Summary The position serves as a primary link between RCS Program Offices and the District Office. This includes liaising with other executive staff within RCS, VHA and VA staff offices, other Federal agencies and a wide variety of external groups and organizations. Responsibilities Major duties include, but are not limited to: Acts as liaison on behalf of the District Director as a liaison to various organizational elements within RCS, the VA, and to external groups to include Veterans and their family members, members of Congress and their staffers, both local and national VSO representatives, and any other stakeholder maintaining an interest in veteran healthcare and readjustment counseling issues. In the absence of the District Director, may be required to represent the program at regularly scheduled executive meetings and/or special purpose operations meeting. Evaluates, processes, or makes recommendations for effective organizational changes. Performs organizational analysis for the District or participates in analysis that is nation-wide. Resolves audit and inspection activities for their assigned district, ensuring accuracy and timely completion. Develops tools and templates, identifies resources and memorializes administrative activities and controls. Participates in the development of responses to external program evaluations and reviews, prepares and presents reports, analysis, findings and recommendations to their District Director, RCS Operations Officer, or Executive Leadership. Performs program analyzes, including the development of life cycle or other cost analyses of projects, or performance of cost benefit or economic evaluations of programs. Leads cost and program effectiveness studies for district-wide operating or administrative programs. Prepares reports and briefings on results of studies and is responsible for the collection, interpretation, and analytics of quantitative and qualitative data relevant to programs being evaluated. Analyzes and evaluates, on a quantitative or qualitative basis, the effectiveness of programs or operations in meeting established goals and objectives.*Evaluates programs against short- and long-range objectives. Works with RCS Program Offices to provide support, guidance, clarification and ensures suspense items are complete, accurate, free from errors and cleared within prescribed timelines. Develops and utilizes spreadsheets and tracking tools to monitor all assignments under their responsibility as well as what has been assigned to District Office. Oversees District utilization and allocation of awards programs and/or productivity programs. Works with Human Resource Operations Office and the RCS Operations Office to develop annual approach and process of awards and ensures District adherence to nationally developed protocols for processing awards. Ensures appropriate allocation and distribution of available awards, providing guidance to meet the required timelines. Other duties as assigned per position description Work Schedule: 08:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, some evenings and weekends may be required depending on the needs of the District Office. Telework: Ad-hoc Position Description Title/PD#: Health System Specialist/PD49767A Physical Requirements: The work is usually sedentary, but it requires periods of walking, standing, bending, or climbing, and carrying light items such as books, instruments, laptops, and other similar materials. The work requires extensive periods of typing or computer work, either sitting or standing, and periodic telephonic communication. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement. Individual Occupational Requirements (IOR) (which must be met first): In order to meet the basic requirement of the Health System Administration, 0671 Occupational series, you must possess one of the following: 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 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 Inservice 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. AND GS-13 Specialized Experience: In addition to meeting the IOR, you must have one (1) 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: Serving as a subject matter expert for a wide range of qualitative and/or quantitative methods for the assessment and improvement of program effectiveness or the improvement of complex management processes and systems. VA and VHA systems to include Vista, Microsoft SQL, Microsoft SQL Reporting Services, Microsoft SQL Integrated Services, Pyramid Cubes, Power BI, Central Data Warehouse (CDW), ARC, and VSSC databases. Ability to manage multiple assignments, successfully setting priorities. 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. 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. Additional Information 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. The 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. 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. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be well-qualified, applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors if applicable, and must be proficient in most of the requirements of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website which can be found at https://www.opm.gov/. Receiving Service Credit for 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. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. 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. 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.