Summary The Surgery Services Secretary position provides expert administrative, technical, and clerical support to the various sections within Surgery Services, which include but are not limited to the Operating Room (OR) and all ten (10) Surgical Clinics (General Surgery, Peripheral Vascular, ENT/Head and Neck, Neurosurgery, Plastic Surgery, Cardiothoracic Surgery, Ophthalmology, Orthopedic, and Urology (in both Ann Arbor and Toledo CBOC), Podiatry). Responsibilities Duties include but are not limited to: Answers telephones and provides technical and secretarial assistance to the above management staff as well as medical providers and others as requested. Plans and carries out the work, handling problems and deviations in the assignments in accordance with established policies. Orders office supplies, distributes all incoming and outgoing mail, and provides administrative coverage to any or all surgery sections. Assists in coordinating all non-MD employees through Credentialing, Human Resources (HR) and sections as appropriate; ensures that all OR staff maintain active radiology badges. This position also requires the highest standards of providing customer service to both internal and external stakeholders. Collaborates with the OR Manager to review daily surgery documentation logs to review previous days cases, and is well versed in utilizing software such as VISTA, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Power Point, and Microsoft Outlook. Completes all aspects of timekeeping for Surgery Services (five (5) TL groups) according to facility policy and procedure. Enters employee work tours, accurately posts tours of duty, on-call time, annual, and sick leave in Veteran Affairs Time and Attendance System (VATAS) in a timely manner. Tracks part-time physicians and tracks and informs management of employee absenteeism and maintains staff schedules in Clairvia Provides additional ADPAC support for Surgery Services. They are responsible for providing guidance and assistance to clinical staff and request modifications or new account access, documentation keys and menus, T-drive access, and IT hardware requests through the ePAS system. They will also provide PIV sponsorship for the service and request required keys, departmental access, and scrub machine cards/codes through the Lock Shop, Police Department, and Linen Department respectively. The incumbent also assists with troubleshooting computer sign-in issues, updates electronic contact information for employees, and aids in editing signature blocks and person class codes. Physical Demands: The work is mainly sedentary; but may require, walking, stair climbing, bending, stooping and carrying lightweight documents, and repetitive use of the keyboard as part of daily activities. Stamina and concentration to meet crucial deadlines are required. Keen hearing and distinct speech are essential due to the extensive use of the telephone as a means of communication. There may be a certain amount of mental strain due to time constraints and frequent reviews and surveys. The employee must be able to handle stress of meeting deadlines and the time constraints placed on him/her. The work does not require any special physical effort or ability. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 7:00 am-3:30 pm Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Secretary/PD94409-0 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 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 Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required. 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 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, 09/23/2026. 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-6 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-5. The grade may have been in any occupation. 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. Specialized Experience: You must have one(1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level of GS-05 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of Specialized Experience: Expertise in computer operation procedures, computer programs for typing correspondence, creating spreadsheets and graphs, maintaining an on-line calendar, creating mail-merge documents, and utilizing the network server. Skill in analyzing processes, communication and workflow while identifying gaps and barriers and independently developing and implementing methods for improvement. Secretarial skills including ability in typing, records management, taking accurate and complete meeting minutes, and use of general office equipment. Skill in human relations appropriate for coordinating an office environment, resolving problems, conducting training, and acting liaison for personnel within and outside of the medical center, including Veterans and their families. Considerable experience and comprehensive work knowledge of special administrative and complex processes to support clinical operations. Skill in performing work that supports management and/or program functions in which knowledge of the purpose, operation, methodology, and technique characteristics of specific management/program function is needed. 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 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. 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. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. 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. 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/. Interchange Agreement: Applicants must be eligible under the VA Interchange Agreement, having served continuously for at least one year in the other merit system under this interchange agreement. For more information regarding the VA Interchange Agreement please visit: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-authorities/competitive-hiring/.
