Summary This announcement is to solicit applicants for a detail/temporary promotion to the position of Health System Administrator (Associate Director), GS-0670-15 with the VA Northern California Health Care System. This detail/temporary promotion is not to exceed one (1) year but may be extended as needed. Selectee of this position may be made permanent without further competition. Responsibilities The VA Northern California Health Care System is a complex system with numerous outpatient clinics dispersed over a large geographic region. The facility is a complexity Level 1a system with health care services at 13 locations in Northern California. Facilities include our 86-bed hospital at Sacramento, a 122 bed Community Living Center (CLC) in Martinez and CBOC's at Yreka, Yuba City, Chico, Redding, McClellan, Mare Island, Auburn, Fairfield, Stockton, Sonora and Modesto. VANCHCS employs over 4,900 staff across its divisions and sites. The Health System Administrator (Associate Director) is the Veterans Northern California Health Care System's (VANCHCS) principal extension of the Director's authority, with responsibility for assisting the Director and staying abreast of those tasks and issues the Director is working on, while focusing on guiding and coordinating operational elements of the Health Care System. The Assistant Director is responsible for taking the lead in coordinating and developing stakeholder support and resources to meet VA Northern California Health Care System's program and objectives. Major duties for the position include but are not limited to: Determines program goals and objectives, and develops short-and long-range plans for achieving them, in conjunction with the overall plans of the Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) consistent with the strategic planning process; Establishes local policy in such areas as program emphases and operating guidelines; Administers a management reporting system which provides appropriate data for decision making in such areas as: organizational improvements; changes in delegations of authority; position management; and coordination among the center's programs and services. Develops and coordinates a quality assurance program to ensure that both clinical and administrative activities are in compliance with standards issued by various accrediting and regulatory groups; Develops with the participation of administrative and clinical managers and chiefs, plans for fiscal year plans that meet the objectives of current and proposed programs; Develops a balanced financial plan designed to meet realistic needs of the facility and the network; makes important decisions substantially affecting economy of operations by limiting operating expenses without impairing patient care activities through management assessment, cost effective position management techniques, reorganization, methods improvements, and automation; Responsible for maintaining and improving facility, VISN and VA relationships through personal, active participation in the administrative, educational, community and social events of federal, state, local and other affiliated organizations involved in health care delivery, Veterans service organizations, and community affairs; Oversees and has full line authority and responsibility for the clinical, administrative, and operational functions, to include Benefits and Data Management (BDMS), Environmental Management Service (EMS), Privacy/FOIA Office, Supply Chain Management (SCM), Southern Tier Site Management and Workforce Development; Deals with general personnel management policy matters affecting the facility, involving such matters as: initiating appropriate personnel actions when indicated; resolving differences between key management officials at the facility; and identifying and resolving problems which may inhibit accomplishing the facility's patient care mission and public policy objectives; Participates in public speaking engagements, meetings, and public relations events. He/she directs media relations for the program administered; Serves on various facility strategic planning committees and management on-site meetings with other agencies and program officials; Other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.; Subject to change to meet the needs of the Agency. Telework: This position is authorized for ad-hoc telework. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Health Systems Administrator (Associate Director, East Bay Division) - Temporary Promotion/PD03382O Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Physical Requirements: The work is sedentary and is usually accomplished while the employee is comfortable seated at a desk or table. However, some walking and standing may occur in the course of a normal workday in connection with travel to, and attendance at, meetings and conferences away from the primary work site. Incumbent may be required to be required to bend, lift, carry equipment such as laptops. No special physical effort other than lifting/carrying of equipment is required to perform the work. 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, 05/11/2026. 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-15 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-14. 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. Individual Occupational Requirement: Specialized Experience (for positions above GS-5): 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. Applicants must also possess: Management ability to delegate authority, evaluate and oversee people and programs, recognize and adapt to changing priorities; and Knowledge of the interrelationships and interdependencies among various medical and administrative services and programs. OR Special Provision for Inservice Placement: Successful completion of an agency-sponsored on-the-job training program may be substituted for qualifying experience, provided it included a formal individualized training plan. Such a training program must have been conducted in an operating health care system and included: Assignments providing a knowledge of basic health system administration philosophies, practices, and procedures, and basic government administrative policies and requirements; Practical assignments providing an opportunity to apply health system administration skills and principles (as the individual progresses, work assignments must be characteristic of the grade level to which he or she is assigned); and Oversight by an experienced health system administrator with periodic evaluation of the individual's progress and appropriate adjustment of the training program. In addition to meeting the Individual Occupational Requirements you must also meet the specialized experience below. Specialized Experience: You must possess at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-14) 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 Administrator (Deputy Director). 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: (1) Missions, organizations, programs, and requirements of health care delivery systems; (2) Regulations and standards of various regulatory and credentialing groups; and (3) Government-wide, agency, and facility systems and requirements in various administrative areas such as budget, personnel, and procurement. Applicants must also possess: (1) Management ability to delegate authority, evaluate and oversee people and programs, recognize, and adapt to changing priorities; and (2) Knowledge of the interrelationships and interdependencies among various medical and administrative services and programs. At this level, applicants would identify and resolve problems which may inhibit accomplishing patient care mission and public policy objectives; exercise fiscal management responsibility by assisting in the preparation of the overall facility budget, in monitoring expenditures, and in recommending reallocation of funds based on shifting program needs; establish and maintain public relations with a variety of institutions and groups; apply performance standards to measure program performance and health care activities are meeting established goals and objectives; and develop, evaluate, and adjust organizational structures and management systems for the administrative and allied health services managed. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Administration and Management Leadership Organizational Awareness Strategic Thinking 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. 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. 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.
