Secretary (OA)

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 10/31/2024. 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-8 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-7. For a GS-9 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-8. 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. You may qualify based on your experience as described below: Specialized Experience GS-8: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-7 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Knowledge of the organization, its policies, missions, goals, procedures and organization structure to ensure smooth functioning and efficient operation; Preparing travel arrangements, to include air and ground transportation and lodging; Operating word processing equipment and electronic mail; Operating recording equipment and transcribing recorded material; Composing, reviewing, and editing written correspondence; Coordinating activities with other programs; Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing. Specialized Experience GS-9: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-8 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Knowledge of the organization, its policies, missions, goals, procedures and organization structure to ensure smooth functioning and efficient operation; Ability to speak on behalf of leadership to resolve office emergencies without leadership involvement; Advising and instructing secretaries in subordinate organizations; Preparing travel arrangements, to include air and ground transportation and lodging; Operating word processing equipment and electronic mail; Operating recording equipment and transcribing recorded material; Composing, reviewing, and editing written correspondence; Analyzing effectiveness of established programs and developing recommendations for changes; Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Customer Service Database Administration Interpersonal Skills Problem Solving Technical Competence 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: Work is mostly sedentary; however, some walking, standing, bending and carrying of light to medium weight items is required. 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/.
The Secretary serves as executive secretary to the Director, who is responsible for the activities of VA Northern California Health Care System (VANCHCS). VANCHCS has two divisions, each with an Associate Director. The Sacramento Valley Division is comprised of medical facilities in Sacramento, McClellan, Chico, Yuba City, Yreka and Redding, and Auburn, while the East Bay Division is comprised of medical facilities in Martinez, Fairfield, Mare Island, Vallejo, and Oakland.