Health System Specialist (Executive Assistant to Associate Director Patient Care Services)

The Health Systems Specialist reports directly to the Associate Director of Patient Care Services / Nurse Executive (ADPCS/NE) and ELT member. This position assumes the lead responsibility related to operations management, business process coordination data analysis and reporting for Patient Care Services.

Major duties include:

• Executive level administrative advisor and expert analyst who has full responsibility for administrative decision making and implementation which directly contribute to the administrative management of an integrated health care delivery system.
• Initiates and manages projects in programmatic areas and lead interdisciplinary groups, both clinical and administrative staff that result in significant and sustained contributions and success of the healthcare system.
• Implements long and short-term plans, policies and procedures, assuring that programs are integrated in order to support operational efficiencies and strategic priorities.
• Part of the highest organizational echelon of the healthcare system and has authority over and responsibility for, the daily operation of activities taking place within Patient Care Services and is the administrative authority for providing oversight, accountability and consistency for all nursing practice and programs within VA Central California Health Care System.
• Works across service lines and with a variety of representatives located throughout the different venues of VACCHCS.
• Develops the need for and maintains oversight of currently available resources.
• Responsible for highly complex analytical tasks such as acquiring, tracking, and analyzing data integral to the successful management of the ADPCS/NE purview.
• Analyzes and interprets vast amounts of technical data, reports and activities, which is accomplished through the retrieval, compilation and interpretation of raw data of which includes year-end reports such as Veteran Equitable Resource Allocation (VERA) data, overtime usage, Bed Management System, RN turnover rate, nurse compensation disparity, nursing staffing models, patient-nurse care ratios.
• Provides program direction to services, which includes continuing review and evaluation of clinical and administrative operations, policies and procedures to achieve efficiency, balance and coordination among the facility programs and services.
• Analyzes new or amended legislation, and develops policy covering programs, activities, or functions for Patient Care Services and nursing staff throughout the medical center.
• Develops reports, business plans and presentations for the healthcare system.
• Develops and compiles final reports, including comprehensive analyses; notes discrepancies and planned initiatives for effecting curative actions.
• Manages procurement and contracting activities for the assigned service(s).
• Plans and executes customer service concepts and works with internal and external customers, as appropriate, to enhance customer satisfaction.
• Serves as the primary service recovery program liaison for the Office of the Associate Director of Patient Care Services/ Nurse Executive.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Health System Specialist (Executive Assistant to Associate Director Patient Care Services)/PD01497O
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): 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, 06/22/2026.

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-13 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-12. 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.

Health System Specialist Individual Occupation Requirements:
Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study -- hospital administration, public health administration, or related fields such as business or public administration with course work in health care administration. 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.

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.

In addition to meeting the Individual Occupation Requirements; you must meet the GS-13 minimum grade level requirements.

GS-13 Grade Level Requirements: You may qualify based on your experience as described below:

• Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-12 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Resolves many complex, multi-institutional administrative issues; Develops, analyzes, evaluates, advises on, or improves the effectiveness of work methods and procedures, organizations, budget, manpower utilization, distribution of work assignments, delegations of authority, management controls, information and documentation systems, and similar functions of management; Coordinates responses to emergent or urgent matters involving the executive leadership; Creates comprehensive reports to contribute to the improvement of productivity, effectiveness and efficiency in program operations and/or administrative support activities at different echelons and/or geographical locations within the organization. Experience must be working in a health care facility.

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:

• Conflict Management
• Influencing/Negotiating
• Manages Resources
• Partnering
• Planning and Evaluating

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 is primarily sedentary. Slight physical effort may be required, such as walking through the entire facility and carrying of light objects up to 5 lbs. such as files, books, papers, and laptop. Some standing and bending is necessary. Some travel is required. No special physical qualifications are 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/.

There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

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.
• 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.