Supervisory Health System Specialist (Center for Development & Civic Engagement, CDCE)

The position is located in the VA Portland Health Care System (VAPORHCS) and functions as the Chief of the Center for Development & Civic Engagement (CDCE). The position serves as the supervisor and manager of an integrated, cross-discipline service line comprised of Public and Congressional Affairs, Executive Communications, Voluntary Support, and Veterans Experience, which includes the Office of Patient Advocacy.

This position provides strategic leadership over closely related programs with the goal of maintaining a robust communications and customer experience department. The Center for Development and Civic Engagement the VA's nationwide program that manages voluntary service, philanthropic engagement and partnership solutions to support Veteran care.

The incumbent serves as the Veteran Experience Officer (VEO) at the VA Portland Health Care System (VAPORHCS) and will direct the programs and strategies that contribute to improving the Veteran experience, community engagement and public perception. The VEO is responsible for the coordination and oversight of the VAPORHCS Veteran Experience and Patient Centered Care (PCC) initiative, the Facility and Service-Level Patient Advocate programs, the Congressional and Controlled Correspondence program, and the VAPORHCS Customer Satisfaction Survey program.

Duties and Responsibilities include but not limited to:

• Plans, designs, and executes a program to inform and educate the general and special publics about the organization's programs, activities, and services.
• Works with public affairs to develop and disseminate management reports, provides public affairs and communications oversight for the health care system, including but not limited to media relations, stakeholder relations and civic engagement, employee communications, and internal and external communication via releases, events, and social media.
• Performs at public speaking engagements, develops congressional relations, manages and responds to media inquiries, develops speeches, public service announcements, coordinates public events, and manages overall health care system communications.
• Serves as both project manager and project director with total responsibility for management and direction for the broadcast projects and systems.
• Prepares or directs the preparation of all news releases, media advisories, public service announcements, social media posts and feature articles about the health care system.
• Oversee websites by ensuring information is accurate, current, accessible, and compliant with federal laws and VA/VISN policies.
• Evaluates quality and provides strategic direction of cross-platform visual information and communication provided by the department.
• Collaborates with Logistics, Fiscal, Contracting, and other key stakeholders to make resource requirement estimates to include operations, supplies, personnel costs, and other related costs to the operation of Medical Media, Printing, Audiovisual Production, and Communication Technology.
• Responsible for the development, implementation, and evaluation of a strong congressional and community relations/civic engagement program.
• Provides oversight and coordination of regularly scheduled stakeholder meetings with congressional representatives, VSO's, Community Veterans Engagement Board, and coordinates directly with VA Office of Congressional and Legislative Affairs and VA Office of Veterans Experience.
• Oversee the leadership team responsible for recruiting, onboarding, and training Customer Service Liaisons, Red Coat Ambassadors, and other front-line staff and volunteers.
• Studies outcomes through analysis of Veteran feedback and performance data, ensures alignment with VA/VISN strategic goals and federal requirements, and coordinates these efforts across leadership, Patient Advocacy, Public Affairs, CDCE, and other programs to sustain a model of care that begins and ends with the Veteran.
• Provides leadership and support to multiple committees, councils, boards, and workgroups focused on improving patient satisfaction and Veteran experience, ensuring that organizational goals and service standards are advanced through active participation, guidance, and collaboration.
• Serves as a change agent on VAPORHCS and VISN committees to ensure that quality customer service is provided to Veterans, their families, and other internal and external customers.
• Serves as a first-line supervisor, exercising full supervisory authority over a multidisciplinary team of administrative and program staff (typically ranging from GS-5 to GS-11), responsible for performance management, workload assignment, training, hiring actions, and addressing employee concerns.

Work Schedule: Monday thru Friday, 7:30am - 4:00pm, PST
Telework: On an ADHOC basis only
Position Description/PD#: Supervisory Health System Specialist (Center for Development & Civic Engagement, CDCE)/PD218810
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, 10/26/2026.

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.

You may qualify based on your experience as described below:

Specialized Experience: You must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-12) in the Federal Service, that is directly related to the work of the position and has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties as a Health System Specialist. Qualifying specialized experience is defined as progressively responsible analytical or administrative 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 or stakeholders, and analysis and/or coordination of administrative or other service activities, and provided knowledge of the following:

1. Missions, organizations, programs, and requirements of health care delivery systems;
2. Regulations and standards of various regulatory and credentialing groups; and
3. Government-wide, agency, and facility systems and requirements in various administrative areas such as budget, personnel, and procurement.

Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Working directly with healthcare professionals and organizational leadership to solve problems in support of the delivery of patient care and program/operational functions; analyzing data and applying management principles and analytic techniques to develop substantive recommendations for supporting or changing program operations related to customer experience, methodologies, or missions; developing and leading strategic planning initiatives to enhance healthcare service delivery and operational efficiency; experience planning, organizing, and developing studies or projects; and performing a wide range of administrative functions.

NOTE: 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.

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following Competencies for this position:

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

Supervisory Situational Judgment Test. Applicants will be required to complete a Supervisory Situational Judgment Test (SSJT) as part of the assessment process for this position. The SSJT evaluates judgment and decision-making skills that align with relevant competencies, organizational values, and best practices. Assessment results may be used as part of the evaluation, ranking and referral process. This is not a timed test, however, the assessment is expected to take approximately 45 minutes or less to complete. The assessment for this application does not include a cut score for a minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. However, you must answer each item in the assessment.

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 required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not 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/.

NOTE: Participation in the seasonal influenza program is a condition of employment and a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). It is a requirement that all HCP to receive annual seasonal influenza vaccination or obtain an exemption for medical or religious reasons. Wearing a face mask is required when an exemption to the influenza vaccination has been granted. HCP in violation of this directive may face disciplinary action up to and including removal from federal service. HCP are individuals who, during the influenza season, work in VHA locations or who come into contact with VA patients or other HCP as part of their duties. VHA locations include, but are not limited to, VA hospitals and associated clinics, community living centers (CLCs), community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs), domiciliary units, Vet centers and VA-leased medical facilities. HCP include all VA licensed and unlicensed, clinical and administrative, remote and onsite, paid and without compensation, full- and part-time employees, intermittent employees, fee basis employees, VA contractors, researchers, volunteers and health professions trainees (HPTs) who are expected to perform any or all of their work at these facilities. HPTs may be paid or unpaid and include residents, interns, fellows and students. HCP also includes VHA personnel providing home-based care to Veterans and drivers and other personnel whose duties put them in contact with patients outside VA medical facilities.

There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

• 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. This position requires the application, assessment, and questionnaire to be fully completed. The assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the 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 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.