Health System Specialist (Detail/Temporary Promotion NTE 1 year)

The Health System Specialist serves as a staff assistant to the Network Director. Provides advice and assistance in policy development and managerial decision-making. Serves as principlal point of contact and primary liaison between VISN 8, VA Central Office, and VISN 8 medical centers.

• Serves as the focal point and conduit for all controlled correspondence and either personally prepares responses or reviews responses prior to the Network Director's signature for responsiveness, accuracy, and compliance with the Network Director's philosophy.
• Personally reviews and approves all electronic communications originating from the VISN office and being delivered to medical center leadership and VA Central Office. This includes directives and other information conveyed over the Network Director's signature.
• Remains acutely aware of internal and external issues and organizational and political dynamics affecting health care delivery in VISN 8 and applies that knowledge in interacting with VA Central Office program officials and other individuals external to VISN 8.
• Develops and maintains beneficial and functional relationships with VISN 8 medical center leadership teams, other management officials and facility staff to ensure consistent interpretation of, and responsiveness to, VISN guidance regarding administrative and clinical issues.
• Reconciles contradictory requirements in preparing staff recommendations and/or in coordinating specific projects.
• Recognizes the different functions and motivations of various employees and groups in the health care delivery system and communicates effectively with each in order to gather information, present recommendations, and coordinate services.
• Represent the Network Director and Deputy Network Director to inform, solicit support and request assistance in planning for the delivery of health care in the Network.
• Assists other Network staff, network councils and task forces, and medical centers in decision-making through problem analysis, needs assessment, identification of alternative strategies, and recommendation of appropriate actions.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Telework: This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Health System Specialist (Detail/Temporary Promotion NTE 1 year)/PD08260A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 06/15/2026.

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-14 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-13. 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.

Health System Administration Series, 0671, has an Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR):

• Undergraduate and Graduation Education: Major study -- Hospital Administration, Public Health Administration, or related fields such as business or public administration with course work in health care administration. A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. -OR-
• Specialized Experience: Progressively responsible analytical or administrative, or clinical management or supervisory experience in the health care field. This work may have been performed in an operating health care facility or a higher organizational echelon with advisory or directional authority over such facilities. Work must have involved a close working relationship with facility managers and analysis and/or coordination of administrative, clinical, or other service activities, and provided knowledge of the following:
  • Missions, organizations, programs, and requirements of health care delivery systems;
  • Regulations and standards of various regulatory and credentialing groups; and
  • Government-wide, agency, and facility systems and requirements in various administrative areas such as budget, personnel, and procurement. -OR-
• Special Provision for In-service Placement: Successful completion of an agency-sponsored on-the-job training program may be substituted for qualifying experience, provided it included a formal individualized training plan. Such a training program must have been conducted in an operating health care system and included:
  • Assignments providing a knowledge of basic health system administration philosophies, practices, and procedures, and basic government administrative policies and requirements;
  • Practical assignments providing an opportunity to apply health system administration skills and principles (as the individual progresses, work assignments must be characteristic of the grade level to which he or she is assigned); and
  • Oversight by an experienced health system administrator with periodic evaluation of the individual's progress and appropriate adjustment of the training program.

GS-14 grade level: In addition to the IOR above, you must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-13 grade level in the federal service); experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) and other characteristics to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience includes:

• Comprehensive understanding of concepts, theories and practices of health care management and administration.
• Functional proficiency of VA Finance, Construction, Equipment and other resources-related operational activities and practices.
• Detailed expertise of VHA practices, policies, and procedures impacting care delivery in VISN 08.
• Strong understanding of organizational and political dynamics impacting VHA healthcare delivery in general and VISN 08 specifically.
• Strong analytical and creative thinking skills with the ability to present findings, recommendations and conclusions in a manner and form useful for decision making by the Network Director and Deputy Network Director.
• Working knowledge of VA and VISN 08 positions and policies on a wide variety of hospital management and planning issues.
• Comprehensive expertise and skill in communicating information clearly, both orally and in writing, to effectively represent the Network Director and Deputy Network Director internally and externally to VA and VISN 08. This includes a strong command of the English language, to include grammar, sentence structure, spelling and other elements necessary for professional communication.
• Ability to recognize and effectively resolve problems related to successful performance of VISN 8's mission and vision and fulfillment of VA goals and objectives.

There is no educational substitution for the GS-14 level.

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.

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/.

There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

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/.

• 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 is primarily sedentary. Highly stressful and time sensitive actions reqularly occur. The incumbent is expected to be readily available via e-mail and cellular phone 24 hours a day to respond to and resolve pressing issues with VA Central Office and VISN 8 medical centers. Occasional air and automobile travel involving overnight stays 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.