommending improvements to processes, structures, and program effectiveness. GS-08 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: knowledge and skill for data analysis with objective measures, statistical, and qualitative and presentation techniques; skill in developing new measures, data sampling and data gathering when existing data is not currently available, maintained or monitored; : knowledge in data analysis using quantitative and qualitative methods; developing metrics and collecting data where gaps exist; understanding organizational structure, policies, and regulations; knowledge in analyzing and synthesizing complex information; knowledge in preparing reports and presenting findings to diverse stakeholders; conducting studies to improve operational efficiency; and skill recommending improvements to processes, structures, and program effectiveness. 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 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. Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. 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 qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.
