Summary The Northern Arizona VA Health Care System is currently recruiting for a Health System Specialist (Systems Redesign) within Quality & Patient Safety in Prescott, Arizona. The incumbent guides, trains, coaches, supports and promotes a sustainable culture of continuous improvement. The incumbent is responsible for delivering Performance Improvement techniques throughout the Medical Center, including Lean, Facilitation, Coaching, Data Mining and Analysis, Project Management & Training. Responsibilities 30 Day Hiring Model The Department of Veterans Affairs is implementing a streamlined 30-Day Hiring Model designed to accelerate hiring while maintaining the highest standards of merit-based selection. This improved process reduces traditional hiring timelines by integrating early coordination, faster assessments, and efficient pre-employment actions. Applicants can expect a more transparent, predictable, and efficient hiring journey from announcement to entry on duty. What Applicants Can Expect Expedited Candidate Review Once the announcement closes, Human Resources will quickly review applications, issue certificates of eligible candidates the day after the announcement closes and refer applicants for hiring manager consideration. Quick Interviews & References HR may arrange interviews and will request references within 3-5 days after being referred to the hiring manager. Streamlined Pre-Employment Requirements: Following a tentative offer, applicants should be prepared to complete required steps, such as fingerprinting and background check, credentialing, and medical examination within 3 days of the offer. Clear and Timely Communication: Applicants will receive clear communication at key milestones, including referral, tentative offer, and onboarding instructions. After meeting pre-employment requirements, candidates will receive a final job offer and start date. Onboarding tasks may continue after starting, with HR ensuring timely completion for a smooth transition into VA service. If selected, applicants should be prepared to come onboard within 30 days of the announcement closing. Duties include but are not limited to the following: Organize, direct, control and coordinate group activities in a timely and effective manner. Develop written and verbal teaching materials and deliver classroom instruction. Instruct staff on implementation of guidelines and recommendations as required. Collect baseline data leveraging VA data analytics resources, identify limitations in current systems data, and analyze data. Pull, isolate and manipulate data to identify root causes of a performance issue. Convert data into numerous formats using advanced statistical models including statistical process control charts, histograms, pareto charts, and many more. Facilitate, coach, and train audiences at all levels of the organization throughout the lifecycle of a performance improvement project. Define a project scope and goals through a collaborative process with subject matter experts and leadership at the facility, service line, program and/or unit level. Lead a team of subject matter experts through the project management process as required. Conduct rapid experiments and collect data to identify if the developed solutions are effective. Identify metrics performing below benchmarked standards or falling below the upper or lower control limits. Plan/conduct studies directed at reducing errors and identifying alternative systems and/or processes as applicable. Develop local data metrics and dashboards to monitor projects in progress or performance benchmarks. Identify projects critical to improving quality outcomes and maximize return on investment of utilized resources. Assess (in terms of degrees) the success or failure in attaining program operational goals/objectives. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 7:30 AM-4:00 PM Compressed/Flexible: Not Authorized 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#: Health System Specialist - Systems Redesign Specialist/PDS0012A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): 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, 08/07/2026. 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-12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-11. 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. Preferred Experience: Trained/certified as a Lean or Lean Six Sigma Black Belt. Experience in leading System Redesign, Lean, or Lean Six Sigma teams throughout the lifecycle of a performance improvement project. Experience in delivering classroom instruction on System Redesign, Lean, or Lean Six Sigma. The Occupational Series 0671 includes an Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR). Candidates may not hold a position in this series without meeting one of the IOR requirements established by OPM: Undergraduate or graduate education in a major field of study hospital administration, public health administration, or related fields such as business or public administration with course work in health care administration. OR, Specialized experience in 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. OR, Successful completion of an agency-sponsored on-the-job training program, 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, you must also meet the specialized experience as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-11 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Organizing, directing, controlling and coordinating group activities in a timely and effective manner; Collecting baseline data, leveraging VA data analytics resources, identifying limitations in current systems data, and analyzing data; Develop local data metrics and dashboards to monitor projects in progress or performance benchmarks; and Assess (in terms of degrees) the success or failure in attaining program operational goals/objectives. There is no educational substitute for the GS-12 level. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Attention to Detail Customer Service Decision Making Flexibility Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Learning Reasoning Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork 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 requires some physical exertion, such as periods of standing when teaching; some walking, bending, crouching, stooping, stretching, or similar activities when visiting work sites; and some moderate lifting and carrying. At other times the work is sedentary, requiring the use of a computer. Duties are performed primarily in an adequately lighted and climate-controlled office, classroom, or conference room setting. 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 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.
