Summary This position is located at the Edward Hines Jr., VA Hospital, Hines, IL - a Level 1a Complexity VHA Facility, and is organizationally aligned under the Customer Relations and Engagement Office. The position serves as the Red Coat Ambassador Program (formerly the Patient Escort and Screener Program), which supports the overall mission by enhancing the level of patient satisfaction and positive customer satisfaction in day-to-day operations. Responsibilities The primary purpose of the position is to provide 1st Level supervision for the Facility Patient Information/Red Coat Ambassador Program (formerly Patient Escort and Screener Program) in support of the overall mission to enhance the level of patient satisfaction and positive customer satisfaction in day-to-day operations. The Red Coat Ambassador Program is designed to provide Veterans, Family Members and Guests with staff who can respond quickly to inquiries, identify problems, and aid/improve the experience of those visiting the campus. The services provided by the Red Coat Ambassador Program are designed to provide navigation, direction, and information assistance. As a key challenge of patients, navigating the campus will be a primary focus along with providing a positive first impression, especially for those who do not know how to access Medical Center programs and/or services. Major Duties to include, but not limited to: Serve as the initial, as well as the final point of contact for Veterans, Family Members and Guests entering and leaving the facility, and is a key influence toward patient/public perception. Receives and directs callers and visitors. Ensures patients needing a wheelchair receive assistance and is responsible for assisting/escorting Veterans to their appointment location if needed. Provides information about the organization, its functions, activities and personnel. Inquiries vary widely and information given requires explanation of office functions, describing specific requirements, providing basic instructions, or similar degree of detail. Demonstrates the ability to effectively communicate both verbally and in writing. Works a tour of duty determined by patient flow requirements and as scheduled by the Lead Ambassador. Follows established safety practices and reports, as promptly as possible, unsafe conditions and unsafe or broken equipment, unsafe practices or occupational illness or injury, which is sustained. Adheres to all safety and health standards, regulations, and work practices and uses proper protective equipment as required. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday (9:00AM - 5:30PM) Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Information Receptionist/PD22191A 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 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, 10/30/2026. 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-4 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-3. 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 and/or education as described below: GS-4 Level Grade Requirements: EXPERIENCE: Must have one year of general experience. GENERAL EXPERIENCE is progressively responsible clerical, office, or other work that indicates ability to acquire the particular knowledge and skills needed to perform the duties of this position being filled. OR EDUCATION: Must have successfully completed at least two years of education above the high school level. This education must have been obtained in an accredited business or technical school, junior college, college or university. One year of full-time academic study is defined as 30 semester hours, 45 quarter hours, or the equivalent in a college or university, or at least 20 hours of classroom instruction per week for approximately 36 weeks in a business, secretarial, or technical school. OR COMBINATION: Must have successfully completed equivalent combinations of post-high school education and experience as described above. TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Clerical Customer Service Customer Service (Clerical/Technical) Flexibility Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Oral Communication Reasoning Self-Management Teamwork Written Communication 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 required prolonged periods of time standing, walking along with Patients, their families and visitors, and sitting at computer for extended periods of time to perform work. The incumbent may be required to push a wheelchair, bend or kneel to obtain information or assist patients, and to to carry light objects such as files, clipboards, medical records, etc. Work Environment: The work environment involves everyday risks or discomforts which require normal safety precautions typical of a medical center. Work may also be performed in an outdoor setting in a wide variety of environmental conditions and in an indoor setting. The incumbent may be exposed to communicable diseases. Safety precautions are sometimes 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 A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. 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.
