Summary The Beneficiary Travel Office at the Orlando VA Medical Center operates within the Health Administration Service. The selectee reports to the Mobility Manager and collaborates on transportation workload forecasting, scheduling, procedures, and quality improvements for the BT program. Responsibilities include overseeing Claims and Travel, distributing workload for 12 Transportation Assistants GS-6, and serving as the first contact for Veterans regarding transportation eligibility and processes. Responsibilities Major duties may include, but are not limited to, the following: Independently plans, directs, and manages the medical center's Veterans Transportation Service (VTS) program. Develops, adapts, and implements policies and plans to support the mission of the Veterans Transportation Program (VTP). Promotes the enhancement and facilitation of access to transportation services, including the integration and coordination of services. Ensures unplanned, urgent, and emergent patient care situations are handled appropriately by both staff and community resources. Analyzes, develops, plans, and advises on VTS passenger movement policies and programs. Cultivates partnerships and multi-agency coordinated transportation activities. Researches needs and demands for users, identifies transportation alternatives, reviews regulatory processes, facilitates communication between agencies, and develops incentives to encourage agency participation, as needed. Researches transportation management innovations around the country; remains current on best practices and concepts of transportation management. Provides training to VTS staff on a variety of transportation management and patient related software such as Vetride, Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS) and Veterans Information System and Technology Architecture (VISTA). Develops educational programs such as rider training materials, travel training program and community forums. Makes presentations to and attends meetings of a variety of groups, cities, counties, organizations, boards, and committees with passenger transportation links to promote coordination amongst agencies. Participates in Veterans Transportation Network and Regional Transportation Coordination Councils. Supports the facility's Fleet Manager through direct management, maintenance and record keeping of vehicles operated by VTS in accordance with the Fleet Manager's guide, state and federal law, and local policies. Provides direct leadership to a minimum of 9 employees: 2 Transportation Assistant and 7 Motor Vehicle Operators. Distributes and balances the workload among employees in accordance with established workflow or job specialized, assure timely accomplishment of the assigned workload, and assure that each employee has enough work to keep busy. Estimates and reports on expected time of completion of work and maintain records of work accomplishments and time expended and prepares production reports, as requested. Instructs employee in specific tasks and job techniques and makes available written instructions, reference materials and supplies. Give on-the-job training to new employees in accordance with established procedures and practices. Provides information to supervisor as requested concerning promotions, reassignments, recognition of outstanding performance, and personnel needs. Approves leave for a few hours or for emergencies, in absence of supervisor. Provides customer with consistent information according to established policies and procedures. Handles conflict and problems constructively and appropriately. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 7:00am-3:30pm Telework: This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Lead Transportation Assistant/PD074340 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved 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 identification 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, 06/30/2026. 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-7 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-6. 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-6 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: coordinates functions related to the service by providing transportation support to Veterans, makes independent decisions that incorporate knowledge of regulation and procedures that affect the accuracy and reliability of Veterans Transportation Service (VTS); supports clinical services in all administrative operations associated with the processing of VTS program patient scheduled for transportation, treatment, and clinic visits; serves to facilitate patient treatment and directly affects the quality of health care rendered at the medical center.. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Administration and Management Compliance Computer Skills Customer Service Organizational Awareness Teaches Others 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: Selectee will be exposed to stressful working situations that will require a mature attitude and collective reasoning to overcome. The selectee is subject to a great deal of stress because of the high volume of work, the need for accuracy, frequency of interruptions and demands due to program changes. Duties will be predominantly performed in the Beneficiary Travel Office program office with intermittent trips to various locations throughout the Medical Center's catchment area both in and near patient care areas where there is potential risk of exposure to disease. The selectee must follow standard requirements for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) where necessary. 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.
