Summary The Administrative Support Assistant to the Chief, Surgical Service at the Malcom Randall Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center is responsible for the efficient organization of the Operative Line/Surgical Administration office and office of the Chief. Coordinates, administrative activities within the service under the direction and oversight of the Program Coordinator/Administrative Officer for Operative Line/Surgical Service. Responsibilities Major duties include, but are not limited to: Ensuring mechanisms are present to guarantee timely and accurate submission of all administrative reports, and distribution of committee minutes, etc. Responding to inquiries in their areas of responsibility and to administrative matters and keep the Chief, Operative Line/Surgical Service informed regarding the status of these issues. Participating fully in the development of new or revised internal standard operating procedures. Establishing and maintaining all office and backup files. Providing general clerical public contact support services such as answering the telephone, referring visitors, or providing information about the office, its functions, and standard operating procedures, as well as similar information. Interacting with all services at the medical center and its affiliate, both on professional and administrative levels. Preparing portions of administrative reports for the Chief, Operative Line/Surgical Service. Reports include the Operative and Invasive report that is required by Operative and Invasive Committee and Joint Commission, Inspector General Issue reports; and other reports as requested by management. Attain and maintain computer skills (i.e., word processing, file management, VISTA programs, Excel spreadsheets) and communication tools such as MS Outlook. Will accurately collect, enter, and manage data. Tracking and trending issues related to the surgical sections program effectiveness and role implementation. Participating in performance improvement activities related to the program quality improvement process and offers performance improvement advice to program staff. Coordinating and arranging meetings for the Operative and Invasive committee, Operating Room Committee, Section Chiefs Meetings and Surgical Service Staff Meetings. Developing background information and preparing material to be discussed. Recording and transcribing minutes of these meetings and distributing them to appropriate officials, as well as the participants. Noting and following up on commitments made at the meetings. Maintaining calendar and scheduling appointments/meetings on own initiative. Reminding supervisor of appointments, and when required, briefing them on matters to be considered. Receiving and reviewing incoming correspondence, publications, regulations and directives that pertain to Operative Care Line/Surgical Service. Determining those that can be acted upon personally and taking necessary action. Typing correspondence for action/follow-up/reports initiated by the Chief, Operative Line/Surgical Service, including letters to congressmen, the VISN, Director's office, UF departments, other services, referring physicians, patients, proficiency reports, awards, progress reports, etc. Providing oversight of the work of the section Program Support Assistants (PSAs) and secretaries in Gainesville and Lake City. Maintaining roster of house staff physicians, call schedules for after regular hours and on weekends and holidays. Preparing and updating surgical special pager list and is responsible for ensuring accuracy for on call rotations for all sections. Issuing/maintaining updated list of all keys issued to surgical service staff and also preparing and issuing keys to new staff as deemed appropriate. Obtaining and monitoring the use of services, supplies/equipment for Surgical Service (both Gainesville and Lake City). Maintaining the time and leave for three T&Ls and serving as backup to the other timekeepers for the remaining fourteen T&Ls. Coordinating the annual review and continuous updating of medical center memoranda originating in Operative Line/Surgical Service. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Telework: VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. 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#: Administrative Support Assistant (OA)/PD049890 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 You may be required to serve a probationary period Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 10/28/2024. 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-07 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-06. 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. Typing Requirement: This position has a typing requirement of 40 words per minute. 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-06 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Filing documents daily. Using various computer programs (i.e., word processing, file management, VISTA, Excel) and using communication tools such as MS Outlook. Providing clerical support services, that may include providing information about the office, its functions, and standard operating procedures. Contacting various departments, service chiefs, administrative officers, etc. Acting as records liaison. Delivering and processing documents. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Administration and Management Communications Manages and Organizes Information 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 in an office setting where only light physical exertion is required. Physical dexterity is required in the operation of the computer, calculator, and copy machines. Must be able to concentrate for long periods; performs numerous tasks at one time; maintain accuracy and concentration during frequent interruptions. May be required to walk to other offices or other parts of the medical center or occasionally attend meetings outside the Medical Center. Some walking, standing, bending and carrying of light items such as books and papers will be required for filing or delivery of reports and other materials, filing, etc. 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/. Education There is no educational substitution at this grade level. Additional Information Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.