Secretary (OA)

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by 30 days of the closing date of this announcement, 11/26/2024. 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 30 days of the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-08 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07. For a GS-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-08. 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-08 Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-07 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Independently establishes and maintains a formal system of procedures and administrative controls for the Executive Office. As the office manager for the Executive office, ensures that the practices and procedures used by all secretaries in subordinate offices are consistent with those of the Executive office. On own initiative, recommends changes in executive/administrative offices policies and procedures. Devises and installs office procedures and practices to be used by secretaries in subordinate offices. Establishes new tactics, techniques and procedures to meet new requirements and situations. Adapts procedures to meet the needs in emergency/emergent situations. Develops, prepares and distributes agenda for and conducts recurring secretarial training sessions for all executive, service chief and department secretaries to include but not be limited to training in all phases of secretarial/administrative work such as reviewing/editing/creating correspondence, telephone procedures, development/review/formatting of publications, directives, reports, and direct/face to face public relations responsibilities with Veteran’s and their families. While performing at the GS-08 level, it is expected that the incumbent will perform the major functions of the position at the full performance level but with significant oversight. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have completed 1 full year of progressively higher-level graduate level education leading to a master’s degree in a field of study directly related to the duties of the position. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-7 grade level but less than one year; and, have more than six months, but less than one year of graduate education. GS-09 Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-08 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Independently establishes and maintains a formal system of procedures and administrative controls for the Executive Office. As the office manager for the Executive office, ensures that the practices and procedures used by all secretaries in subordinate offices are consistent with those of the Executive office. On own initiative, recommends changes in executive/administrative offices policies and procedures. Devises and installs office procedures and practices to be used by secretaries in subordinate offices. Establishes new tactics, techniques and procedures to meet new requirements and situations. Adapts procedures to meet the needs in emergency/emergent situations. Develops, prepares and distributes agenda for and conducts recurring secretarial training sessions for all executive, service chief and department secretaries to include but not be limited to training in all phases of secretarial/administrative work such as reviewing/editing/creating correspondence, telephone procedures, development/review/formatting of publications, directives, reports, and direct/face to face public relations responsibilities with Veteran’s and their families. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a master’s or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree in a field closely related to the duties of the position. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience beyond GS-8 grade level but less than one year; and, have more than one year, but less than two years of graduate education. Preferred experience: Develops executive-level, confidential correspondence working collaboratively with Subject Matter Experts across the facility on behalf of the Medical Center Director. Utilizes secure tracking mechanisms for incoming and outgoing correspondence on behalf of the Medical Center Director. Applies a good understanding and proficiency of the applicable software to write, edit, and proofread documents prepared by or on behalf of the Medical Center Director You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Communications Critical Thinking Organizational Stewardship Writing 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. 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 (OA) serves as the Executive Secretary to the Medical Center Director and office manager for the Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center. This is a full-time position at 40 hours per week.