Summary This position serves as a Information Receptionist- Red Coat Ambassador at the Salem VA Medical Center within the Customer Service and Community Affairs Service. As part of the Red Coat Ambassador Program, the position enhances the visitor experience by responding to inquiries, providing directions, identifying concerns, and promoting exceptional customer service throughout the medical center. Responsibilities The major duties include, but are not limited to, the followings: Serves as the initial and the final point of contact for guests entering and leaving the facility Receives, greets and direct callers over the telephone and in person with precise, clear instructions Provides information about the organization, its functions, and activities Takes accurate messages and ensures their delivery to support a responsive culture to the customer Provides excellent customer service via the telephone and face-to-face Answers customer questions concerning the location of outpatient clinics, pharmacy, radiology and lab services, canteen, and other areas of the medical center Takes Veterans and visitors to locations when they have difficulties with instructions provided Communicates effectively with individuals from varied backgrounds as well as those with mental and/or health problems Monitors patients during the transport process to identify concerns and/or seek help Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 6:30am-3:00pm Telework: Not authorized Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Information Receptionist - Red Coat Ambassador/PD02294A 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: Stand and walk for prolonged periods of time along with sitting at computer for extended periods of time to perform work. May be required to push a patient in a wheelchair, bend or kneel to obtain information or assist patients. If wheelchairs are unavailable at the point of entry, may be asked to assist in rounding up chairs for patient use and sanitizing chairs per established protocols (typically using approved sanitation wipes between patient use or similar product provided by the facility). Required to carry light objects such as files, clipboards, medical records, etc. A pre-placement physical examination is not required but an evaluation is 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 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, 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, 11/17/2026. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Experience: Applicants must have one year of general experience working in a progressively responsible clerical, office or other work environment such as in customer service and guest relations including navigation, direction, and information assistance which would have enabled you to acquire the particular knowledge, skills and abilities needed to perform the duties of the position to be filled. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed (2) years of education above the high school level in any field. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of general experience and education beyond the high school level, which meets the total experience requirements for this position at the GS-4 level. 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 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/.
