Summary The Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center is seeking a Customer Service and Community Engagement Manager to direct, coordinate and communicate actions that will improve and enhance the healthcare experience of Veteran Patients and their family members with the Ralph H. Johnson VA Health Care System. Responsibilities Duties to include but are not limited to: Leads and coordinates initiatives to improve the overall patient/Veteran experience across the continuum of care. Develops, implements, and monitors performance improvement strategies aligned with organizational priorities and national metrics (e.g., patient experience, access, quality). Analyzes and synthesizes data from multiple sources (e.g., surveys, operational metrics) to identify trends, inform decision-making, and drive targeted improvements. Prepares and delivers executive-level briefings, reports, and presentations to leadership on program performance, outcomes, and strategic initiatives. Facilitates interdisciplinary collaboration among clinical and administrative stakeholders to enhance care delivery and service experience. Provides oversight and coordination of patient experience programs, ensuring alignment with policy, regulatory requirements, and best practices. Develops and maintains processes to ensure timely resolution of patient concerns, inquiries, and service recovery efforts. Supervises, mentors, and/or provides guidance to assigned staff, ensuring appropriate training, competency, and performance management. Ensures compliance with applicable standards, policies, and accrediting bodies (e.g., Joint Commission, VA directives). Leads or supports program evaluation activities, including audits, assessments, and continuous improvement efforts. Promotes a culture of patient-centered care through education, engagement, and communication with staff at all levels. Coordinates resource utilization (staffing, equipment, and operational support) to optimize program effectiveness and efficiency. Serves as a liaison between leadership, clinical teams, and external stakeholders to support program goals and organizational initiatives. Supports development and implementation of policies, standard operating procedures, and workflows to improve service delivery and patient outcomes. Pay: Competitive salary, regular salary increases, potential for performance awards Paid Time Off: 50 days of paid time off per year (26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Work Schedule: Monday -Friday 0730-1600 Telework: Available AD-Hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Relocation/Recruitment Incentives Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact VHA EDRP Program Support at VHAEDRPProgramSupport@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. 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, 05/07/2026. 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-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. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: . Experience managing and overseeing programs related to customer service or patient experience, including but not limited to, developing policies, procedures, and performance standards to support organizational goals. Experience leading or participating in quality improvement initiatives, ensuring compliance with regulatory or accrediting body requirements, and implementing process improvements to enhance efficiency and outcomes. Experience analyzing data from multiple sources to evaluate program effectiveness, identify trends, and present findings through reports, briefings, or dashboards. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Leadership Organizational Performance Analysis Quality Management 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: This position requires visual acuity, keen hearing, clear distinctive speech, and manual dexterity. The position requires potentially long periods of combined walking, standing, stooping, sitting, bending, pulling, and pushing. The incumbent must be a mature, flexible, sensible individual capable or working effectively in stressful situation, able to shift priorities based on needs of the organization. The incumbent may be required to travel occasionally. 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 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.
